Finding Favour

Pastor Hilton opens with Psalm 102:13, interpreting Zion as a type of the church, and declares that believers are living in the 'set time' of God's favor. He distinguishes favor from mere people-pleasing, asserting that God’s favor acts as a shield (Psalm 5:12) and is life itself (Psalm 30:5). Using Exodus 3 and 11, he illustrates how God gave the enslaved Israelites favor even with their Egyptian captors, so that they left with spoil—an inexplicable turn only possible through divine favor. He emphasizes that favor is not unmerited grace but is pursued: 'I entreated thy favor with my whole heart' (Psalm 119:58). The key to obtaining favor is the fear of the Lord and working righteousness (Acts 10:34–35). Drawing from Proverbs 3:3–4, he teaches that binding mercy and truth around one’s neck leads to favor. Pastor Hilton highlights the attraction between God and His church, urging believers to make themselves attractive to God through obedience and reverence. He centers Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22) as the supreme example: because Abraham did not withhold his son, God swore to bless him abundantly. The sermon’s core appeal is that God entrusts greater favor to those who prove faithful with what He has already given. The spiritual purpose is to call the congregation to actively seek God’s smile—not merely His hand—and to use their gifts to be a blessing, as Abraham was promised to bless all nations.