Our Journey Continues ~ Finding

FavorPart 2

Pastor Mark Schwarzbauer PhD

Family Worship Center 8/27/17

Text:Proverbs 3:3-4 “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.” NKJV

Watch Finding Favor Part 1

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Part Four: Emet Brings Favor

  1. 2014 Theme
  2. In the Hebrew/Christian word for “Truth” God is the center and not man (meaning you).
  3. EMET is the Hebrew word for truth.
  1. It is spelled from right to left with the letters Aleph - Mem - Tav.
  2. Alephis the first letter of the Alephbet and represents the breath of God or our awareness of Him. Therefore, truth begins with our awareness of God.
  3. The middle letter Memin Hebrew was originally the symbol for water and is also understood to represent the Messiah. From this letter under the Hebrew way of thinking we see divine wisdom from the fountain of life itself which is God, the creator and king of the heavens and the earth is the center of truth. (see John 7:37-38)
  4. The final letter of EMET is Tavwhich is the last letter of the Alephbet. Tav is seen as the expression of simple faith to the Hebrew. This letter corresponds to the kingdom as given to us in Torah or Scriptures.
  5. God alone represents or determines what TRUTH is.
  6. Therefore, it is not what you or I think but what HE thinks that is TRUTH.
  7. Sociologists describe our culture as “post truth” (Oxford 2016 word of the year). We are in this unstable “post truth” because we have moved away from God, who is truth.
  1. One of the things we can notice is that the baseline of the Hebrew letters of EMET are “stable” or appear that they could stand up on their own. (illustrate)
  1. The letters are “stable” “reliable” and therefore FAITHFUL!
  2. This is why the Hebrew concept of FAITHFUL is always rooted in TRUTH.
  3. When you see the word “faithful” in the Bible you need to always think of it in the terms of “truth.”
  1. Bind Emet around your neck and write it on your heart.
  1. We must accept that God alone determines what is true and we must be committed to truth.
  2. This starts by making Christ the center of your life.
  3. We must be committed to reading His Word the Bible and apply it in our lives.
  1. Emet brings favor from God.
  1. You are lining up with His moral image – looking like Father.
  2. You are honoring Him and His Word.
  3. You are fulfilling His purpose to repair the world.
  1. Emet surprisingly also brings favor from man.
  1. Society is “post truth”. But people desperately still want the truth.
  1. Example- buying a car (Carfax, Mileage)
  2. Example - Buying a gallon of gas- getting a cup.
  1. They will favor and highly esteem you if they can trust you.

Closing: Being hesed and emet- lovingkindness in action, faithfully and true, to repair your world.

Discussion Items and Questions for Home and Small Group

1. Read Proverbs 3:3-6.

2. In your own words, explain “favor”.

3. Describe what “emet” is.

4. How can you be better engageemet in your life?

5. How can you repair your world through being emet?

6. How do Hesed and Emet work together?

7. Pray for each other.