HEAVY WITH FAVOR - JOEL OSTEEN

"You didn’t get average favor. You’re heavy with favor."

Pastor Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church, Saturday January 10, 2015

Key verse: Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

HEAVY WITH FAVOR

God’s put something on you that you can’t accomplish on your own.
Something that will make you stand out in the crowd.
Psalmist said favor surrounds like a shield. [Psalm 5:12]
God is causing things to fall into place.
Isaiah said rise and shine for the glory of the Lord is upon you. [Isaiah 60:1]
Glory implies God’s favor is heavy upon you.
You didn’t get just a little favor.
You’re not a lightweight; you’re heavy with favor.
When you realize this it takes on a whole new meaning.
You’ll hold your head up high.
And pray bold prayers.
Expect doors to open for you that may not open for others.
To pay your house off...
Break that addiction...
You’ll arise,
And God will cause you to shine.
Maybe you’re heavy with worry or discouragement—
You need to get ready.
This is your due season.
Instead of being heavy with burdens you’ll be heavy with divine breaks.
Explosive blessings in your finances.
Shake off the discouragement.
You didn’t get average favor.
You’re heavy with favor.
Expect God’s goodness in new ways.



Joshua and his men were out fighting a battle and it was late. [Joshua 10:1-15]
Running out of daylight.
Joshua knew he was heavy with favor.
He said “Sun stand still”. [Joshua 10:12]
And it stopped and it didn’t go down until he finished his task.

The medical report doesn’t look good but God I know You have the final say.
Abundance is coming my way.
Freedom is coming my way.
How much further would we go if we really believed we were heavy with favor?
Would you dare to ask God to do something out of the ordinary?
God is about to cause you to stand out.
Take you where you’ve never been...
Show you something you’ve never seen.

Friend of Joel’s needed a new home.
Saw a house he really liked.
The people had lived there over 30 years.
Something said go ask if their house if for sale.
Got up nerve and owner said "No we plan to live here a long time".
Joel's friend gave him a card just in case.
5 days later owner called; he had changed his mind.

When you’re bold enough to believe you’ll see God show out.
Get rid of the defeated mentality.
This is your year to rise higher.
Accomplish your dreams.
Dare to take some steps of faith.
Thoughts will try to talk you out of it.
Talk to yourself the right way.
God is shining down on me.
I’m heavy with God’s favor.

In 2003 had groundbreaking services planned for this building.
Got word the highway authority was going to close the highway right before the big event.
No one would be able to get to the church.
Scripture says you have not because you ask not.
They called highway dept and asked them to change plans.
They said no.
When you have heavy favor you don’t give up just because you hear one no.
Called again and they said they'd never done it before but they delayed construction until after the ceremony.
Believe big.
Expect big.
Expect things to happen for you that may not happen for others.
God has put something on you that causes others to want to be good to you.

This couple had 3 year old who lost tip of two of her fingers in accident.
Surgeon said I can’t save them.
She’ll never have fingernails, etc.
Father was respectful but knew he was heavy with favor.
Doctor I believe God can restore my little girl’s fingers and restore them back to normal.
Doctor said believe what you want to but the bone is gone; it’s not going to happen.
6 weeks later doctor removed bandages and said “Oh my God!”
Look the fingernails have grown back and fingers are normal.

You will see things happen that look impossible.
All odds against you.
Experts say no.
But they haven’t taken into account the favor on your life.
You have heavy favor.
God is about to turn some things around.
That was the goodness of God.
Dream big.
God wants to do something out of the ordinary.

Dr, Todd Price does medical missions.
Had dream to take shoes to children in Africa.
They had parasites from lack of shoes.
How could he make a difference as one person?
He asked suppliers to help him out.
A shoe company heard what he was doing and asked what he needed.
3000 shoes.
They said they had more – 1 million pairs!
God will supersize what you’re dreaming about.
Get ready God’s going to supersize it.

What Joel thought would be so great was nothing compared to what God had in store.
When he met Victoria God supersized what he was dreaming about.
It took heavy favor to get her.
When he wrote his first book he thought wouldn’t it be amazing to make New York best sellers list.
Made it for 100 weeks!
Got lease for Compaq Center because it was the best option at the time, although they always wanted to buy it.
City later asked if they wanted to purchase the building.
For how much?
7.5 million dollars (even though the building was worth hundreds of millions)
Paul said in Ephesians 2:7
Get your hopes up.
Believe for the extraordinary.

A couple attends Lakewood and their daughter had heart defect.
Today she’s healthy but the medical bill was over $400,000.
Looked like they’d always have that debt.
They had Heavy Favor.
One day the hospital called and said they decided to forgive their debt and pay them back for the past bills.

2 Kings 6
Who’s the spy?
There’s a prophet in Israel named Elisha who tells all our plans.
Verse 14
They sent many troops to capture Elisha.
Elisha knew how to pray bold prayers.
God blind them so they don’t recognize me.
God can make you invisible to your enemies.
Don’t go around intimidated.
The enemy’s best is never good enough.

When John Osteen was a young minister he traveled a lot.
Carried sound equipment in his trunk.
Several hundred people were expected to a particular event.
John accidentally locked his keys in the trunk.
Nobody could get trunk open.
Joel's father knew how to pray bold prayers.
He’d pray over the lawn mower, dish washer, etc.
He said he’d ask God to help him open the trunk.
The people there were laughing and doubting him.
John prayed then pulled on the trunk but it still wouldn’t open.
He walked away and then the trunk slowly opened on its own.
The other people nearly passed out.
Maybe you don’t need a trunk to open but the medical report doesn’t look good.
Lord I believe You’re restoring health.
Have you ever asked God to turn it around?

Luke 1 talks about Mary, an ordinary teen. Not wealthy or famous.
One day an angel appeared and called her highly favored.
It’s easy to talk yourself out of what God says about you.
An angel would tell you the same thing – you are highly favored.
Sometimes God will put things in your heart that seem very unlikely.
That’s why the angel reminded her she was heavy with favor.
Vs. 42-43 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Luke 1:45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Believing is the key.
Is she had not believed, she would not have seen.
You’re about to rise to a new level.
You can let circumstances talk you out of it or you can do like Mary.
Dare to believe.
Pray bold prayers.
Expect God to do the extraordinary.

[Prayer]

[Altar call]

DISCLAIMER: These are my personal notes which I share to bless others, and are not published/endorsed by Lakewood Church nor Joel Osteen Ministries.

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