How to Activate God’s Favor | Decide & Declare | The Favor Factor WK 3

Who's ready for the word of the Lord this morning?

Come on, make some noise.

Amen.

If you would go ahead and turn me in your scripture to Romans chapter 5.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 5 verses 1 and 2.

Romans 5:1

I'm reading out of the amplified classic version today.

Not that it's any better.

I just like how it says what I'm trying to get across to us today.

Romans chapter 5, verses 1 through 2.

Romans 5:1–2

Amen, amen, amen.

And as you are turning there, I want to remind everybody that we're in a series currently called the Favor Factor.

How many people in the house are favored by the Lord?

Come on, make some noise.

Raise your hand.

Yes.

I'm telling you, favor is the difference in the life of the believer.

And it is made available to everyone who is in the kingdom.

And this morning, I'm actually going to talk to us briefly about how you and I activate favor in our lives.

How many of y'all want to understand that and know that?

Anybody?

Amen.

Because here's what you need to understand and get down deep in your spirit.

You can have the ability to access something, but if you do not know how to access that something, you will never live with that something.

Make sense?

Like your smartphone, right?

Anybody got a smartphone?

Anybody wish your smartphone was a dumb phone besides me?

Anybody?

Yeah, sometimes I wish my smartphone wasn't so smart.

You know what I mean?

Siri tries to talk back to me every now and then.

I say, hey Siri, and she doesn't know what she's talking about.

I said, I didn't pay all this money for you to talk back to me, okay?

I almost called her a woman of God, but she's not, okay?

My God.

That's a joke.

But look at look at your phone, right?

Like your phone has all these different features in this thing.

Uh, you can make a a FaceTime call.

You know what I'm saying?

What you laughing at?

You am I covering my phone?

Yeah, that's my wife on the phone, okay?

Unless you're wondering, it's my wife, not yours.

Okay, so just calm down.

Uh, but think about your phone.

Like, you have access to make like a video call to somebody, you have access to your bank accounts on here.

Uh, you have access to literally thousands of contacts that you've made over the years if you've put them in your phone.

You understand what I'm talking about?

Uh you have access to the World Wide Web.

That's what WWW means.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

Uh, but just because you have access to all those things doesn't mean that you know how to access all those things.

Make sense.

Uh, I I saw something this past week that that Apple actually, when they release their phone, that they actually release the camera settings in such a way to where the average user cannot enjoy the full extent of the camera.

And I thought to myself, why would they do that?

And it's because they want you to buy more accessories.

Come on now, they want you to buy them courses, you know what I'm talking about.

They want you to, it's it's a money thing, but I thought about that and I said, Man, I already had the access on my phone to optimize what was what was right here, but because I did not know how to get into it, I couldn't live in it.

You understand what I'm saying?

And the same thing is true with things in the kingdom.

You have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, you are the righteousness of God, you have the Prince of Peace as your Prince of Peace, you have the grace of God on your life.

You with me?

And the Bible tells us that you and I have been favored with the favor of God.

You already have what you need from the Lord, but until you learn how to tap in, come on now, until you learn how to tap into it, you will never live in it.

My friend, you are favored by God, and because you are favored by God, it does not matter in the world who doesn't like you because God likes you.

It doesn't matter in the world who talks about you because God talks about you, and whenever he talks about you, the Bible doesn't say he looks at you and says, Oh my gosh, I can't believe this, that.

No, the Bible says when he talks about you, if you were to count the the thoughts he has towards you, he would outnumber the sand on the seashore.

And the thoughts he has, Jeremiah 29, 11, are good thoughts with the preferred future.

Are you with me, my friend?

You have been blessed, you have been favored, but if you do not know how to tap into the blessing, and if you do not know how to tap into the favor, you will never walk and live in it.

That's right.

And so this morning and and next Sunday as well, I'm going to teach us in this house how to activate the favor that's already yours.

Hallelujah.

Y'all ready for that this morning?

Have you found Romans chapter 5?

Romans 5 · chapter mention

Says this out of the Amplified Classic.

Therefore, since we are justified, acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God through faith, let us grasp the fact that we have the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy.

What is what is the writer of Romans saying right there?

You got it.

Look at your neighbor and say, You got it.

Look at your other neighbor and say, You got it.

Tap the neighbor on the uh in front of you and say you got it too.

Go ahead, tell him you got it too.

Okay, the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one.

Watch this next verse in Romans chapter 5 and verse 2.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

Through him, through who?

Through Jesus.

Let me tell you, it's only through Jesus Christ.

So if you're here this morning, you say, Well, I don't, I think he's trying to give us some hocus pocus, some wishful thinking, just trying to do better.

No, let me tell you, it's only made available through Jesus Christ.

Not your own effort, not your education, not your networking skills.

Hello?

It's only through Jesus Christ, through him, Jesus, also we have our access, entrance, introduction by faith into this grace.

What is grace?

The state of God's favor.

Hallelujah.

That's a shouting spot right there, y'all.

Come on now.

We have by faith into this grace, the state of God's favor in which we firmly and safely stand.

Let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.

Let's pray, Father, enlighten us today with the light of your word and of your spirit.

We need you, we long for you.

And so, Lord, wipe away what needs to be wiped away, renew what needs to be renewed, strengthen what needs to be strengthened.

And God, let us continue to be conformed into the image of our older brother Jesus Christ.

For your word says, for those whom he foreknew, he predestined to be conformed into the image of his son.

And so, Lord, let us be transformed today.

In Jesus' mighty name, every hindering and distracting thing in Jesus' mighty name.

I take authority over you now.

The Lord reigns in this place.

It's in his mighty name I pray these things, Jesus.

Come on, someone say amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Alright, y'all ready to go there today?

Okay, look at your neighbor and say, buckle up.

Look at your other neighbor and just take that seatbelt right off of them, okay?

Because we don't buckle up in this house.

All gas, no brakes, okay.

If you're gonna ride, you might as ride.

You know what I'm talking about.

Uh-huh.

It's like the first time.

You ever been to Disneyland before anybody in the house?

I remember the first time I ever went to Disneyland, I rode Splash Mountain.

You know what I'm talking about?

If you if you know, you know.

But if you don't, you get onto this log ride and you think that they're gonna have a seatbelt for you.

They don't have no seatbelt.

You just sit down in the chair, and I'm I'm sitting there going down the the river.

I'm saying, why didn't anybody buckle me up?

And I forget the first time I went on that ride.

I I was going down and I was nervous.

You don't know nervous that uh-huh.

Go ahead, Brother Donnie.

You don't know nervous till you've been on an amusement park ride with no seatbelt, okay?

I'll never forget I went up to that top of the hill like that, and then that I was like, it someone could come out at any time and just buckle your boy up, okay?

Anytime.

You can do this anytime.

And uh no one came out, and I still went over the cliff, and let me tell you, it was one of the funnest experiences I've ever had in my life.

And so I tell you that to say this this morning, just have fun in the house of the Lord today.

Is that all right?

If you came here looking for some kind of safe, sterile uh uh experience of the Lord, you came to the wrong house.

Look at your neighbor and say, We're here together, okay?

And just say, Don't leave me by myself.

Just tell them, don't leave me by myself.

I'm a firm believer that church should be enjoyed, not endured.

Anybody else?

Amen.

And so, whenever you understand that, it just makes things a whole lot funner.

Activating favor today, you know, while we read scripture, there are mighty men and women throughout the word that were endowed with the favor of God.

And the more I read scripture, I am more and more understanding that God is a God of patterns and principles.

You hear me talk about this.

If you're if you're around, God is a God of patterns and principles.

And if you read scripture and you begin to understand through the lens of what is the pattern, what is the principle, I'm telling you, things in your life begin to go to a greater level with God because God never gave us the word to wave it over us and say, na na na boo-boo, you'll never understand, and you'll never quite get there.

Whenever I first started reading the Bible, I thought that's how God operated.

Na na na boo-boo, you'll never understand it, and you'll never have anything that it that you can have.

But I'm telling you, the more I read scripture and the more I begin to understand that God actually watches now, doesn't conceal himself, he reveals himself, the more I understood that there is an experience to be had every time I crack open the word.

And the experience to be had is not for me to just have a goosebumps, the experience for me to be had, uh that's a weird way of saying that, but you understand what I'm talking about.

The experience to be had is this an encounter with Jesus Christ, an encounter with the word of God because Jesus is the word.

You hear what I'm talking about?

John chapter 1, verse 1.

John 1:1

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was gone.

The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory.

I'm telling you, every time you crack open this book, don't crack this thing open just so you can say, Okay, I read my Bible today.

Open this thing with an expectation that you are going to meet the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Come on now.

You can read this thing and encounter the healer, you can read this thing and encounter your savior, you can read this thing and encounter a deliverer.

Watch this, and I'm about to show you this in the scriptures today.

You can read your Bible and encounter the one who favors you.

And I said it earlier, I gotta say it again.

If he favors you, it doesn't matter who doesn't favor you.

So I'm uh while I read this scripture, I'm telling you, I see mighty men, mighty women of God who are favored by the Lord, and I begin to ask myself this question what did it take for them to tap into what God made available to them?

You have to ask these questions because if you don't, you're just gonna go year after year after year, coming to church on a Sunday morning, waving your hand, and going home after I preach and say, Well, it didn't work for me.

No, it didn't work for you because you didn't work the word.

The word works when you work the word.

Can I get an amen, somebody?

Now I'm not trying to enter into that Dr.

Seuss anointing today.

Can I get an Amen?

And I'm not a hip hop artist either, but I'm telling you, some things just fit.

The word works when you work the word, and so I begin to read this thing and ask myself, what made Moses tap into his favor?

What made Noah tap into his favor?

What made King David tap into his favor?

What made Jesus tap into his favor?

Because whenever I read these things, I just don't want to sit back and say that's nice for them.

I read these things and say, What about me?

And if you don't read your Bible in that way, let me encourage you, read your Bible and say, What about me, God?

What about me, Lord?

Come on, what about me?

What about me?

What about my healing?

What about my deliverance?

What about my salvation?

What about my uh uh being extremely wealthy?

Come on now, what about me?

What about I'm telling you, you need to begin to look at the word through patterns and principles, patterns and principles, because if you can understand the pattern, you can enter into the principle and watch this.

This is something I've learned about the Lord, Donnie.

If you do the principles of God, you reap the blessing of God.

When you do God's thing, God's way, you get what God wants you to get.

I'm preaching better than what you're saying, amen, but that's all right.

Maybe that caffeine from that 9 a.m.

coffee pot isn't kicking in quite yet.

And so I want to give you this week and next week, because I I realize after last week, sometimes I put too much in my notes and I want everybody to get everything.

Don't say amen to that because I'll come down here and get you.

But there's there's four keys that I have noticed in the life of people in scripture that have allowed them to activate favor in their life.

Because they already got it.

Remember, it's already made available to them.

They have access, but they don't, they they have to learn how to access in order to live in it.

And so today I'm gonna give you two of the four keys.

Someone put up some two, put up a two in the house.

This one, go ahead, two.

Look at your neighbor, wave that, wave that at them, say, come on now, two, two, two, just two, just two, not three, not four, just two today, okay?

Just two.

I saw someone stick your tongue out at your neighbor.

That's that's not godly, okay?

Get the Holy Ghost this morning, all right?

Uh-huh.

Let me give you the first key to activate favor in your life.

Remember, you already have this, you already have favor.

You already have it, it's available to you, but this is really how the key is how you unlock the door and you begin to grab a hold of what God has made available.

You ready for number one?

The first key that I see in scripture is this you have to decide.

Decide.

Decide.

You need to make up your mind that you are favored.

Settle it on the inside of yourself.

Make up your mind.

Hello?

And you might sit back and say, Well, Pastor, that's not very profound.

Yeah, let me tell you something.

Everybody wants the ethereal.

That's not what you need, you need practical.

And so I'm about to give you some practical things in order for you to activate favor.

And the very first thing is this you need to make up your mind that you are favored.

Period.

No more wishy-washy.

I don't know if God likes me.

He does on Monday, but not on Wednesday.

I showed up late to church on Sunday by 12 minutes.

I am 12 minutes short of all that God has for me.

No.

And I'm and I know people laugh at that, but I know how people think.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

You think if you if you can measure up to a certain degree, if you cross all your T's, dot all your I's, and and not miss a day of your Bible reading, and not miss early morning prayer and and and not cuss anybody out on the freeway because they cut you off.

Come on now.

You think if you can do everything all in an order that you can enter into this thing, but here's what you need to understand that is the wrong mindset.

Because the way you think about something determines how you live that something out.

Well, how can I decide that?

Easy.

We just read it in Romans chapter 5.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

Because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, because you have entered in through the sacrifice of your outer brother.

Come on now, not of your own works and not by your own doing.

The Bible tells us that you are favored.

So stop living your life contrary to what God has said.

Stop living your life contrary to what God has said.

Stop thinking that you are different than what God is thinking about you.

Make up your mind and decide I'm favored.

Whenever I have a bad day, I'm still favored.

When I show up to church on time, I'm favored.

Whenever I don't come to church on Sunday because I was up all night long evangelizing on the strip.

Come on, somebody.

Come on now.

When I read my Bible, I'm favored.

Whenever I miss a day, I'm favored.

Whenever I'm whenever I pray, I'm favored.

Whenever I miss a day, I'm favored.

I have determined in my mind that I am favored by God, period.

Whether I feel it or not.

Come on, you gotta get this deep down in your spirit.

Let me give you some scriptures to back this up.

One of my favorite scriptures in this season is Psalms chapter 5, verse 12.

Psalms 5:12

It says this, for you bless the righteous, O Lord, and cover him with favor as a shield.

Why can I make up my mind that I'm favored?

Because I'm righteous.

Through the blood of Jesus Christ, I'm righteous.

And because I'm righteous, I have favor.

Hallelujah.

James chapter 1, verses 5 through 8.

James 1:5–8

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach.

And it will be given him.

But let him ask, watch this, in faith, with no doubting.

With no doubting.

Now let me pause right there.

Some of you already are probably thinking in your mind, Well, Pastor Aaron, that that talks about wisdom.

If you read the context of that of that chapter, he says this, count it all joy, my brother, when you go through various trials and tribulations, because the testing of your faith is producing per a perfection.

And afterwards you will lack nothing.

But if you lack, let's say wisdom, ask God and he will give you generously.

So Paul wasn't just saying only wisdom, he was saying, listen, as God is perfecting you, if you lack anything, as he's perfecting you, just ask him for it and he will give to you generously.

But when you ask, do not doubt when you ask.

Context is king whenever you read your Bible.

Do you understand?

Do you understand what I'm talking about?

So whenever he was talking with him, he says, Look, God's perfecting you.

You're walking through some stuff right now, count it all joy.

It might be hard, but let me tell you something.

God's not giving you anything that he hasn't already made an answer for.

He's not letting you walk through anything that you can't that's gonna take you out.

He's just allowing you to be perfected.

And afterwards, if you're still lacking anything, ask the Lord for what it is that you lack.

But when you ask, ask In faith and do not doubt because watch what he says right here.

Okay, let me give you context right here.

But let him ask in faith with no doubting.

For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Paul is saying, make up your mind that you're going to receive what you ask for.

Make up your mind that wisdom is yours.

Make up your mind that you are righteous.

Make up your mind that you have grace.

Make up your mind that you have the favor of God.

Because if you are, if you do have not made up your mind, you're going back and forth.

Back and forth.

I know I'm teaching this morning.

That's all right.

Some of y'all want me to shout you down.

You can shout at me and I'll shout right back at you, but I'm about to teach you this morning.

Is that all right?

For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Paul was saying, listen, make up your mind.

Decide.

Decide, make up your mind.

If you lack anything, make up your mind and ask God.

And whenever you ask God, believe that you receive it.

Don't doubt it.

See, some of y'all even in the room this morning, you even can you can read the scriptures, you can hear me talk, but you'll walk right out of here and say, Well, I don't know if that's for me.

Let me tell you, stop it.

Don't get quiet on me now.

Don't walk out of here and say that's nice, but that's for somebody else, that's not for me.

No, let me tell you something.

Until you make up your mind, you'll never see it in your life.

Until you make up your mind, you will never see it in your life.

Until you make up your mind, you will never see it in your life.

All right, let me give you some more words.

Is this all right?

Proverbs chapter 3, verses 1 through 4.

Proverbs 3:1–4

My son, do not forget my teaching.

But let your heart keep my commandments for for length of days and years of life, and peace will they add to you.

What's Solomon saying to his kids right here?

He's saying, Listen, my word is gonna keep you a long time.

And God used Solomon to pen these words from the mouth of God to the hearts of his children, which is you.

And God is saying, Take heed to my word because it's gonna do your life really good.

Watch this now.

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you.

Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, so you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

So, what was the Proverb writer writing right there?

What was he saying?

You need to do whatever you got to do to make sure your heart and your mind are aligned to the word of God.

You got to do whatever you got to do to make sure that your heart and your mind is aligned to the word of God, and when your heart and your mind is aligned to the word of God, then you will find favor and good success with God and man.

What was what was the Proverbs writer saying there?

Make up your mind, decide.

Don't just let the words come in one ear and out the other.

Let the word come into the inside of you, let it become part of who you are.

And listen, if you have a hard time, my son, write it down on a tablet and put it on a necklace around your around your neck.

That's literally what he was saying.

If you hear my words and you forget what I say, just write them down next time and put them at a place that you'll never forget about them.

And whenever you make up your mind to take heed to my word, you will have favor and a good success, not only with God, but with man.

I know I'm I'm teaching it.

Come on now.

I know this is different.

I I I usually like to shout, sweat, scream, get up on the subwoofer and just go, Yeah.

And whenever I do, most of y'all jump up on your feet and go, yeah, right back with me.

And that's great.

I I I love that.

We'll we'll have more of that.

But let me tell you, I want you to get this so deep down on the inside of you, beyond a shout.

Something you can live and tap into tomorrow morning.

Now, shouting's not bad because I I take the shout with me all week long.

Ashley, ah Max, ah Bella, ah, random number I call.

No, I'm teasing, okay.

My friend, if you're gonna activate favor in your life, make up your mind that you are favored by God.

Make up your mind that you believe what the word of God says about your life.

Get this deep down in your spirit today.

Favor must become the lens through which you see your life.

You your mindset determines your expectation and your capacity to receive.

So, my friend, decide to walk before the Lord and become a person who finds favor.

When you wake up in the morning, if you have to say it out loud, say it out loud.

I make up my mind today.

I'm favored by God.

When you wake up and you're driving in your car and maybe maybe you woke up a little bit late, why do you keep on waking up late?

Because I've been waking up late all week long.

Forgive your pastor, okay?

I'm telling you.

If I ran late for a meeting, it wasn't traffic, even though I might have told you it was traffic.

Just kidding, I didn't do that to anybody this week.

Last week, but not this week.

Come on, God.

But I'm telling you, while you're going throughout your day, remind yourself, I make up my mind today.

I'm favored by God.

I'm favored.

When I go to the grocery store, I'm favored.

When I'm out and about, I'm favored.

When I'm at work, I'm favored.

Well, I'm raising my family, I'm favored.

I'm favored, I'm favored, I'm favored.

Come on, just just practice it right now.

Just I'm favored.

So I make up my mind today that I'm favored by God.

And then you shout, Amen.

Okay.

My friend, let me tell you something.

You cannot consistently receive what you have never decided belongs to you.

Let me say it one more time.

You cannot consistently receive what you have never decided belongs to you.

So if you don't think favor belongs to you, you'll never walk in favor.

I have determined, I have settled, I have made up my mind that I am the righteousness of God.

Therefore, I am blessed and I am favored.

Hallelujah.

Come on, someone say amen to that.

So the first key, decide, make up your mind that you are favored by God.

You ready for key number two?

I can't believe I tried to put four of these in one message.

That would never happen.

You got to come back next week because I think the last two are some of my favorite, and it's really gonna get you good.

So this week, as you go about, decide I'm favored by God.

Key number two is this.

You ready?

Key number two is you need to declare.

Declare.

Make your mouth agree with God.

Make your mouth agree with God.

Make your mouth agree with God.

No, let me tell you something.

I'm a faith guy.

Period.

And as I read this book right here, I understand more and more that God Himself opened up his mouth to determine the world that people were living in.

All the way back in Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

Hello?

What happened?

God said, God said, God said, God said, God said.

What did he do?

He opened up his mouth and he declared the word.

And as he declared the word, y'all ain't ready for this, man.

As he declared the word, the outside reality lined up with the internal reality.

Why?

Oh, come on now.

Because your words create the world that you will live in.

Your words create the world that you live in.

But I remember whenever before we had Max, I'll never forget this.

I was I was young in my marriage.

Anybody ever been young in your marriage before?

Ignorant?

Stupid?

Not anymore.

I had to learn the hard way.

You know what I'm talking about?

But I'll never forget this.

Ashley and I, we we got into an argument one time, and I was so mad.

I mean, I was so mad.

And I forget this.

I said, I never want to have kids with you.

Uh-huh.

Some of y'all look like, uh-huh, I'm tired.

I was stupid, okay?

It was a bad day.

And I just said it just like that.

Boom.

And she kind of looked at me and started to cry, and I realized, oh shoot.

That was a bad move.

Like, really bad, really dumb.

But I'll never forget this.

A couple years go by, we we said, man, we're ready to have kids.

And there ain't nothing to do it but to do it.

You know what I'm talking about?

I'll never forget.

We are having a hard time conceiving.

And I was thinking to myself, like, man, what, why?

Like, like things are working, I feel good.

And I'll never forget one night.

I'm sitting there and I and I'm and I'm praying.

I'm like, Lord, would you just help us have a baby?

Like it's time.

And I'll never forget.

I mean, years after the fact, the Lord brought to my remembrance, hey, you remember that time you got in a fight with your wife?

And I said, Wait, what you talking about, Lord?

And he said, and you told her I never want to have kids with you.

And I said, Yeah, he said, that shut up her womb.

And I said, Oh, shoot.

And I'll never forget, I went to my wife and I repented.

And I said, I remember years ago we were in an argument, and I said this.

And my wife is like the most gracious person you'll ever meet in your life.

Well, at least to me.

I don't know about y'all, but at least to me, okay.

I'm reserving it all for myself.

But I'll never I'll never forget.

I I repented to her and I said, Hey, I know several years ago I said this to you, and and she goes, Oh, I I I forgot all about that.

No, she didn't.

I forgot all about that, and I'll forgive you about that.

And I said, Well, I just want to let you know I'm sorry.

And I break that word curse over you and I said, I want, come on.

And I said, You are the mother of my children, and I want a family with you, I want a son with you, I want a daughter with you.

And guess what happened after I repented and I changed my confession?

Yeah, it wasn't too long after that that she came and said, Hey, look at this thing.

I just, I just uh look at this thing right here.

And I said, You better take a couple of them.

I don't know if that if that's the real thing.

Come on now.

But let me tell you right now, my friend, your words create the world that you live in.

And some of you are saying, Well, I know I know God loves me, but I don't know if I'm really favored by Him.

I know God has paid a great price for me, but I don't know if I could actually live every day of my life in the favor of God.

My friend, change your confession, change your declaration.

Okay, let me give you some scripture.

Can I give you this?

Okay, you still with me?

I got four minutes left.

Listen fast.

Psalms chapter 21, verses 2 through 3.

Psalms 21:2–3

You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips.

Come on now.

Do you got that right there?

Come on, Psalms chapter 21.

Psalms 21 · chapter mention

It's on the screen right there.

You have given him his heart's desire, and you have not withheld the request of his lips.

Watch this now.

The next verse says this for you meet him with rich blessings, you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.

What is the psalm writer right there telling us?

Your words create your world.

Your words create your world.

Come on now, Matthew chapter 12, verse 34.

Matthew 12:34

Jesus says this, out of the abundance of your heart, the mouth speaks.

Let me give you one passage of scripture.

Brother Donnie, if you'll start playing something, trick them to think I'm almost done.

Watch this, Exodus chapter 33.

Exodus 33 · chapter mention

I was reading this this past week, and it just hit me.

Here's Moses leading the children of Israel.

And as he's leading the children of Israel, they're grumbling and complaining to Moses.

And if you know the context of this, God says, Listen, they're not grumbling and complaining about you, Moses.

They're grumbling and complaining about me.

They're not rejecting you, Moses, they're rejecting me as their God.

And and God, leading up to this portion of scripture right here, it's so it's oh it's awesome.

God tells Moses, hey Moses, I'm out to destroy the stiff-necked people, and I'm gonna make you a great nation instead of all them.

I'm telling you right now, do not get God mad.

Someone needs to say amen to that.

And so Moses says, But God, Moses stood in the gap and he began to intercede.

And he said, God, the nations around us are gonna say that that you really aren't who you say you are if you destroy them and you raise me up.

Don't destroy them.

And God's saying, Okay, because you said this, Moses, I'm not gonna do this for you.

And then Moses goes on to say this as they're on their their travels, and I'm telling you, this is the power of your declaration.

This is the power of your declaration, this is the power of your declaration.

Exodus chapter 33, verses 12 through 17.

Exodus 33:12–17

Watch this.

It says, This Moses said to the Lord, he did not think this to the Lord, he did not wave his hand at the Lord, he said this to the Lord.

What did he do?

He declared this to the Lord.

Moses said to the Lord, See you say to me, Bring up this people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me.

Yet you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.

Pause.

What's Moses saying?

God, we're going on a journey, but you haven't told me who you're sending with us to go.

And God, you're the one who has said that I'm favored by you.

Are you catching this picture?

Come on, don't check out right now.

Don't check out right now.

I'm telling you, get this in your spirit.

Moses, watch this.

Moses is bringing into remembrance the word of God.

He said, God, you said, God, you're the one.

God, you have brought us out.

And God, you have declared that I'm favored.

I didn't declare I'm favored.

You said I'm favored.

Hello.

I wish the people of God would get.

I pray that you get this deep down in your spirit.

Stop playing with this thing.

Come on, stop coming in and out of here and thinking nothing's gonna change your life.

I'm telling you, get a hold of the word of God and remind God what he said because you didn't say it, he said it.

You didn't promise it, he promised it.

Hello.

So here's Moses, he's talking to the Lord.

Now, therefore, verse 13.

Now, therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight.

Consider too that this nation is your people.

Oh, Jesus.

And he said, Who said, God said, and God said, My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

And he said to and Moses said to him, If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.

For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight?

I and your people, is it not your going with us so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?

Moses was saying, Listen, don't play with me, God.

Don't tell me you're gonna go with me and not go with me.

God, you said I'm favored.

Because if you don't go with me, God, I'm not going.

If I don't have your favor, God, I have nothing.

Hello, that's what Moses was saying.

If I don't have your favor, I don't have anything.

So, God, you got to come with us and watch verse 17.

I love this, I love this right here because Moses received the word from God.

Moses then declared the word of God, and watch what God says.

And the Lord said to Moses, This very thing that you have spoken, this very thing that you have declared, this very thing that you have confessed, this very thing that has proceeded from your heart out of your mouth, I will do.

For you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.

Why you need to declare that you're favored?

Because whenever you declare you're favored, you are declaring what God has declared.

When you declare that you are favored, you're declaring what God has declared.

And He's not you're not just declaring what He declared for your neighbor, you're declaring what He has declared over you.

Hallelujah.

He declares over you that you're favored, He declares over you that you're favored, He declares over you that you're favored.

So you don't have to sit there and say, Well, I don't know.

Maybe He does, maybe He doesn't know.

You need to put the word of God in your mouth and say what God says, that way you can have what He says you can have.

Come on, man.

Here's Moses.

Let me just put my notes like this, just put it down here, okay?

Here's Moses doing something that's never been done before.

Leading two million people out of slavery into the promised land, and the in-between is happening in the wilderness.

People are complaining, people are hot, people are hungry, people are thirsty, people are regretting they ever left Egypt.

Their world is a mess, or so they think.

And here's Moses in the midst of all this turmoil and tribulation, and he comes up to God and he says, God, you said I'm favored.

Therefore, I'm favored.

And because I'm favored, you got to go with me.

Because I'm favored, you gotta open the door.

Because I'm favored, you gotta supply the need.

Because I'm favored, you gotta do what needs to be done.

Because I'm favored, you gotta feed us in the wilderness.

Because I'm favored, you gotta bring water from the rock.

Because I'm favored, we want quail as well.

So we need to eat some meat over here.

God, because we're favored by you, we need we need victory over every one of our enemies.

God, because you declare that I'm favored, I'm just declaring what you declare to me.

And because you declare this to me, I'm declaring it over myself, I'm declaring it over this nation, I'm declaring it over this situation.

My friend, let me tell you something.

If you're going to activate favor in your life, you need to put your head back, your shoulders broad, and you need to declare what heaven has declared.

I'm blessed going in and I'm blessed coming out.

I'm blessed in the city, I'm blessed in the field, I'm the head and not the tail.

I'm above and not beneath.

I am blessed and highly favored by God.

I've been blessed with every spiritual blessing.

By his shops, I am him.

By his shops I am him, by his shops, I am.

Him, I am saved, I am delivered, I am set free.

Come on, if anybody knows it are needed, open up your mouth this morning and declare it.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

You got to determine in your mind, I'm favored by God.

But after you determine in your mind that you're favored by God, you gotta open up your mouth, baby.

And you gotta say what God is saying.

Well, the situation doesn't look well.

Don't say that.

You say this, God is still working some things out.

Well, it's not good yet because God's not done yet.

Come on, open up your mouth and declare what God has declared.

Because when you do, when you declare what God has declared, you're filling your mouth with the promises of God.

Stale me all over the room this morning.

If you believe in your heart that Jesus was raised from the dead and you confess with your mouth that he is Lord, the Bible says you shall be saved.

So watch this now.

Even in salvation, even to enter into the grace of God or the favor of God, you need a belief or you need to make your mind up and you need a confession, you need to declare that He's now Lord.

Wow, look at that.

Even to enter into favor, you need to make your mind up, you need to decide, and you need to declare.

So I want everyone to bow your head and close your eyes all over the room.

If you're in the room this morning and say, Pastor Aaron, I don't I don't think I'm right with God, but today I want to get right with God.

If that's you, I want to talk to you for just 60 seconds.

The Bible says this that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life.

Your sin is separating you from God.

And here's the matter of the fact there is nothing you can do in and of yourself to save yourself.

That sin sends you straight to hell.

People say, Well, why would a loving God send anybody to hell?

God does not send anybody to hell, it's our willful rejection of Him that sends us to hell.

But today is your day to make a decision that you are going to live for Him to turn your back on sin.

And so, if that's you in the house on the count of three, if that's you, I want you just to lift your hand high because I want to pray for you.

For you to be born again and to be in right relationship with God.

Here we go.

I'm getting ready to say that.

Count down right now.

One, two, three.

If that's you, come on, lift your hand up high.

Yes, yes, yes.

Hallelujah.

I see you back there.

I see you back there.

I want everyone to repeat this prayer after me.

Say, Heavenly Father, I'm asking you today to save me, to cleanse me, to make me brand new.

I believe in my heart that you raised Jesus from the dead, and you're raising me from the dead right now.

I commit my life to you.

I turn my back on sin and I turn my life to Christ from this day forward.

Thank you, Lord, for washing me, for cleansing me.

I am saved in Jesus' mighty name.

Come on, someone shout amen to that this morning.

Amen.

Come on.

Amen.