SERMON NOTES
From In Touch With Dr. Charles Stanley
Walking In The Favor Of God – Part One
KEY PASSAGE: Genesis 6:5-8 | SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES: Psalm 32:8-9 | Isaiah 30:21 | Luke 1:28
Galatians 5:17
SUMMARY One of the evidences of God’s favor is His
willingness to communicate with us.
According to Genesis 6:5-8, the ancient world was
so filled with wickedness and evil that God was And our willingness to learn to listen to Him is essential
grieved and sorry He had made mankind. for our obedience to His will. One of the first lessons
we learned as children was to listen to our parents, and
Therefore, He decided to blot out every living creature on that’s exactly what we need to do in our relationship with
earth. But in the midst of all the corruption, Noah “found our heavenly Father. If all we do is talk to Him in prayer
favor in the eyes of the Lord” and was rescued from the without listening to Him, we won’t know His will for us.
destruction of the flood (v. 8). Our world today is also filled
with sin and corruption, and as Christians, we are called to In Psalm 32:8, God makes these promises:
walk as Noah did—in the favor of God.
“I will instruct you.” The Lord gives us insight and
SERMON POINTS understanding of His Word so we will know how to live
our daily lives.
The favor of God is expressed by His approval, acceptance, I will “teach you in the way which you should go.” We
support, provision, power, and joy. This is what He showed don’t know what a day holds, but God does, and He will
to Noah and to Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:28), and guide us throughout the day.
it’s also what He has manifested to everyone who has been “I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Every
saved by Jesus Christ. day we make decisions and encounter situations that
challenge us because we don’t know what to do. What
God’s favor was poured out on us at salvation when our we need is personal direction from the Lord, and He
sins were forgiven, and it is further displayed by the will be faithful to provide it if we will listen. Because He
indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit who seals us as loves us and wants us to obey His will, God continually
His children. His favor is a fact, but it’s also something gives us counsel through His Holy Spirit who is our
we can experience on a daily basis as we walk in it. internal guide and director.
After salvation, we should see the evidence of God’s favor We must learn to listen to God.
working in our conversation, character, and conduct as we
walk in the fullness of His Spirit. Our lifestyles and habits This is a basic lesson for anyone who wants to live a godly
should indicate to those around us that we have the favor of life. The Lord doesn’t save us and leave us to do the best
God. Instead of fretting over the circumstances in our lives, we can but desires to communicate with us if we’ll listen.
we can have confidence in His presence with us and His
faithfulness in answering our prayers. Listening to God demands our time and attention.
SERMON NOTES | SN180304
The Holy Spirit who directed and led the apostles is the God is always speaking, but we must listen. We won’t
same one who indwells and guides us. We have been hear His voice if we fill our lives with other things.
tremendously blessed, yet we often think we’re too busy Although we may become hard of hearing, we can
to listen to Him. Our minds are so crowded with other never silence the Lord. However, the Spirit of God may
concerns that we can’t hear Him, but there is nothing withdraw to some degree, and as His children, we’ll then
more important than heeding His voice and operating find ourselves under His discipline.
under His control.
How does God get our attention?
To listen to the Lord, we must learn to identify His
voice. Restlessness. This is an inner sense of unease for which
• God’s voice will be consistent with the scriptures. we cannot readily identify the cause. It is meant to drive
The Holy Spirit will never say anything in violation us to the Lord so we can hear from Him.
of God’s Word. The Bible is always our standard of A message from someone else. God may use another
measure. person to speak to us. However, we must be careful to
• God’s voice may be in conflict with human reason. consider the person’s character and lifestyle in order to
Because the Lord is infinitely wise and omniscient, avoid being led astray.
His ways are higher than ours and may not seem A supernatural blessing. Sometimes the Lord
logical to us. abundantly blesses us to remind us how good He is.
• God’s voice will clash with fleshly desires. The Unanswered prayer. If the Lord isn’t responding to our
desires of the Spirit are in opposition to those of the prayers, He may be in the process of humbling us so that
flesh (Gal. 5:17). Therefore, the inner conflict we feel we’ll be willing to wait for His guidance.
when we’re tempted is the Spirit leading us in the Disappointments. The Lord uses disappointments to
opposite direction. get our attention so we’ll turn to Him.
• God’s voice will challenge us. Sometimes the Spirit Failure. Any failure that drives us to our knees is good.
leads us to do something we feel incapable of doing. Financial problems. The Lord wants us to turn to Him
• God’s voice calls for courage. Obedience is not with our need.
always easy, but God’s commands are always Sickness or injury. God may use illness to stop us from
accompanied with His power and strength. going the wrong way and to teach us to follow Him.
• God’s voice will speak quietly. He doesn’t shout but
speaks softly through our conscience and into our minds, RESPONSE
whispering, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isa. 30:21).
• God’s voice will speak clearly. He wants us to know As you look at your life, are you walking in the favor of
what He is saying, and has been speaking to us since the God? If so, what is the evidence of His favor in your life?
day of our salvation. First, His voice clearly convicted us What practices and habits help you listen to the Lord?
of sin and moved us to repentance and salvation. Now What hinders you from hearing His voice?
He continues to communicate with us to bring us to
obedience and surrender in our daily lives.
• God’s voice will speak personally. He loves and
cares for us individually and guides us in every
situation or concern.
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SERMON NOTES | SN180304
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