WHEN YOU FIND FAVOR WITH GOD
“Mary, you have found favor with God.”
~Luke 1:30
Text: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-39
1. When you find favor with God, you find nothing is impossible for God.
Luke 1:35-37 - The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
Luke 18:27 - Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
2. When you find favor with God, you find another world is working for the welfare of your world.
Luke 1:11- Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
Luke 1:26 - In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth…
Matthew 1:20 - But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
Hebrews 1:14 - Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Romans 8:34-35 - Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
3. When you find favor with God, you find peace.
Luke 1:30 - But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary,
Matthew 1:20 - …an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife…”
1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.
4. How do you find favor with God?
Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Faith results in obedience. If you do not obey, your faith is no better than the faith of demons (James 2:18-19, 26) - Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder…As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.