Favor Over Fear – Pastor Steven Furtick – Elevation Church

Verses mentioned: Luke 28-38

• Micah 5:2
• Genesis 35:16-19
• Genesis 29:15-35

Worship song: The Blessing by Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes 

Main topics: Ben-Oni. Benjamin. Bury. Birth. 

But you, Bethlehem…

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Micah is a prophet who spoke about a future promise.

Christ was born to take away our sins, but He was born in the least likely place. 

In today’s verses, God is showing us that He is bringing the greatest gift out of an impossible situation.

If you ever need to believe that where you start doesn’t have to be where you finish, it’s this year! 

Spiritual Sonogram

Pastor Furtick explains that he recently went for a sonogram with the cardiologist to check his heart. He explains that the cardiologist is able to see if there are any blocks in and around the heart and in this experience, he noticed that he wants one of these machines to see deeper into the spirit of people to get through them. Where is your block? What has God put inside of you that is growing that you don’t know about yet? 

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a sonogram to see what God has put in you, but also see what is blocking your growth in Christ? 

Luke 1:28-38 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Your life started in the Mind of God, so unless you know this, you won’t know that you are the favor of God. 

Favor can also look like: inconvenience, interruption, and maybe even insecurity (like in Mary’s case).  

When the Angel called Mary, she didn’t feel highly favored. 

Verse 30: Fear and Favor in the same sentence. To really know if Favor showed up, you have to look around to see if Fear is there too. Until you feel fear, you really haven’t found favor. 

Chose favor over fear! 

Working for vs Working from… 

Read Genesis 29 for the background story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel. Jacob had worked hard for 7 years to marry Rachel, but in Laba’s deception, Jacob is coupled with Leah. Jacob works hard for another 7 years to gain Rachel. 

Have you ever gone to bed with Rachel and woke up with Leah? Have you ever worked so hard and ended up with Leah? This teaches us that there’s a difference between working for vs working from. The Law gets you to work for, but Grace gets you to work from. 

We don’t just finish with favor like we are fighting for it. We start with favor, like we are fighting from it. 

Bethlehem. Ben-Oni. Benjamin.

Genesis 35:16-19 16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.” 18 As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.[h] But his father named him Benjamin.[i]19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

When there is birthing, there is also a breaking. 

Ben-Oni: it means child/son of my trouble. Ben: Son. Oni: Trouble/Pain.

Rachel names her child based on her experience. The Origin of Benjamin results in the kingly tribe of Israel. However, his father, who just lost the only woman who he really loved and took him 14 years to obtain, decides to label, not according to what he’s gonna bury, but on what was birthed out of what he buried: Benjamin. 

Benjamin means son of my right hand!

Many of us had to bury a lot this year! 

V 19: Rachel was buried in Bethlehem. But Micah said out of Bethlehem will be born a ruler. 

Do we know Bethlehem better by what was buried there, or what was born there? 

What is your Bethlehem? 

Not everything has to be perfect for God to work in your life! Mary gave birth in Bethlehem, but Rachel died near there giving birth. In comparing this experience, we see that God can sometimes work in funny ways. At the worst possible moment, he will give you the most possible opportunity. 

Are we going to label this year by what we buried, or what was born? 

Benjamin was named as the hand of blessing, the hand of authority. 

Dont bury your blessing!  

Guess who else came from Bethlehem? David! 

Out of a small town, a little impossible place….came God’s favor! 

Favor OVER Facts

Your facts are trying to name your life right now. 

God saw potential in Mary that was greater than her experience. 

A spiritual sonogram would show us that you are highly favored!   

Out of Bethlehem, came Jacob’s greatest pain. Out of Bethlehem, came God’s greatest purpose. 

So what are you going to get out of it? What are you going to get out of 2020? 

How many struggle to believe that you are favored by God? 

Mary experienced favor AND fear….then favor OVER fear. 

Luke 1:34- “Since I am a Virgin”, shows us that the power of choosing favor over fear or favor over facts is to choose God over the phrase  “Since I am _____” 

• Example: “Since I am broke…Since I am a failure…Since I am an addict”. This is what happens when you focus on what is being buried over what is being born. She limits herself based on her experience, but God speaks according to her potential. 

When we bump ourselves into what we buried, into the disappointment, we limit God’s favor. 2020 sucked, but we don’t know what is being born on the other side. 

God shut down some systems and some things to get you focused on your father. 

Jacob changed his son’s name from pain to purpose. Ben-Oni to Benjamin! 

Bury the disappointment, but don’t bury the blessing! 

I am naming my season according to what God is bringing out of it! 

2020: I buried a lot, but I got a lot out of it. 

If you have faith to know that what is being born is greater than what you buried, then you got alot out of it. 

Thank you 2020, I appreciate you! You gave me my sight back, you taught me how to seek The Kingdom, to walk by faith. I got a lot out of it. 

In Luke 1: 34-35, Mary asks HOW, but the angel answers WHO. 

In 2020, God is enough! God is WHO to your HOW. 

Something greater is always born in a place where something that you love was buried. 

Mary says the first time “I am the virgin” –FACTS, but then says “I am the Lord’s servant”–FAVOR! 

Mary reminds us that it is about WHOSE we are, and not about our facts or experiences. 

The facts are bad, but the favor is greater. 

This year can call you Ben-Oni, but your Father calls you Benjamin–son of my right hand. Favored! 

AMEN!