Guest Minister, Bishop Dr. David Ibeleme, delivers a sermon during the Official 16th Anniversary Service of Lighthouse Empowerment Sanctuary during our 2023 Glory Fest (a week of celebratory services in the 1st week of December commemorative of the Ministry's anniversary), he explores the theological intersection of labor and divine favor. The Bishop challenges the negative perception of work as a burden, instead defining service as a dignified pathway to spiritual and material profit. Central to the message is Psalm 84, which presents God as a "sun and shield" who provides clarity and protection to those who remain faithful. Bishop Ibeleme emphasizes that while human effort is necessary, a single day of God's grace can achieve more than a thousand days of ordinary toil. Ultimately, the message encourages believers to serve with joy and persistence, trusting that God is a righteous rewarder who will not withhold any good thing from those who remain focused on Him.

Key Points:

God’s favor provides a competitive advantage against spiritual and physical opposition by acting as an "unfair advantage" against the devil and natural limitations. While the enemy seeks to stop the believer, favor functions as a supernatural strength that goes beyond what natural effort can achieve. This advantage manifests in several specific ways:

One of the primary advantages of favor is its ability to bypass the time and effort required by ordinary labor. One day of favor can produce more than a thousand days of labor. This is illustrated by Jesus feeding the 5,000; the favor of God accomplished in a moment what would have otherwise taken immense amounts of money and preparation time. In a competitive sense, this allows a believer to achieve results that are "not only quantitative growth but also qualitative growth" that others cannot match through hard work alone.

Against spiritual opposition, God serves as both a "sun" and a "shield".

• As a Sun: Favor provides clarity of purpose and revelation, which the Bishop describes as essential for healing and maximizing potential. While the "wicked" stumble in darkness because they lack this clarity, the believer's path shines brighter, allowing them to see through obscurity and avoid the "sicknesses" or setbacks caused by a lack of understanding.
• As a Shield and Buckler: God acts as a massive shield for general protection and a "buckler" for small, close-range details of opposition. This dual-layered defense ensures that the believer is protected from both large-scale spiritual attacks and the minute details that "nobody seems to be connected" to.

Favor provides an advantage by shifting the basis of a conflict from human ability to divine intervention. David did not defeat Goliath because of his skill with a slingshot, but because he came "in the name of the Lord". This divine backing is what distinguished Joseph in prison and Jacob in the house of Laban; it is a "divine favor" characterized by the willingness of God to use His power on the believer's behalf, which cannot be "messed up" or ruled by other men.

Favor introduces the element of joy, which serves as a multiplier for strength. In the military or police service, songs are used to help people rejoice while they work so they do not realize the strength they are expending; similarly, the joy brought by favor allows a believer's strength to become multiplied. This keeps the believer "reward conscious," preventing them from becoming discouraged or "vexed" when others fail to support them.

Favor provides the advantage of exemption from this oppressive cycle, placing the believer under an "easy yoke" where they are "delivered from [their] enemies" and granted access to abundance and honor rather than lack. This favor makes the believer "pleasant" and "acceptable," opening doors to the "wealth of heaven" that are closed to those relying solely on their own might.

Rec. Date: 9th December, 2023