Pushing into Favour -1

Today's title for the message is Pushing into Favor. Pushing into Favor. Pushing into

Favor. We've been talking about the year of favor and the year of release for the last

little while. The year of favor and the year of release. We've been alternating between

those two topics. The year of favor and the year of release. And you did watch some of

those short 15-minute videos that talked about favor. And so today we talk about how do we

push into favor? Because favor needs to be pushed into. So the scripture that I want

us to read is from Exodus 33, 9-23. So I'm going to ask Aerie to come up and read that.

Exodus 33, 9-23. Yeah, she'll read it twice over from two different versions because we

need to hear this clearly. Yeah, yeah, let me hold one. Okay.

When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance

to the tent and the Lord would speak with Moses. As all the people saw the pillar of

cloud remaining at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up, then bow in worship,

each one at the door of his tent. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face just as

a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp. His assistant, the young

man Joshua, son of man, would not leave the inside of the tent. Moses said to the Lord,

look, you have told me, lead this people up, but you've not let me know whom you will send

me with. You said, I know you by name and you have also found favor with me. Now, if

I have indeed found favor with you, please teach me your ways and I will know you so

that I may found favor with you. Now consider this nation as your people. And he replied,

my presence will go with you and I will give you rest. If your presence does not go, Moses

responded to him, do not make us go up from here. How will it be known that I and your

people have found favor with you unless you go with us? I and your people will be distinguished

by this from all the other people on the face of the earth. The Lord answered Moses, I will

do this very thing you have asked for you have found favor with me and I know you by

name. Then Moses said, please let me see your glory. Then he said, I will cause all my goodness

to pass in front of you. I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious

to whom I will be gracious and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. But

he added, you cannot see in my face for humans cannot see me and live. The Lord said, here's

a place near me. You are to stand on the rock and when the glory passes by, I will

put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand till I have passed by. Then

I will take my hand away. You will see my back, but my face will not be seen. As Moses

went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance while the

Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance

of the tent, they stood and worshiped each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord would

speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to

the camp but his young aid Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Moses said to the

Lord, you have been telling me lead these people but you have not let me know whom you

will be sending me with. You have said, I know you by name and you have found favor

with me. If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may continue to find favor

with you. Remember that this nation is your people. The Lord replied, my presence will

go with you and I will give you rest. Then Moses said to him, if your presence does not

go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with

me in your people unless you go up with us? What else will distinguish me and your people

from all the other people on the face of the earth? And the Lord said to Moses, I will

do this very thing you have asked because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.

Then Moses said, now show me your glory. And the Lord said, I will cause all my goodness

to pass in front of you and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will

have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

But he said, you cannot see my face for no one can see me and live. Then the Lord said,

there is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will

put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand till I have passed by. Then I

will remove my hand and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen.

Okay, so we've read that twice through. So, favor is an I am pleased with you or you are

special to me position. Favor, and we've talked about this for a while, favor is an I am pleased

with you, pleased with you or you are special to me position that you and I occupy. It's

very hard to walk in this because we don't always think like this, but over the last

six weeks we've been talking about this again and again, that favor is an I am pleased with you from

God's perspective. I am pleased with you or you are special to me position that you and I occupy.

And that's how it's verse 12 begins, where Moses is saying to God that you say that I have found

favor in your sight. And this was in the old covenant, how much more so in the new covenant,

because Christ has died for us and paid the price for us and taken away our sin and placed us before

the father. So it's even more obvious now, but surprisingly Moses knew it in the old covenant.

I am pleased with you and you are special to me. That's the position that we need to begin from.

But you notice Moses then taking it further and that's why I've titled this teaching,

pushing into favor, pushing into favor, because it's very easy to receive favor and stay in it

when that's not what we are supposed to do. So if you look at verse 12, it says there, Moses said

to the Lord, you have been telling me lead these people, but you've not let me know whom you will

send with me. You have said I know you by name and you have found favor with me. So Moses uses his

position of favor and begins to engage God and begins to inquire of God. And these are two things

that favor must take advantage of, must take advantage of. If you can't see the board, you

can find another place of. Favor demands engagement. Favor demands inquiry. So if I'm in a position of

favor, I know that I can now engage God, because he is pleased with me and I am special to him.

In most other relationships where there is favor upon you, you will have very little problems

engaging more and inquiring more. It is when you don't have favor with somebody that you are

hesitant. Be it at work, be it in your family, be it in any situation. At work, if you have favor with

your boss, you can ask him more questions. At work, if you have favor with your boss, you can engage

more. The favor demands engagement and inquiry. And so the aim today is to help us understand where

we are located and how to push into favor, because pushing into favor brings rewards. And most

believers don't persist in this. So the other thing you see that Moses seems to have is he has

this assured grasp of what God has said. So throughout this passage, one of the things Moses

keeps saying is, you have said. You have said. He keeps saying this and it's an assured grasp, as in

it's not a confrontational grasp. It is not a demanding grasp. It's not a spoiled child grasp.

It is not a contractual, you promised me so you better deliver grasp. It's an assured grasp, as in

but I know you have said it and I know your nature. And so favor has an assured grasp of you have said.

It is this place where you're absolutely sure that because of the nature of the one you're

engaging, that if the person has said something, the person will hold true to it. And so when you

engage the person, when you inquire, you can go back to what the person said and not throw it at

his face as if you have said so, how come? No, it is you have said so. There is no how come. It is you

have said therefore. And one of the ways you know that you are conscious and cognizant of the favor

that you have with someone is the conversations you will have with the person. Your favor becomes

evident in your conversations. I can listen to a conversation between you and a superior and I can

then easily tell whether you have favor with the person or whether you don't have favor with the

person but are the same as everybody. Favor is not doesn't end up in a loss of reverence.

But favor does end up in easy relational conversation. And you see this with Moses.

And then you also see in verse 12 that favor encourages contending. Favor encourages contending.

Favor encourages contending.

As in when you walk in favor, God says, hey, since you're walking in favor, try and see how much you

can get. It encourages contending. In verse 15, Moses said to God, if your presence does not go

with us, do not send us up from here. I mean, there's a sense of not demand but a contending

as in you've given me room. Now let me walk at the very edge of the boundaries you've given me and

let me contend with you. And God invites this. And you can only begin to do this when you're in a

place of favor. The thing is the favor is already yours but you may not be walking in it.

It's not something that's being held back from you but we rarely walk in advantage.

You'll see people doing this and Abraham did it in Genesis 18 where he knew the favor that was upon

him. And so he begins to contend with God within the parameters of that favor saying if there are

50, if there are 40, if there are 30, if there are 10, and if there are 10,

and he literally says allow me to speak one more time my lord but what if there are 10?

You see this with Jacob in Genesis 32. I will not let you go till you bless me. He knew that after

a night's fighting he recognized that he was fighting with someone who was not human, was

supernatural even though in human form and he knew that with a touch the man could disarm him but

he doesn't let go because he realizes that the angel of the lord is fighting with him as a human.

And he says I will not let you go till you bless me. And then he takes it further and says tell me

your name because a revelation of the name would have, in Jacob's mind, to have God pronounce his

ineffable name. And this is before Moses. God hasn't revealed his name yet. It's only when it

comes to Moses that God says my name tell them that I am has sent you. Thus far God is only known as

El Shaddai or El Elion. And Jacob here is saying tell me your name. That fellow knew what he was doing

man. And instead of God changing him by telling him his name, God changes him by telling him Jacob's

name. But here is a man I admire this guy not because he bears my name, sorry not because I

bear his name but because yeah this not because I bear his name but because there is this contention

in him that is marvelous. And this is not a guy who was walking well with God. He was very deceptive

and yet he knew the favor in that moment and he begins to contend. This is pushing into the

favor of God. It's just a tremendous place to be and if we get habituated to it.

It's not something you go into because you want an answer for prayer or you want to know the will of

God or you want to pass in an exam. Those are pathetic things to contend for. You contend for

a change of a nation, the change of your nature, the change of the world, the change of something

that hasn't changed for a while. Those are the things you contend for not to pass an exam.

You see this with in Isaiah 43 26 where God says to Israel through Isaiah, hey come argue with me,

contend with me, state your reasons. He actually invites them saying come argue with me,

come contend with me. He's inviting Israel

because Israel was his favorite son talking about the nation. In the New Testament you see this

with a Syrophoenician or Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 27. Jesus is having this. I mean it's

literally like a fencing sword fight. Jesus says I didn't come for the Gentiles, I came for the

Israelites. Well but surely I can get the crumbs that fall off the table. No, no, no she says

but my daughter needs healing and he says that only dogs, let me go to the chapter. It's beautiful.

Matthew 15 27. Matthew 15 27. Look at, look at the sparring that is happening here and this is a woman

who was from a non-Israelite background. Matthew 15 verse 23. Jesus did not answer a word.

Matthew 15:23

Well let's start at 21. It's such a beautiful passage. Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew

to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him crying out,

Lord son of David have mercy on me. My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession.

Jesus did not answer a word. How atypical. It's so not normal for Jesus to do that and there in

itself you should see there's something happening here that we should now anticipate and this woman,

I don't know how she knew it but she knew how to deal with it and so Jesus did not answer a word

so his disciples came to him and urged him send her away for she keeps crying out after us. That

was their solution. He answered I was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel. The woman came and

knelt before him. Lord help me she said. He replied it is not right to take the children's

bread and toss it to their dogs. What a statement man. At a time when dogs were not,

this was a time when dogs were thought of like cats are thought of today.

And he replied it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs. Yes

Lord she said but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Jesus answered,

woman you have great faith. Your request is granted and a daughter was healed at very hour.

This is called contending within the realm of the favor that you must recognize. I don't know how

these this Canaanite woman recognized it because Israel wasn't recognizing their favor but a

Canaanite woman recognized what she could get. Pardon she was a mother.

Favor has carries it in a sense of desperation to find more. How do you know that you are actually

how do you know you've actually received and you're actually walking in favor? How do you know that?

You know that when you find that it is that you refuse to settle favor on you makes you desperate

for knowing more. Not getting more favor knowing more of the one who is showing you favor.

That is a sign that you've received it and you're walking in it.

You see this

with all these people and I can give you more. Favor does not settle for specialness.

Favor does not settle for specialness. We said favor is that position where God is saying

you are special to me. Favor is that position where God is saying I'm well pleased with you.

Favor does not settle there. Favor favor never says I'm special to the Lord and so now that's

great and let's just live here happily ever after. You can but favor does not settle for specialness

but pushes into it. Pushes into it to know God. If you look at Exodus 33 again verse 13, Exodus 33

Exodus 33:13

verse 13, Exodus 33 verse 13, Moses says there if you are pleased with me as in if I have found your

Exodus 33:13

favor teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that

this nation is your people. So here is a guy who already dwells in favor and when he finds out that

he has favor his responses well and this is that whole assurance contending thing if I have found

favor with you then teach me your ways so I may walk in them so I may continue in your favor

but more than that that I may know you. This is what God is calling us to. So I would suggest

that if you push into the access you have because of favor with God. Guys favor grants you access.

Favor grants you access.

Case in point Esther.

Esther had favor with the king and because Esther had favor with the king Esther was granted

access. Favor grants you access. So if you push into the access you have because of the favor you

have with God then a marvelous thing happens. He will teach you his ways

and he will show you his plans.

That should be the ultimate aim of favor. I get to learn your ways of God. He will teach you his

ways and he will let you in on his plans and that's what Moses wanted. It wasn't enough to

settle in favor. Now that I know that you are pleased with me. Now that I know that I am special

to you. Well let's take it further Yahweh. Teach me your ways and show me your plans. Let me in on

your plans and teach me your ways so that I may know you better and as I know you better I will

continue to walk in a way that pleases you. So the more you know his ways and plans the more

you get to please the one who is pleased with you. The more you know his ways and plans the more you

get to know the one who is pleased with you. The more you know his ways and plans the more

you get to please the one who's pleased with you. I'll repeat it again. It's a tongue twister. The

The more you know his ways and plans, the more you please the one who's pleased with

you.

So for example, if, let's assume, Josh finds favor with me, the more he begins to, you'll

have to work harder at that, but let's assume that one day he finds favor with me.

And when he does, the more he knows my ways and plans, the more he will please the one

who at present is pleased with him.

That's how this works.

So push into it, guys.

I'd hate to settle with 15-minute videos that make me feel special.

Now that I'm special and that's done with, let's move on to knowing the one who's made

me special.

Go ahead.

You can't.

The first question was, how do we avoid walking in favor and being greedy?

Guys, may you have great greed and lust for knowing his ways and knowing his plans.

It is the one area that you can be absolutely craving in.

And may you have great greed there.

Because at the end of the day, what happens is we equate favor with land, wealth, money,

passing exams, getting promotions.

That's the byproduct.

All favor is accessing this one who is pleased with you and knowing his ways and mind.

And in that, be greedy.

Be so greedy that it's like 15 minutes or 10 minutes before the service, you are so

hungry that you will not focus on things in the service and instead go to buy food.

Even though the service is about to happen in 10 minutes.

This is the kind of craving I'm talking about.

When nothing stops you.

This is what happened with Derek today.

And then you can find out what happened after that after the service.

Because he's still hungry.

He still hasn't eaten anything.

But that's another story.

So guys, greater the favor.

And the second part of the question was what?

If we have been taught not to, what's the second part of the question?

If we have been taught as children never to ask more than what we needed to get by,

what should we do now?

We'll have to unlearn that.

We'll have to unlearn that.

Because one of the first verses we are taught in Sunday school, because it's the shortest

one of the shortest verses, ask and you will receive.

Keep on asking.

And so there's this different perspective that God has.

Don't feed him.

The greater the favor you step into, the greater the responsibilities released to you, regardless

of the season or location of your life.

The greater the favor I step into, the greater the responsibilities released to me.

of the situation or the location or the season of my life, the greater the favor you step

into, the greater the responsibilities released to you.

Do you realize what we are saying here?

We are saying that favor is not static, that favor is not something that comes and just

settles on you, that favor is God saying, hey, I'm giving you permission.

You are special to me.

Which room in the house do you want to go look at?

What do you want to touch?

Which piece of crystal?

Which medal?

Which cupboard?

Which book?

Which one do you want to see?

You are special to me.

I'm pleased with you.

What do you want?

And as you begin to step into this favor, and you show yourself worthy of this favor

by being faithful, God says, let me increase your responsibilities.

And then it doesn't matter which season you are in.

It doesn't matter what your location is.

It doesn't matter which situation you find yourself in.

That favor stays.

One of the classic examples of this is Joseph.

In Genesis 39, with Potiphar, he had favor.

And so Potiphar put him in charge of the entire household.

Shortly after, in verse 21, he is in prison.

But even in prison, he has favor.

It doesn't matter the season or the location of your life.

Once a person begins to press into this, and Joseph began that very early.

When as a kid, he realized what favor was, he didn't make a mistake.

He went and blurted out the favor that was upon him.

Problem is when favor is upon you, sometimes your brothers hate you.

So be wise.

Joseph wasn't wise initially.

Any questions?

Don't ask for more money.

Don't ask for more promotions.

Don't ask for more ministry.

Ask for what Moses did.

You say you have great pleasure in me, and you find me worthy of your favor.

Well, if that is the case, then show me your ways and teach me your ways

so that I can step into knowing you so that I can continue to walk in your favor.

And asking for favor is not something God is waiting to give.

He's already released it upon you.

When you ask for favor, now what God does is saying, come, come, come further.

Come further.

Let me show you the rest of this house.

You thought you were supposed to sit in the lobby.

Let me show you the rest of this house.

Yes, I know it's a palace.

Yes, I know you've never stepped in here.

Yes, I know your shoes are dirty.

Yes, I know your socks stink.

But come, come further.

Please try to wrap our heads around this, please.

Favor is invisible.

As in when God grants favor to a person, unless they write favor on their foreheads,

it's invisible.

So favor is invisible.

But when it is upon you, presence of God becomes the shadow you cast.

Favor is invisible.

But when it is upon you, presence is the shadow that it casts.

As in when favor is upon you, people will not necessarily realize what's happening in your life,

but they'll see the work of God evidenced in your life.

Whenever favor is upon you, presence is the shadow it casts.

Whenever favor is upon you, presence is the shadow that it casts.

Presence.

And we'll unpack that a little.

So today, presence is not a pillar of cloud or pillar of fire.

Today, presence is not a pillar of cloud or a pillar of fire.

Today, presence is evidence of his manifest evidence of his nature.

Today, presence is the hand of blessing in extreme circumstances.

And today, favor, today, a presence is rest in the midst of a storm.

This is what presence looks like today.

This is what presence looks like today, where there'll be, when favor is upon you and you begin

to push into the axis that God is giving you, one of the things that will become evident in your life

is there'll be manifest evidence of his nature through you.

People will realize that, ah, there's something about this guy that is so different.

So different.

That's how presence is known today.

Two, the hand of blessing in extreme circumstances.

The hand of blessing in extreme circumstances.

Even though the earth shake, even though mountains collapse,

they will look at you and they'll say, why is it that you are not perturbed?

Why is it that the hand of blessing is upon you, whether things are up or whether things are down?

Why is it that God has his protection over you, regardless of what happens?

Why is it that every time you take a step, you trample over serpents and scorpions?

Why is it that every time you look up, you're able to see what we cannot see?

And then the third part is rest.

It doesn't matter what happens, you have absolute rest in your circumstances.

You know the outcome and you know the one in control.

This is what the world does not have.

This is what presence looks like today.

The hand of blessing that is upon you now becomes a hand of blessing that you stretch out to others.

The hand of blessing in extreme circumstances.

While people are dying around you, you seem to be living better.

And then what do you do?

You take the same hand of blessing and you reach forth and touch those that are dying around you.

Because now the presence of God begins to not just abide upon you, but it flows through you.

Keep pushing into the invitation that God is giving us in his favor.

Remember the story of the arrows.

Just because you've been given three arrows, don't shoot three arrows.

The three arrows was just the beginning.

If we are beginning to understand favor, step into it.

If you don't know how to step into it, follow those who know it.

Learn from those who are walking in this place of,

oh God, I know how to access further.

Oh God, I can see things I've never seen.

Oh God, I'm experiencing you and knowing you like I've never known.

Walk with them.

It allows you to plumb the depths of God.

It dares you into adventures you can never go ask for if I don't know this sense of favor.

Because at the end of the day, if we don't walk like this,

all we have is our talent, our gifts, our strength, our wealth, and that isn't distinctive.

Your God is distinctive.

What happens with Christians is they ask for favor in the area of,

oh God, can you grant me favor so that my talents increase?

Can you grant me favor so that my gifts increase?

Can you grant me favor so that my ministry increase?

Can you grant me favor so that my treasure increases?

Can you grant me favor so that my strength increases?

And God, because he is good, will grant you all that.

But all you have to show at the end of the day is the very things

that the world is competing for, desiring, and running after.

And it is not distinctive.

The only one who is distinctive is your God.

And if you know his ways and if you are letting on his plans,

now people will see presence.

Otherwise, you'll be competing with the world.

With an advantage, you work less while they work hard for it.

And worse, once that becomes your idea of favor,

you'll exchange it for trinkets and useless jewelry.

You don't know how many ministries think the favor of God

is receiving patronage from a king or a president or a rich man.

That's not favor.

That's mere flesh and blood giving you pocket money.

That's not favor.

That's mere flesh and blood giving you pocket money.

I may have amazing gifts.

I may be commissioned and sent.

I may have a powerful ministry.

But you may still not encounter his presence.

And for that, I am sorry.

One of the things I've decided is you must meet God when you meet with me.

That there should be a tangible recognition, awareness of God

that comes with the words and the time that you spend with me.

And the same applies to you when you spend time with somebody else.

What is the use if I give you great counsel,

if I pray for you and your sickness gets healed,

if I commission you and release to you your destiny,

if the way I minister is powerful,

and you go away absolutely happy, really grateful to Jacob,

never having encountered the presence of God?

I think that is living below our privilege.

I may have amazing gifts.

I may be commissioned and sent.

I may have a powerful ministry.

But if you have not encountered his presence

in the time that you spend with me, then I am sorry.

I am doing everything in my power to make sure that it changes.

Moses realizes this when he says in verse 15,

if your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people

unless you go with us?

What else will distinguish me and your people

from all other people on the face of the earth?

What is distinctive?

We got nothing distinctive except his presence.

And these are invisible things that must be seen through visible people.

This is the shadow I must cast.

Any questions?

Cultivate favor and you will cultivate presence.

Push into favor and you will cultivate presence.

Push into favor and you will cultivate presence.

I don't know if you remember.

Sorry, does someone have a question?

Yes.

How do we help people who are barely surviving,

can hardly eat a meal a day?

How do we tell them about favor?

One, we have to change their idea of favor as having three meals a day

and should provide them three meals a day

so that they can begin to run after the things

that they've longed to run after but cannot on an empty stomach.

So that's the first one.

The first time I went to Nandigama,

I talked about one of the questions that was asked of me by a kid,

which I did not know how to answer.

So I said, I'll come back to you tomorrow.

It was a very professional answer.

Whenever pastors say that,

it's because they have no idea how to say it.

So the kid asked the question,

why is it that this rich father god has many poor children?

Because I was telling them that this father,

Jeevan, you remember this, right?

I was telling them how good the father is,

how the father has plenty.

And so this kid worded it so well.

How does a good rich father have so many poor children?

I said, I'll get back to you tomorrow.

We'll talk about it tomorrow.

And then I went on, I was thinking,

and I remember the answer that I sensed God giving.

And I came back the next day and I said,

this good father has many poor children

because this good father's rich children

do not share what they have with the poor.

And this kid went back that evening

and he had two shirts.

And he had two shirts held together by one button

and one safety pin.

And there was another child who had a shirt

with no buttons and no safety pins.

And this kid takes one of his shirts

with one button and one safety pin

and gives it to the kid whose shirt was completely tattered.

And the kid asks him why.

And he says, didn't you hear what the pastor said?

That the reason this good father has poor children

is because the ones that are rich do not go to church.

The ones that are rich do not give

to the ones that are poor.

I got two, here take one.

One of the things we must do is free people to pursue God.

If that means money and feeding, then so be it.

So how can just 50 of us take care of them?

50 of us can at least take care of 250 easily.

It can be tangible, but nobody knows it when it's on you.

But I know that it is on me right now,

even though I might have no extra money in my pocket.

See, the thing is, we always think

that we have to go get it.

God is saying, I've already given it.

Keep stepping into it further and further.

Our problem as New Testament Christians

is we are looking for favor.

When he's saying, but it is already upon you.

And then when we realize it's already upon us,

what we do is we settle in it.

It's like being in the parking lot.

And God is saying, but that favor is parking lot favor.

Do you want to come into the house?

And then he begins to show you his house

and it's one door after the other,

one door after the other.

Just when you thought you got to the den,

you realize that's the kennel where the dog lives.

And then he shows you another room

and it just keeps getting bigger.

And as you get bigger, you see the different things

that he is good at, that he does, that he has for you.

And the further you begin to access the favor

that your father has upon you,

the greater you realize his presence around you,

the greater you realize the responsibilities

you are beginning to function in.

Let me give you an example.

I'm just trying to make this as non-abstract as possible.

When I first met Eddie,

Eddie would have conversations with me

and he would teach me stuff.

After three years, Eddie started giving me his notes.

He would email me his notes.

After five years, he took his entire binder

and gave it to me, saying, all these notes are yours.

After six years, he invited me home.

I stayed in his house multiple times.

By the eighth year, he asked me to come to South Africa

because he wanted to take me on a road trip.

He didn't go with his sons.

He's got two sons and a daughter.

And he set aside time and we drove for three days

from one part of South Africa to the other,

from Wellcome to Cape Town, stopping at different places

where he began to share what he did there many years ago,

what happens here, and we traveled for three and a half days.

And Paul, his son, told me that he's been looking forward

to this and he doesn't do this with too many.

He's only done it with us.

You must realize what is happening.

But over a period of time, that man began to let me

into his life, into his home, into the places

that he would not otherwise let people in

because he wanted to know the favor I carried.

And as I got to know him better,

I began to learn things much easier.

I now realize why he said what he said

and what was behind his thinking.

I got richer in the process.

To the point now that he steps back

so that I can step ahead and speak

when he's being called to speak.

Hey, George.

This is how favor works.

Do you understand what I mean now?

You begin to imitate him.

I love this next line.

I shared it when I spoke about favor some four weeks ago.

Favor is the fullness of permission.

Favor is the fullness of permission.

You actually adventure into everything in Christ.

Favor is the fullness of permission.

Favor is the fullness of permission.

Favor means, hey, Jacob, you got permission

to roam wherever you want.

Here is my key.

Here is my buzzer code.

Here is what you need to come into the house.

You can open the freezer, the fridge.

You already know my PIN code to the laptop anyways.

So here.

That's called favor.

And you're supposed to take advantage of it.

You must take advantage of it.

You must go to the fridge and open

and take whatever you want out of it.

Even though it was someone else's birthday cake,

you consume it.

You must take advantage of it.

Favor is the fullness of permission.

You actually adventure into everything in Christ.

But unfortunately, few of us choose to contend

till daybreak and ask the impossible of God.

Few of us choose to contend till daybreak

and ask God for the impossible.

Guys, once God allows you in,

he wants to see how interested you are.

He wants to see how interested you are.

He wants to see how interested you are.

It's like the Elijah, Elisha thing.

I'll give you a few examples of people

who were not scared to ask

because of the favor they knew they had.

What are you asking for?

What are you asking for?

And please don't say money.

Please don't say promotion.

Please don't say house.

Please don't say business.

Please don't say wealth

because that is what the world runs after.

You look at the people in the Bible

who had favor and asked for stuff,

they asked for hard things,

usually for generations forward,

or usually because God had promised something,

or usually because they wanted something from God

that no man on earth had gotten before.

What are you asking for?

What have you seen from your vantage,

from your perch, from your favor perch,

what have you seen about God?

And if you haven't seen it yet,

isn't it time to go and start looking?

In Exodus 33, verse 11,

Exodus 33:11

it's such a cool scripture.

It says, and Moses would exit the tent

and people would stand and watch while he left the tent,

but there was one man called Joshua.

I'm just getting excited.

But there was one man called Joshua

and he would not leave the tent.

He knew what it was to stand there

and watch this God that Moses had just spoken to

and Moses would come out his face blazing

and Joshua would sit and scratch his head saying,

how in the world does this happen?

My God, a day was coming when he would begin

to see the same God.

He actually sees him in Joshua chapter five.

So the question is, Jacob,

what have you seen from your vantage of favor,

from your perch of favor like Joshua, what have you seen?

And if you have seen something, what are you asking for?

Because you cannot ask for what you have not seen.

What are you asking for?

What did Moses ask for?

Exodus 33 verse 18.

Exodus 33:18

Do you know what he's asking for?

He's asking the God of the universe,

I wanna see your glory.

Who does stuff like that?

This is the same God who created the universe,

the same God whose name you cannot take,

the same God whose name you cannot write,

the same God who is so holy that you cannot approach him.

And he goes and says to this God, show me your glory.

Go ahead.

I'm not talking about visible seeing,

Moses knows God by now, he's seen something about God.

It's not visible seeing, it is,

ah God, what else is there in you?

It's reading Hebrews 11 and saying,

okay, if those guys were able to do this,

what am I supposed to do next?

It is saying that if the New Testament

was water up to the ankles, water up to the knees,

then what is it when water is up to the waist,

or water is up to the forehead?

What is it like?

We are not here to recapture the New Testament days.

Those are days in the past.

Everyone wants to go back to the New Testament days,

go back to the New Testament days.

Oh, if we had miracles like in the New Testament days,

that's in the past.

As the water gets further away from the throne,

it's supposed to increase,

then you cannot even swim in it, walk in it,

you can only swim in it.

If in the latter days, things are supposed to increase,

then we don't have to go to the former days

to look at what increase is like.

What are you asking for?

What have you seen?

Moses asked for the glory of God.

Aksa, A-C-S-A-H, it's a cool name for a daughter,

after Aletheia.

Aksa was the daughter of Caleb.

And she tells her husband, Othniel,

hey, my dad is coming, he's given us land,

but it isn't the Negev and it's a desert.

Why don't you ask for some streams of water?

Because if you ask for streams of water,

this land can be irrigated, but Othniel doesn't.

So Aksa takes advantage of the favor

that she has with her father and asks for streams of water,

and it irrigates the land that has been allocated to them

for an inheritance, and it continues through the ages.

Look at Caleb.

I love what Caleb does in Joshua 14.

Aksa was in Joshua 15.

Caleb is in Joshua 14, verse 12.

Joshua 14:12

40 years ago, God had promised me

that he would give me this land.

So I remember that promise now, and please, Joshua,

could you now give me those hills?

Those are the hills where the Anak dwell.

Those are the very giants that caused Israel,

without raising a finger, to abandon their inheritance.

Now please give me those hills,

because I want to teach those giants a lesson.

Asking for the impossible happens only when I push

into favor and see what God can do.

Otherwise, you will always ask for the possible.

Always ask for the possible.

Or look at Elisha.

What do you want?

I want a double portion of the Spirit that is upon you.

You have asked too hard a thing.

That is Elijah's response.

Elijah, who could do anything he wanted on earth,

is now saying to Elisha, you've asked too hard a thing.

How did Elisha know what to ask, man?

You can ask for, Elijah, please, can I be like you?

No, look at the audacity of this guy.

I don't want to be like you,

I want to be twice as good as you.

Now you understand greed?

But if you're this greedy, you better have a big stomach.

And so he asks for a double portion.

Look at Peter.

Without knowing, Peter was always looking for that one

thing that nobody else had done.

Walk on water, well, nobody's done it, let me do it.

Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, the Messiah,

nobody else has said it.

No one in the history of man has ever said that,

let me say it.

He had this ability to push the envelope

when it came to God.

Bartimaeus, I love what Bartimaeus does.

He's sitting there, cannot see,

and yet he hears this noise and his question is,

what's happening?

And they say, Jesus, the son of David,

and he begins to holler, man.

And Jesus asks him, what do you want?

One of the things that happens when favor is upon you

is if you are walking in favor,

you will hear this question always from God.

Hey, Jacob, what do you want?

What do you want?

What do you want, Jacob?

What do you want?

Whenever God says, what do you want, be like Solomon, huh?

Don't ask for a little bit of wealth here,

a few horses there.

What do you want?

And you can only ask if you have seen what God can give.

I have permission to ask.

I have permission to ask.

I am intimately known.

Guys, when I say this about me,

you realize it's the same for you, right?

But the reason I put I in my notes

is because it becomes personal, it becomes real.

I have permission to ask.

I am intimately known.

I am favored with holy pleasure.

I am gloriously inhabited by the Holy Spirit.

Just think of these words I'm saying.

I have permission to ask.

I am intimately known by God.

I am favored with holy pleasure.

I'm gloriously inhabited by His Spirit.

Therefore, now I must stand in this freedom

and look to see and dare to ask.

This is why Moses had the ability to then say,

I will, oh God, show me your glory.

And God obliges it.

I'll cause my goodness to pass in front of you.

I will proclaim my name, the Lord in your presence.

I will have mercy on who I will have mercy.

But he said, you cannot see my face.

The beautiful thing is verse 18 to 23

has been made redundant by Jesus.

Verse 18 to 23 has been made redundant by Jesus

because Jesus is the face of God.

Jesus is the glory of God.

Jesus is the goodness of God.

Jesus lives in me.

Jesus, I live with Jesus.

I mean, Moses, my relationship with God

is not a back to face relationship.

It's a face to face relationship.

With Moses, God had to say, listen,

you can't look at my face.

I'll have to cover you with my hand.

And as I pass by, you will see my back.

This is not how we live.

Jesus is the face of God.

Jesus is the glory of God.

Jesus is the goodness of God.

You go to Hebrews 1, 3, I love this verse.

It's so full.

Hebrews chapter one, verse three.

And it says in Hebrews one, verse three,

the son, as in Jesus, is the radiance of God's glory

and the exact representation of his being,

sustaining all things by his powerful word.

The exact representation of God's being,

the radiance of God's glory.

You go to Colossians 1, 15 in the message.

Colossians 1, 15 in the message.

Look at what it says, Colossians 1, 15.

And it says there, the message.

It says, we look at this son

and see the God who cannot be seen.

We look at this son

and see God's original purpose in everything created.

Guys, a time will come where if you begin to push into favor,

you will see how God actually wanted things to be in Eden

and you will begin to walk like that.

Selah.

Ponder on that.

Stray children,

you are not going to be able to walk like that.

You are not going to be able to walk like that.

You are not going to be able to walk like that.

Strange thing is now God lives in me, Colossians 1, 27.

Hope of glory Christ in me.

And I live with him.

He lives in me, I live with him.

Ephesians 2, 6, seated with Christ.

Let me conclude.

Today, there's nothing between me and God.

Nothing between me and God.

No veil, no interruptions.

Nothing between me and God.

Face to face with Christ every day

through the word and through his spirit

and with his people.

Christ is revealed through these three things, guys.

Always remember, you miss out on any one of these things

and you will miss out on the Christ.

Today, there is nothing between God and me

that is preventing absolute pushing into.

Nothing between me and God.

Face to face with Christ every day through his word,

by his spirit, and with his people.

And you choose to abandon any one of these

and you will not be able to see

the unconcealed glory of Christ anymore.

Just think of that for a second, guys.

Through his word, by his spirit, and with his people.

And if you choose not to participate in one of these,

you do not see the unconcealed.

It's no longer concealed,

but you still will not see the unconcealed glory of Christ

if you miss out on any one of these.

Nothing between me and God.

Face to face with Christ every day through the word,

by the spirit, with his people.

And I can now begin to contemplate his brilliance,

his excellence, his goodness, his splendor.

And as I contemplate, as I think, as I reflect,

as I chew, as I sing, I am transformed by the Holy Spirit.

I am transformed by the Holy Spirit.

My life becoming brighter and more beautiful, like Christ's.

Don't worry, if you didn't write that down,

go to 2 Corinthians 3.18 and read the message version.

I just quoted 2 Corinthians 3.18 from the message.

That's all I was doing.

So here's the equation.

I pray, God, that you will think about it and explore it.

And if necessary, ask questions you may have.

Push into the favor that Christ is the Lord.

Push into the favor

that is already

yours because of Christ.

Push into the favor that is already yours

because of Christ.

What is favor?

It is an I am pleased with you.

You are special to me, Jacob, position

that I occupy with God because of Christ.

Push into that favor.

Engage it, inquire.

Have an assured grasp of you have said.

Contend, like Abraham, like Jacob.

It's the fullness of permission.

Push into the favor.

That's step one.

When you do that, you will become

very conscious

of his presence.

Because pushing into favor is exploring God.

It is because as soon as you begin to push into favor,

God says, okay, I'll teach you my ways

and I'll let you in on my plans.

I'll teach you my ways and I'll let you in on my plans.

You know the guy who started that

whole line of things, Hello Kitty?

You guys won't know about it.

Okay.

It's a Japanese thingy.

He started this simple line and he's made billions

because of it.

Yesterday he retired at 92.

And so his 39 year old grandson is taking over the company.

But you think this man won't teach his grandson

how to run the company?

He's still healthy at 92.

Built it.

Now he's giving it over to his grandson

and his grandson will run the company.

He's 39 years old.

But in the process, he's gonna teach him.

Teach him the ways, let him in on plans he had

and then allow the son to dare to change and ask.

And this is on a very human level.

We're talking about a very different level

where as you push into favor,

you become very conscious of his presence

because he's letting you in on his plans.

He's teaching you his ways.

Can you imagine what'll happen to you?

And as that begins to happen,

your eyes are wide open.

Your eyes are wide open to,

your eyes are wide open to his unconcealed glory.

To his unconcealed glory.

Your eyes are wide open to his unconcealed glory

and goodness.

As in, now that you know his presence,

my God, man, your eyes pop open to how good he is.

Because everywhere you go, you realize what he can do.

There were many times during that road trip with Eddie

that I would secretly look out of the window and weep

because this man was not my dad.

But the kindness he was showing me,

the places that he would take me to

because he knows how much I love mountains and beaches,

the fish and chips place and the breakfast places

that he would stop at because he knows

I like eggs and french fries.

And he would take me to the restaurant

and he would take me to the restaurant

because he knows I like eggs and french fries.

Places in Cape Town that he took me to.

I'd look away because I was thinking to myself,

this will be silly, he'll wonder why I'm crying.

But it was quite something and he paid for the entire trip,

he wouldn't let me spend a dollar.

All to say, your eyes are wide open

to his unconcealed glory and his goodness.

That then results in you being transformed

into his likeness.

Because you start beholding him on a regular basis.

You can't take your eyes off him

because he's become the biggest distraction in your life.

And when you are transformed into his likeness,

the world benefits every day.

Okay, I'm concluding, Phoebe.

Tell her to delay that thing by another 20 minutes

because I normally go till four.

So that's how it works.

So that's how it works.

Any questions?

This teaching is marvelous if you explore it.

It is very good if you don't explore it.

It's brilliant if you explore it.

Because you can really go deep if you take this,

deep not in some theology, but just deep into God,

if you actually took it and started thinking about it.