★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ The Capital Assembly (TCA)
Plot 600, off Independence Avenue,
Beside Bolingo Hotel,
Central Business District,
Abuja → Nigeria
30th August, 2015

FOUNDER'S DAY CELEBRATION

SERMON
* Speaker: Pastor Femi Adun
* Topic: A Season of Increased Favour
* Text: Luke 2:52 →" Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favour with God and his fellow man."

* Everything that the Scripture reveals to you should be your eternal pursuit

* What you have in your hand determines your reach

★ Proverbs 8: (the benefits of wisdom)
→ Jesus possessed wisdom for a reason

* If Jesus had wisdom and favor (with both God and men), It means that they are critical for your existence & prosperity today

☆ Why did Jesus need to increase in favour?

★ Psalm 89:17 →"For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.

* NOTE: the horn symbolises strenght and capacity
→ You need all this to be all that God says you will be

* what you will be is not determined by the economy of your nation
→ it is determined by whether or not you possess wisdom and favour

* In the battle for destiny, the enemy you need to defeat is that of false identity
→ Satan leveraged on false identity to cause the fall of Man
(See: Genesis 3:5-7)

* The greatest battle is that people face today is the battle of false identity

* Luke 4:1-13 (The temptation of Jesus)
→ Satan tried to tempt Jesus by confusing Him with a false identity
→ Today, many people (including Christians) are falling into Satan's trap because they want to attain some 'false' identity as presented by Satan

* You cannot base your value on what you are presently going through

* The prosperity of a child of God is not based on facts:
→ it is determined by the favour of God

* There is nothing like a self-made man, only "helped-made men"
→ Every man is a product of help

* NOTE: Even Jesus benefited from the favour of both God and men!

* Facts (that is, the reality of things 'on ground') only increase the possibility for miracles; but they do not determine the outcome of your life!

* Your qualification is not based on 'what is on ground, but on God's favour

* What is on ground does not matter:
→ look away from what is on ground or how long its been on ground

* Genesis 39:1-6
→ Favour can re-write your-story

* What is written becomes a fact:
→but favour can re-write it.

* The favour of God can speak on your behalf regardless of what you are experiencing

* When the favour of God locates you, it changes your story, and makes it sweet

* Exodus 3:19-21
(God's plan for restoration)
→ When you encounter favour, you will not go away empty handed

* Unfruitful toiling is not a package of the Kingdom you are a part of
→ Galatians 3:13-14 (Jesus has delivered us from every curse)

* Favour translates your toil to blessing

* When God's favour locates you, you will not need to toil fruitlessly any more

→ When Jesus steps into your boat the ushers you into favour
(see: Luke 5:1-7)

* Favour can enable you to catch what you cannot catch by yourself

* Favour can end your season of fruitless toil

* Favour will bring you into the place of divine abundance and prosperity

* The power of God can deliver you (from curses), but it is the favour of God that brings you into the wealthy place

* The favour of the Lord will help you accomplish great things

★ What happens when God shows you favour?
☆ See: Leviticus 26:9

(a) You will be fruitful
(b) You will experience multiplication

★ Exodus 34:10 →"And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee."

* God's favor makes the impossible possible

* Esther experienced all-round favour and she was promoted to the rank of Queen: (See: Esther 2:15-17)
* Among all equals, favor sets you apart
→ NOTE: Before Esther's interview, she found favor before the king's eunuch, Hegai (Esther 2:15)
→ there are people that you need to find favor before for you to move ahead

* Nehemiah's testimony→ Nehemiah 2:18 →"Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work."

☆ It is time to begin to base your expectations on the favor of God not on the facts of life

* When the hand of God comes upon you, it will cause a change of status in your life

☆ Acts 12:10 →"They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate that led into the city. It opened by itself for them, and they went outside and proceeded one block when the angel suddenly left him."
→ When you encounter the favor of God, doors will open to you of their own accord

☆ Three things you need for you to experience God's favor:

1. Obedience
→ when God gives you any instruction, do not analyze it. Just obey!
* See: Luke 5:4 →"When he had finished speaking, he told Simon, “Push out into deep water, and lower your nets for a catch.”

2. Keep seeking the favour of God
→ do not waste your the seeking the hand of man without seeking God's favor first

3. Generosity
→ Be a gift to humanity and the body of Christ
→ Go all the way for others;
→ Ensure that you spend all your calling, spend all your money, spend all your talent, without asking for anything in return
→ Use everything in you to be a blessing to those around you
→ You cannot get to where God wants to take you unless you are willing to be generous & sacrificial
→ Be generous in your worship
→ Never get to a level in life where you cannot do anything (sacrificially) for God

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

★ Words of Wisdom from Bishop Bob Alonge

* Your motives give birth to your actions

* As a Pastor, people will respond more to what you do, not what you say; because people are influenced more by your example, rather than you instructions

* Help people to know that the blessings of God upon the lives of those who love & obey Him is real

* If you want something that not everybody has, you have to do something that not everybody does