Service | Embracing Favor | Advent | 12.8.24

Service Title:

Embracing Favor
Advent | December 8, 2024

Church Service Details

• Church: College Wesleyan Church
• Date: December 8, 2024
• Season: Advent
• Preaching Pastor: Nathan Metz
• Host: Emily Vermilya

Order of Worship

1. Gathering

• Centering Song: “Oh My Soul” – Proskuneo Ministries
• Call to Worship:
  • “Church, will you join me in proclaiming our call to worship for the Second Sunday of Advent? Lead us in your truth, oh God of our salvation, for you we wait all day long. Church, this morning I welcome you to the worship of God.”

2. Worship through Song

1. “Great Are You Lord” – All Sons & Daughters
2. Advent Reading: Malachi 3:1–4
   • “Look, I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me…”
     (A reflective moment inviting the congregation to consider God’s refining and purifying work.)
3. “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” – hymn #124
4. “Goodness of God” – Jenn Johnson

3. Word

• Scripture Presentation: Luke 1:26–38
  • Read by the Host:
  • “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary…”
  • Response: “The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God!”
• Sermon: “Embracing Favor” – Nathan Metz

4. Thanksgiving

• Response to the Word:
  • Reflective prayer or moment of silent contemplation to consider the meaning of favor and filling in the Advent season.

5. Sending

• Benediction and Sending:
  • “Church, may we go from this place as people who feel the filling of favor that God has placed upon us so that the world might know Him who loves them so deeply. You are sent.”

Music Team

• Song Leader: Jonathan Fulda (piano & vocals)
• Team Members:
  • Michael Lee (cajon)
  • Joy Rode (acoustic & vocals)
  • Christy Morgan
  • Jason Runyan
  • Jenn Mandura
  • Lauren Klein
  • CWC Bell Ensemble and CWC String Ensemble

Songs of Favor and Faith: Music Echoing the Sermon’s Heart

The interpretations of the worship songs you provided are insightful and align well with their general meanings. When tied to the themes and specific moments of the sermon, they gain even more depth. Below is an analysis of how each song integrates with the sermon and its themes:

1. “Oh My Soul” – Proskuneo Ministries

Interpretation and Sermon Context:
This song’s themes of speaking to the soul in weariness resonate strongly with the sermon’s emphasis on favor not being dependent on circumstances. The song’s refrain, “Wait for the Lord, oh my soul,” aligns with Metz’s assertion that favor is not tied to prosperity or ease. Just as Mary faced trials even in her favored status, the song encourages the listener to place hope in God amidst adversity. This reinforces Metz’s point that favor sustains us through hard times and calls us to rest in God’s presence, trusting His goodness even when life is challenging.

2. “Great Are You Lord” – All Sons & Daughters

Interpretation and Sermon Context:
The song’s focus on God as Creator and Sustainer aligns with Metz’s illustration of divine filling. In the sermon, he described God’s posture of favor as deeply involved and personal, likening it to God breathing life into humanity. The song’s lyrics, “It’s Your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise,” mirror Metz’s call to magnify God with our lives, recognizing His indwelling presence as the ultimate gift of favor. It reminds us of the awe-inspiring reality of being filled by the Creator, as Metz humorously emphasized with his Lowe’s analogy about God’s commitment to His creation.

3. Advent Reading – Malachi

“On this second day of Advent, we hear a word of justice from the prophet Malachi. It reminds us that the Lord is coming, and He calls His people to humility and repentance. The prophet says, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to His Temple… But who will be able to endure it when He comes? For He will be like a blazing fire that refines metal and like a strong soap that purifies.’ This refining will purify His people, making their offerings acceptable once more. As we listen, may we open our hearts to see the world as God does and prepare for the coming of Christ.”

4. “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” – Hymn #124

Interpretation and Sermon Context:
This Advent hymn beautifully ties into the themes of the sermon by capturing the longing for Christ’s coming and the fulfillment of God’s promises. The lyrics, “Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art,” echo Mary’s anticipation and trust in God’s favor as she received the angel’s message. Metz’s exploration of favor as God’s relational posture is highlighted here—God’s favor is ultimately expressed in the Incarnation, where Christ becomes the answer to humanity’s deep longing for deliverance.

5. “Goodness of God” – Jenn Johnson

Interpretation and Sermon Context:
This song’s personal testimony of God’s faithfulness complements Metz’s reflections on favor as God’s consistent posture toward His people. The refrain, “All my life You have been faithful,” parallels Metz’s acknowledgment that God’s favor does not waver, even in the face of suffering or scarcity. The song underscores the sustaining nature of God’s goodness, encouraging believers to reflect on His enduring love, much like Metz’s invitation to “begin by being liked” and to see oneself as cherished and filled by God.

Summary of Songs in the Sermon Context

The selection of these songs reinforces the sermon’s core message: favor is God’s relational posture toward us, independent of circumstances or merit. They highlight key Advent themes of waiting, God’s faithfulness, the majesty of His filling presence, and the hope found in Christ’s coming. Each song serves as a musical echo of the sermon’s invitation to embrace God’s favor and respond with worship and trust.

Welcoming the Speaker

Welcoming the Speaker and Preparing to Receive the Word

The service began with a warm and personal introduction of Nathan Metz, highlighting his deep connection to the College Wesleyan Church community and extensive ministry experience. This introduction fostered a sense of trust and anticipation, inviting the congregation to engage deeply with the message he would deliver.

“Church, this morning, we are privileged to receive the Word from one of our own, Nathan Metz. Nathan, his wife Jade, and their family are members here at College Church. They have faithfully served in both local church ministry and as international missionaries. Nathan currently serves as the director of chaplaincy and leadership at TLC Management.”

This introduction highlighted Nathan’s rich pastoral and missionary background and emphasized his role as a trusted congregation member. His familiarity with the church created a personal connection, setting the stage for the sermon to be received with open hearts and minds.

The introduction concluded with a pastoral charge, encouraging the congregation to posture their hearts to receive what God had prepared for them:

“I know he has a word from God for us today, so I pray that you will lean your hearts towards what God has for us in this place.”

Before Nathan came forward, the service turned to Scripture, grounding the message in the sacred Word of God. The reading from the Gospel of Luke invited the congregation to listen attentively:

“But before Nathan comes, hear now the word of the Lord as it’s found in the Gospel of Luke.”

Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26–38

Introduction to the Scripture

The congregation was introduced to the miraculous and profound announcement of Jesus’ coming birth through the reading of Luke 1:26–38. This passage from the Gospel of Luke set the foundation for Nathan Metz’s sermon, “Embracing Favor,” highlighting themes of God’s favor, Mary’s humble faith, and the theological mystery of the Incarnation.

The Annunciation

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”

Gabriel’s Reassurance

Gabriel reassured her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Mary’s Inquiry

Mary’s response was filled with both practicality and faith, “How will this be since I am a virgin?”

Divine Explanation

Gabriel explained, “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 the Son of God. 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. For no word from God will ever fail.”

Mary’s Faithful Response

Mary’s humble acceptance followed, “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Conclusion of the Reading

This reading concluded with the affirmation, “The Word of the Lord.”

The Foundation for the Sermon

This scripture served as the theological and narrative framework for the sermon, illustrating the transformative power of God’s favor and the faith of Mary. It invited reflection on receiving God’s grace, trusting His plans, and embracing His calling with humility and courage. In the context of Advent, this passage encapsulates the anticipation of Christ’s coming, encouraging believers to live as vessels of His favor and grace.

Sermon Introduction: The Question of Favor and God’s Delight

The sermon began with a creative, disarming moment of warmth and relatability. Nathan Metz, drawing from the nostalgic charm of Fred Rogers, sang the beloved Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood song accompanied by piano, “It’s You I Like.” Metz changed his shoes on stage, mirroring Fred Rogers’ iconic routine. This simple act carried a profound truth: God doesn’t just love us—He likes us.

As Metz sang, the lyrics emphasized unconditional worth and acceptance:

“It’s you I like, not the things you wear, not the way you do your hair, but it’s you I like, the way you are right now, way down deep inside you… Even when you’re feeling blue, it’s you I like.”

This nostalgic moment set the tone for the sermon, blending childlike simplicity with profound theological insight. Metz later remarked, “God likes you. God thinks you are special.” This sentiment became the anchor for the sermon, challenging misconceptions about favor and reframing how we see God’s posture toward us.

Reimagining Favor: What If It’s Something You Receive?

From this lighthearted beginning, Metz transitioned into the sermon’s central question: What does it mean to be favored by God?

He immediately challenged the congregation’s perceptions:

“We think of favor as something reserved for the successful—the high achievers, the spiritually elite. But what if it’s something far simpler? What if it’s already been given to you?”

This rhetorical question reframed favor not as a commodity to be earned but as a gift to be received, inviting the audience to reimagine their understanding of God’s favor. Metz observed:

“We don’t do well with favor today. We tie it to merit, to what we’ve done. But Mary’s favor wasn’t earned—it was given.”

A Parallel to Mary’s Story: Greetings, Favored One

Metz tied the song’s simple message—you are loved and valued for who you are—to the angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28:

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Like the song’s lyrics, Gabriel’s extraordinary greeting revealed that favor is not about achievements or qualifications but flows from God’s unconditional delight in His creation. Metz remarked on Mary’s reaction, noting her humanity and humility:

“She wasn’t shocked by the angel—she was shocked by the greeting. The idea of being favored can be hard for us to accept, too.”

This moment paralleled the modern struggle with favor, where many feel unworthy or unable to accept that God delights in them.

The symbolism of the Shoe-Switching Gesture: Humility and Connection

The act of changing shoes on stage wasn’t just a nostalgic nod to Fred Rogers; it symbolized humility and connection, echoing Philippians 2:5–8. Metz tied the gesture to the humility of Christ:

“He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.”

Just as Fred Rogers’ simple act of changing shoes created warmth and approachability, the Incarnation—God becoming human—demonstrates His decision to meet humanity where we are, with love, gentleness, and grace. Metz explained:

“God’s favor is not tied to what we do but is rooted in His unchanging posture toward us.”

God Not Only Loves Us—He Likes Us

The nostalgic and playful opening transitioned seamlessly into a deeply profound theological truth:

“God doesn’t just love you—He likes you. He delights in your personality, your quirks, the way you approach life. You’re not just an obligation to Him—you’re His delight.”

This truth challenged the “eternal insecurity” many Christians experience—the persistent feeling that while God loves them in a general sense, He might not actually like or delight in them. Metz tied this directly to Mary’s story:

Despite being a young, poor, and ordinary girl from an unremarkable town, Mary was greeted by the angel as “highly favored.” Metz challenged the congregation to embrace the same favor in their own lives:

“God’s favor doesn’t depend on what you’ve done or how well you perform. It’s rooted in who He is—a God who chooses to dwell with and within us.”

Setting the Tone for the Sermon: Favor Changes Everything

This heartfelt and creative introduction, blending nostalgia, theology, and Scripture, invited the congregation to reflect on their own experiences of God’s favor. Metz concluded the introduction with a challenge:

“What if favor isn’t something you achieve, but something you receive? What if God doesn’t just tolerate you—He delights in you? And what if that favor changes everything?”

These questions set the stage for the sermon, which would explore how favor is not tied to performance, prosperity, or perfection but is a relational gift rooted in God’s unchanging love.

The introduction bridged the comforting familiarity of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood with the divine mystery of the angel’s greeting, drawing the congregation into the transformative truth of God’s favor.

The Struggle with Favor

Nathan Metz opened this section by addressing a common difficulty among Christians: fully accepting God’s favor. He described it as a “Christian limp,” a shared struggle born from insecurity and misunderstanding:

“We don’t do well with favor. It’s kind of a common Christian limp—obedience, submission, faithfulness, favor. I mean, some of us were raised in a church that had this booming, ‘What is man, that thou art mindful of him?’”

Metz pointed out how overemphasizing human unworthiness in certain theological traditions can create a distorted view of God’s posture toward us. This, in turn, feeds into what Wesleyan theologian John Oswalt called eternal insecurity.

Eternal Insecurity: Struggling to Believe We Are Liked

Metz, Quoting John Oswalt, explained how many Christians live with persistent doubt—not about whether God loves them in an abstract or obligatory sense, but about whether He likes them.

“John Oswalt, who’s a Wesleyan theologian and author, referred to us saying, you know, for whatever issues we may have with the concept of eternal security, we seem to struggle with eternal insecurity. And that’s specific to salvation, but I think it’s kind of a tone. It’s like this tone of our faith that maybe God loves us, but He doesn’t like us.”

This struggle isn’t merely theological—it’s deeply personal. Metz described how many believers carry this weight of insecurity into their relationship with God. This foundational doubt distorts how they receive His favor. Instead of embracing it with joy and gratitude, they often respond with disbelief or hesitation, as if God’s favor is “too good to be true.”

The Announcement of Favor

To illuminate the human struggle with favor, Metz turned to the angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28:

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

This announcement set the stage for an exploration of what divine favor truly means. Mary’s reaction to Gabriel’s greeting mirrored the same tension Metz described:

“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be” (Luke 1:29).

Metz observed that Mary wasn’t shocked by the angel’s presence—she was shocked by the greeting.

“She wasn’t shocked by the angel—she was shocked by the idea of being favored.”

This reveals an important truth: Just as Mary struggled to process being “highly favored,” we, too, often struggle to believe in God’s favor toward us. Words like obedience, submission, and faithfulness may feel more familiar in our faith journey, but favor—especially the idea of being liked and delighted in by God—can feel elusive or even uncomfortable.

The Modern Disconnect: Struggling to Accept Favor

Metz expanded on how this struggle plays out today, naming three root causes of eternal insecurity that prevent many Christians from fully receiving God’s favor:

Misunderstanding Grace

Many believers see God’s love as conditional, tied to their behavior or worthiness. This transactional view of faith leads to the belief that favor must be earned.

Performance-Based Faith

Christians often feel they must constantly strive to earn God’s approval, which creates exhaustion and a sense of inadequacy. Metz explained:

“We think of favor as something reserved for the successful—the high achievers, the spiritually elite. But what if it’s something far simpler? What if it’s already been given to you?”

A Distorted View of God

God is often seen as a distant judge rather than a loving Father who delights in His children. Metz highlighted how this skewed perspective can make favor seem foreign or unattainable:

“The angel didn’t say, ‘The Lord approves of you because of your good deeds.’ He said, ‘The Lord is with you.’”

Favor: An Unlikely and Transformative Gift

Metz explored what favor truly means, reframing it as God’s unchanging disposition of love, delight, and grace toward His creation.

Favor Is God’s Posture Toward Us

Metz emphasized that favor is not about merit or achievement. It is rooted in God’s character and His desire to dwell with us:

“Favor isn’t about performance—it’s about presence.”

Gabriel’s greeting to Mary underscores this truth. Despite her humble circumstances and ordinary life, she was called “highly favored.” This was not a reflection of her accomplishments but a declaration of God’s grace and love.

Invitation to Reflect on Favor

Metz closed this section by inviting the congregation to consider their own view of God’s posture toward them:

“Do you truly believe that God likes you? That He favors you—not because of what you’ve done, but because of who He is?”

Mary’s story serves as both a mirror and a challenge:

• To marvel at God’s favor as she did.
• To trust that His delight in us is not about what we bring to the table but about who He is.
• This honest exploration of eternal insecurity and the modern disconnect with favor set the stage for the rest of the sermon, calling the congregation to embrace the radical truth of God’s unchanging love and grace.

Mary’s Surprising Reaction to Favor

Nathan Metz explored the human struggle with favor by turning to Mary’s story in Luke 1. Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel offered a compelling contrast to the experience of Zechariah, whose story was discussed in the previous week’s sermon. This comparison served to illuminate how God’s favor transcends human expectations, religious settings, and personal qualifications.

Zechariah’s Story: Favor in a Sacred Setting

Zechariah’s encounter with the angel Gabriel occurred in the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctum of the temple. It was a sacred moment in a sacred place steeped in religious significance. Metz emphasized the uniqueness of this encounter:

“Last week, Steve spent some time explaining that Zechariah had a similar response to the angel and painted this whole picture of how incredible this moment was for Zechariah because he’s a priest, and some priests never get this opportunity in their whole life. It’s extraordinarily rare; if you get it, it only happens one time—the opportunity to go into the holy place. And in this moment, that is the one moment in all of humanity, anywhere in the world, where you would most expect to see an angel.”

Yet, despite this sacred context, Zechariah was startled and shocked by the angel’s presence. His response to Gabriel’s announcement of John’s miraculous birth was one of doubt:

“How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years” (Luke 1:18).

Metz pointed out the irony:

“Here’s a priest, standing in the holiest place, performing a sacred act—and he still doubted the message.”

Zechariah’s story illustrates the human tendency to question God’s promises, even in the most sacred and expected contexts.

Mary’s Story: Favor in an Ordinary Setting

In contrast to Zechariah’s extraordinary religious setting, Mary’s encounter with Gabriel happened in the most ordinary of places—her home in Nazareth, a small, unremarkable town. Unlike Zechariah, Mary wasn’t performing any sacred duties, nor did she hold any significant religious or societal role. Metz explained:

“Mary was in a place where you would never expect to see an angel, and she’s not shocked by the angel; she’s shocked by the greeting. It’s like she says, ‘Oh yeah, of course, an angel. What’s this about favored?'”

This reaction underscores the profound and unsettling nature of favor. Mary’s surprise didn’t stem from Gabriel’s presence but from his words:

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28).

Metz observed:

“She wasn’t shocked by the angel—she was shocked by the idea of being favored.”

This reflects a more profound truth about favor: it is unexpected, unearned, and countercultural. Mary’s humility and wonder at being called “highly favored” reveal how astonishing and transformative God’s favor truly is.

Contrasting Responses to Favor

Metz drew attention to the stark differences between Zechariah and Mary’s responses to God’s favor:

Location and Expectation:

• Zechariah: His encounter occurred in the holiest place on earth, where divine presence was anticipated.
• Mary: Her encounter occurred in an unassuming, everyday setting, defying all expectations of divine visitation.

Faith vs. Doubt:

Zechariah: Despite his religious status and proximity to God’s presence, Zechariah doubted the angel’s message, which resulted in him being struck mute until John’s birth.

Mary: Without the privileges of religious training or sacred rituals, Mary responded with faith and humility:

“I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).

Favor Transcending Expectations:

• Zechariah’s Setting: Metz remarked, “Zechariah’s story is rooted in the grandeur of the old covenant—a priest, a temple, sacred rituals.”

• Mary’s Setting: “Mary’s story points to the humility of the new covenant—God choosing to dwell not in a temple but within an ordinary young woman, meeting humanity where it is.”

Mary’s Response to Favor

While Mary didn’t earn God’s favor, her response to it serves as a model for how to embrace His grace:

• Humility: Mary’s reaction was not resistance or self-doubt but surrender. Metz explained, “Her response wasn’t, ‘Why me?’ It was, ‘I am the Lord’s servant.'”

• Faith: Despite not understanding how God’s promise would be fulfilled, Mary trusted His word:

“May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).

Surrender: Mary’s acceptance of favor came with a willingness to align her life with God’s purpose, even at a significant personal cost. Metz emphasized, “Mary’s faith didn’t just accept favor—it stepped into the calling that came with it.”

Lessons from Zechariah and Mary

Metz used this comparison to draw out key lessons about God’s favor:

God’s Favor Meets Us Where We Are:

“God’s favor isn’t reserved for sacred places or religious elites. It comes to unexpected people in unexpected places, reminding us that His grace isn’t bound by human limitations.”

Faith Over Fear:

Zechariah’s doubt reflects the human tendency to question God’s promises, even in sacred contexts. Mary’s faith exemplifies the trust God desires, even when His plans seem improbable or impossible.

The Humility of God’s Plan:

Zechariah’s story highlights the grandeur of the old covenant, while Mary’s points to the humility of the Incarnation—God entering the world through ordinary means to bring about extraordinary redemption.

Conclusion: Responding to Favor

Metz closed this section by challenging the congregation to examine their own responses to God’s favor:

“Are you like Zechariah, doubting and hesitant, even in sacred spaces? Or like Mary, humbly trusting God’s plan, even when it defies understanding?”

By weaving together these narratives, Metz illustrated that God’s favor is not limited by location, status, or human expectations. It is a gift calling for faith, humility, and the willingness to embrace His plans wherever and however they unfold. Mary’s story challenges us to marvel at God’s favor and trust that His delight in us is rooted not in what we bring to the table but in who He is.

Don’t Overthink Favor—Feel It

Nathan Metz invited the congregation to step back from the tendency to overanalyze God’s favor and approach it with their hearts. He acknowledged the human habit of trying to “figure out” grace and favor, either by intellectualizing or striving to earn it, and reframed favor as something relational and deeply experiential.

“And the challenge is, don’t intellectualize it. Don’t think yourself out of the favor. Don’t try to think yourself into the favor. Don’t brain it to death—heart this one. Don’t figure it out, feel it out, feel favor.”

This call to “heart” favor rather than “brain” favor sets the tone for a fresh understanding of favor, one that prioritizes openness, humility, and trust over skepticism and self-doubt. Metz emphasized that God’s favor is not logical or transactional—it’s a reflection of His unchanging posture of love and grace toward us.

Mary’s Response: Humility and Wonder

Mary’s reaction to the angel’s greeting provides a powerful model for how to receive favor. Metz highlighted her humility and sense of awe, noting that she did not presume upon God’s favor or question its validity. Instead, she marveled at it, recognizing it as an unearned gift of grace.

Metz posed a question to the congregation:

“Are we caught up in the lies of eternal insecurity, doubting that God likes us, or can we embrace the truth of His favor?”

Mary’s story challenges us to move beyond doubt and skepticism into wonder and trust. Metz encouraged the congregation to reflect on how they view God’s posture toward them. Is it one of distant tolerance or close delight?

Favor: A Gift, Not a Reward

Metz continued by dismantling the misconception that favor is something earned or achieved, encouraging the congregation to see it for what it truly is: an unearned gift.

“Don’t intellectualize favor. Don’t think yourself out of the favor. Don’t try to think yourself into the favor. Don’t brain it to death—heart this one. Feel favor.”

This invitation reframed favor as something to be experienced and embraced, not analyzed or earned. It’s not a merit-based commodity tied to our performance or behavior but a relational reality grounded in God’s love for us.

The Role of Humility in Receiving Favor

Metz tied this teaching back to Mary’s posture of humility. When greeted by the angel, she didn’t respond with pride or entitlement. Instead, she was “greatly troubled” by the idea of being highly favored, a reaction rooted in humility and a deep sense of God’s grace.

Metz observed:

“Her humility allowed her to see favor for what it truly is—a gift from God, not an achievement of her own.”

Invitation to Reflect on Favor

To close this section, Metz extended a heartfelt invitation for personal reflection:

• Do you doubt that God delights in you?
• Are you still caught up in the lies of eternal insecurity, believing that you have to earn His favor?
• Can you embrace the truth of God’s favor as Mary did, not by overthinking it but by opening your heart to it?

God’s Favor Has Come to Dwell With Us

Metz concluded by connecting Mary’s story to the Advent message, reminding the congregation that God’s favor is not an abstract concept but a reality made flesh in Jesus Christ. The angel’s words to Mary reveal a profound truth for all believers:

“God’s favor has come to dwell with us through Jesus Christ.”

This reflection set the stage for the rest of the sermon, inviting the congregation to marvel at God’s favor, trust in His love, and embrace the life-changing truth that His favor is a gift to be received, not a reward to be earned.

Favor Is Not Earned by Good Behavior

Nathan Metz addressed a common misconception about God’s favor: the belief that it is a moral or religious performance reward. Many think of favor as something transactional, like a trophy given to those who behave well. Metz challenged this mindset head-on:

“The first thing that favor isn’t is God’s response to our good actions. When I do good stuff, He gives me favor. The more good stuff I do, the more He favors me. He likes me because I’m a good boy. He favors me because I was a good girl today.”

Metz emphasized that favor is not about merit but about grace. It is not something we earn or achieve through our deeds but something God freely gives.

Mary’s Example: Favor Is Found, Not Earned

Using Mary’s story in Luke 1, Metz highlighted the absence of any backstory in Scripture detailing her accomplishments or virtues that would justify God’s favor:

“Look at Mary—there’s no backstory for Mary. It’s not like we have this long narrative explaining how good she is that builds up to, ‘Now you have earned it, you’re highly favored.'”

Instead, the angel Gabriel tells Mary that she has “found favor” with God (Luke 1:30). Metz explained the significance of this phrase:

“You found the favor. You stumbled across the favor that’s been there. You’ve discovered favor. You found it.”

Mary’s story demonstrates that favor is not about what we bring to the table—it is a gift of God’s grace.

The Humble State: Favor in Low Places

Even in Mary’s song of praise, The Magnificat, she doesn’t attribute her favor to her own virtues. Instead, she refers to her “humble state” (Luke 1:48). Metz clarified that this phrase doesn’t indicate a character strength like humility but instead describes her difficult, lowly circumstances:

“Her humble state, which is not this character strength, humility. It’s ‘humble state,’ a low place. It’s used only three times in the New Testament, all of them for just a bad, low situation. She’s not in a good spot.”

Mary’s favor came not from her accomplishments or social standing but from God’s sovereign choice to use her for His purposes.

Favor Is About God, Not Us

Metz underscored the central truth about favor: it’s not about human qualifications—it’s about God’s grace.

1. Grace:
   “Favor isn’t earned. It’s not about what you’ve done—it’s about who God is.” Favor is a reflection of God’s character, not human effort.
2. Mission:
   Mary’s favor wasn’t just for her—it came with a calling to bear Christ and bring Him into the world. Metz noted, “God’s favor often comes with a mission. It invites us to participate in His redemptive work.”
3. Transformation:
   God’s favor doesn’t leave us where we are—it changes us. It deepens our relationship with Him and equips us to reflect His grace to others.

Biblical Patterns of Grace

Metz connected Mary’s story to a broader biblical theme: God’s favor often comes to unlikely, undeserving individuals. He cited examples of God choosing ordinary or flawed people to accomplish extraordinary purposes:

• Abraham: Chosen to father a nation despite his flaws.
• Moses: A reluctant leader with self-doubt, called to deliver Israel.
• David: The youngest and least significant of his brothers, anointed as king.
• Paul: A persecutor of Christians, transformed into the church’s greatest missionary.

Like Mary’s, these stories remind us that favor is not earned through merit or performance. It is God’s unmerited grace at work.

Favor Is a Gift, Not a Reward

Metz dismantled the idea of favor as transactional:

“If favor were tied to good deeds or spiritual achievements, it would stop being grace. It would become a reward.”

He pointed out that Mary’s lack of backstory or qualifications makes her a profound example of grace. “She didn’t earn favor—she found it.”

Implications for Us

Metz concluded this section with a message of hope and reassurance for the congregation:

1. Favor Reflects God’s Character, Not Ours:
   God doesn’t favor us because of what we’ve done or who we are. His favor flows from His love and grace.
2. Favor Is Not Earned Through Performance:
   “God doesn’t delight in us because we’re ‘good boys and girls.’ His favor is unearned—it’s a gift.”
3. Favor Transcends Circumstances:
   Just as Mary’s lowly state didn’t disqualify her from being favored, our struggles and shortcomings don’t limit God’s grace.

Advent Connection: Favor and Grace

Metz tied this truth to the Advent season, a time of anticipation and grace:

“Mary’s story reminds us that God’s favor isn’t about who we are—it’s about who He is and what He wants to do through us.”

This understanding of favor invites believers to rest in God’s grace, trusting that His favor is a gift, not a reward and that it transforms us for His purposes.

8. Favor Is Not Withheld During Hard Times

Nathan Metz addressed a common misconception about God’s favor: the belief that suffering and hardship are signs that God has withdrawn His favor. He acknowledged the human tendency to question God’s goodness in moments of difficulty:

“Why is this happening to me? Why now? Why me? Why this much? Why this bad? He has taken His favor away from me. I am not in the favor of God, so I have lost His favor because things are going so poorly for me.”

Metz explained that this mindset is a misunderstanding of favor. God’s favor is not tied to ease or comfort, nor is it absent in times of suffering.

Mary’s Story: Favor Amid Suffering

Using Mary as a powerful example, Metz illustrated that being highly favored by God does not mean living a life free of hardship. Mary, though chosen to carry and mother the Son of God, experienced profound pain and challenges throughout her life.

Simeon’s Prophecy

Metz drew from Luke 2, where Mary and Joseph present the infant Jesus at the temple. There, Simeon speaks a prophetic word over them, blessing the child but also foreshadowing the suffering Mary will endure:

“The priest, I’ll quote, is looking forward to the life that will be lived by this son and the effect that this son will have on her, and he says, quote, ‘A sword will pierce your own soul too.’”

This prophecy captures the dual reality of Mary’s favor—she is chosen and blessed, yet her journey will be marked by deep sorrow. Metz unpacked the gravity of Simeon’s words, explaining:

“Of course, Mary’s life in her motherhood and her love and desire is not going to be all roses, but she’s favored. And this is possible because favor is not withheld in the bad times.”

Mary’s Challenges

Metz reminded the congregation of the incredible difficulties Mary faced, even as someone highly favored by God:

• Rejection and Persecution: Mary’s son, Jesus, was a controversial figure. He was rejected by many, persecuted, and ultimately crucified. Metz posed the question: “What mother dreams of her son being an offense to the community, persecuted, and crucified?”
• Heartbreak and Loss: Mary stood at the foot of the cross, witnessing her son’s suffering and death—a moment of unimaginable grief.
• Poverty and Exile: Mary and Joseph lived in poverty and even fled to Egypt as refugees to escape Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus.

Despite these immense challenges, Mary’s favored status was never revoked. Her life demonstrates that favor can coexist with suffering.

Favor Sustains Us Through Hardship

Metz argued that the misconception of favor as an indicator of an easy life is deeply flawed. Mary’s story reveals a deeper truth:

“God’s favor isn’t revoked when life is hard. It sustains us through the hardest moments.”

Favor is not about the absence of pain but about the presence of God. Metz explained that favor reflects God’s unchanging posture of love, grace, and faithfulness toward us, even in the midst of suffering.

Implications for Us

Metz challenged the congregation to shift their perspective on hardship:

1. Favor Is Not About Circumstances:
   God’s favor is not tied to how “good” or “bad” life feels. Even in moments of struggle, His favor remains constant.
2. Favor and Presence:
   Metz emphasized that God’s favor is not measured by external success or comfort but by His presence with us in every season. He declared, “Favor is about God’s posture toward us, not our circumstances.”
3. Favor as Sustenance:
   Just as Mary was sustained through her suffering by God’s favor, we too are given grace to endure hardships, knowing that His favor is with us.

Redefining Favor in Hard Times

Metz concluded this section with a profound reminder: God’s favor is not withheld during hard times. Instead, it becomes a source of strength and hope in the midst of adversity. Mary’s life shows us that favor does not exempt us from pain, but it assures us of God’s presence and purpose, even in our most difficult moments.

“Mary’s favor wasn’t just about her—it was about God’s plan to bring redemption to the world. Even in her suffering, she was part of something greater. And so are we.”

This redefinition of favor invites believers to trust in God’s grace and presence, knowing that His favor sustains us through every trial.

Favor Is Not Proof of Material Prosperity

Nathan Metz challenged the prosperity gospel mindset, which equates God’s favor with material success or financial abundance. He confronted this common misconception head-on:

“It’s not God’s proof in His provision, even though that’s commonly the way that it’s referred to—prosperity. Look at the favor He’s poured onto my life—my house, my car, my bills—they’re paid because He favors me.”

Using Mary’s life as a case study, Metz demonstrated that favor is not about worldly wealth or success. In fact, Mary’s story provides a direct counterexample to the idea that prosperity equals favor.

Mary’s Poverty and God’s Favor

Metz reminded the congregation that Mary was likely poor when the angel Gabriel declared her to be “highly favored.” There is no indication in Scripture that her material circumstances changed after receiving God’s favor.

The Temple Offering

Metz pointed to a key moment in Luke 2:24, when Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus to the temple and offer a pair of doves as a sacrifice:
“All indications are that Mary is poor when this announcement of the birth comes, and she doesn’t get wealthy. Twelve years later, we’re told that she brings an offering to the temple, and the offering is not the lamb; it’s the dove, which the Old Testament describes as the poor people’s sacrifice. If you cannot, then bring a dove.”

The offering of two doves, rather than a lamb, underscores Mary and Joseph’s financial status. Yet, despite their poverty, Mary was still called “highly favored.” Metz challenged the congregation to consider this disconnect:

“There’s no indication in all of Scripture that Mary gets rich. So because she is by all accounts poor from the beginning to the end, surely that means she’s not received God’s favor? Apparently, He doesn’t favor Mary then.”

This irony was meant to dismantle the assumption that material wealth is evidence of divine favor.

Jesus’ Humble Beginnings

Metz expanded on this theme by pointing to the circumstances of Jesus’ birth:

• Born in a Manger: The greatest act of God’s favor, the Incarnation, unfolded in humility. Jesus, the Son of God, was born in a manger rather than a palace.
• Favor in Humility: Metz explained, “Jesus’ birth reminds us that God’s favor doesn’t depend on worldly markers of success. He meets us in humility, not grandeur.”

Mary’s life and Jesus’ birth both reveal that God’s favor transcends human expectations and definitions. It is not tied to wealth, status, or comfort, but rather to His presence and purpose.

Rethinking Favor: Provision Is Not an Indicator

Metz emphasized that God’s favor is not tied to material provision, success, or abundance. He challenged the congregation to rethink how they define favor:

1. Favor Transcends Circumstances:
   Mary’s poverty did not disqualify her from being highly favored, nor did God’s favor suddenly elevate her financial status. Metz declared, “Favor isn’t tied to what we have but to our role in God’s redemptive plan. It’s His posture toward us, not proof of our prosperity.”
2. God’s Presence, Not Wealth:
   Metz reminded the congregation that favor is about God’s presence and purpose in our lives, not material indicators:
   “Favor is not about performance or possessions. It’s about God’s posture toward us—a gift of grace rooted in who He is, not in what we have.”
3. Freedom from Prosperity-Based Faith:
   By disentangling favor from material success, Metz invited the congregation to trust God’s grace, even in seasons of scarcity:
   “This truth frees us from associating struggles or lack with disfavor. Even in scarcity or hardship, God’s presence remains a constant source of favor.”

Favor Is Not a Trophy

Metz dismantled another related misconception: the idea that favor is like a trophy or badge of honor, reserved for those who achieve spiritual excellence or worldly success.

The Gift of Favor

Favor, Metz explained, is not something earned or awarded—it is something we “find,” just as Mary found favor with God:

“Favor is something we ‘find,’ like Mary did—it’s already there, waiting to be discovered. It’s not earned through effort or awarded for accomplishments.”

This understanding aligns with the Gospel message of grace:

“Favor isn’t earned. It’s not about what you’ve done—it’s about who God is.”

Grace Over Merit

Metz connected this concept to Ephesians 2:8-9, which reminds us that salvation and relationship with God are based on grace, not works:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Takeaways: Redefining Favor

Metz concluded this section by encouraging the congregation to trust in God’s character and redefine their understanding of favor:

1. Favor Is Not About What We Have:
   Mary’s story reveals that favor is not measured by wealth, comfort, or material success. God’s favor is rooted in His presence and purpose in our lives.
2. Favor Is Constant:
   Metz reminded the congregation, “Favor doesn’t disappear in hardship, and it isn’t proven by prosperity. It is unchanging because it reflects God’s unchanging posture of love.”
3. Favor Is a Reflection of God’s Grace:
   Favor is not a reward for good behavior or evidence of worldly success—it is a gift of grace that reflects God’s delight and purpose for His people.

Closing Reflection: Living in God’s Favor

Metz challenged the audience to step away from a prosperity-based understanding of favor and embrace the deeper truth of God’s grace:

“Favor isn’t about what you have. It’s about who God is and how He chooses to work through you.”

By exploring Mary’s poverty and Jesus’s humble beginnings, the sermon invited believers to rest in the assurance that God’s favor is constant, unearned, and not dependent on circumstances. This redefinition frees us to trust God’s presence in every season and live with gratitude, humility, and faith.

10. The Pain of Favor: Mary’s Experience as Jesus’ Mother

Nathan Metz invited the congregation to reflect on the emotional and relational weight of Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus. Despite being called “highly favored,” Mary’s life was marked by profound heartbreak and suffering. Metz began by highlighting the tension inherent in being chosen for such a significant role, particularly as Jesus’ life unfolded:

“And then think about everything we know about Jesus, the life that he lived, that he was an offense. What mother wants for their son to be an offense to the community?”

A Mother’s Heartache: Jesus’ Offense and Suffering

Metz painted a vivid picture of the progression of Jesus’ life and how it would have impacted Mary:

• Misunderstood and Rejected: Jesus’ ministry was often an offense to societal norms and religious expectations. He challenged the status quo, confronted hypocrisy, and called people to a radical way of life.
• Persecuted: As opposition to Jesus grew, so did the cost for Mary. Metz asked, “What mother is going to enjoy this, that oh, this is really what I dreamt of for my son?”
• Crucified: The ultimate heartbreak for Mary came as she stood at the foot of the cross, witnessing the brutal crucifixion of her son. Metz reminded the congregation, “And then his persecution is going to become crucifixion where she is present to see this happen.”

Mary’s experience illustrates a sobering truth about favor: it doesn’t shield us from suffering. Metz concluded, “Of course, Mary’s life in her motherhood and her love and desire is not going to be all roses, but she’s favored.”

The Temple Encounter: Favor and the Sword

Metz reflected on a key moment in Luke 2 when Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus visited the temple. This encounter encapsulates the intertwining themes of favor, faithfulness, and sacrifice.

Humble Obedience

Mary and Joseph faithfully brought Jesus to the temple to fulfill the Jewish law, offering a sacrifice of two doves. Metz highlighted their modest means:

“Even in this act of obedience, God’s favor was not tied to wealth or status. They brought the humble offering of two doves, showing their modest means.”

Simeon’s Prophecy

In the temple, the elderly Simeon praised God for fulfilling His promise through Jesus but also delivered a poignant prophecy to Mary:

“A sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Metz used this moment to illustrate a profound truth about favor:

“Favor doesn’t shield us from hardship—it sustains us through it.”

Simeon’s words foreshadowed the pain Mary would endure as she witnessed her son’s life and mission unfold.

Favor Despite Challenges

The angel Gabriel’s message to Mary reveals that favor comes with both extraordinary purpose and profound cost:

• Extraordinary Task: Mary was called to bear and raise the Son of God, a role that brought societal judgment, personal sacrifice, and emotional pain.
• Juxtaposition of Promises and Realities: Gabriel’s promise of Jesus’ eternal reign (“His kingdom will never end”) stood in stark contrast to the immediate realities of Mary’s life—poverty, misunderstanding, and the eventual heartbreak of watching her son suffer and die.

Metz highlighted this tension, saying:

“Favor is not withheld in hard times. Mary’s life wasn’t easy—it was marked by suffering. But she was still favored.”

The Life of Her Son: A Journey of Faith and Pain

Metz invited the congregation to consider the unique challenges Mary faced as the mother of Jesus:

• Jesus as an Offense: Mary’s son, though divinely sent, was a polarizing figure. Metz noted, “What mother dreams of her son being an offense to the community?” Jesus’ teachings and actions caused division and even hatred among those who rejected Him.
• Witnessing Persecution: Mary’s favor didn’t shield her from the pain of seeing her son rejected and persecuted.
• Crucifixion: The ultimate cost of Mary’s favor was standing by as her son was crucified. Metz reflected, “Her favor placed her on a journey that required extraordinary faith and trust in God’s plan.”

A Sword Through the Soul: Mary’s Journey of Faith

Simeon’s prophecy in the temple—“A sword will pierce your own soul too”—encapsulates Mary’s journey as both a mother and a participant in God’s redemptive plan. Metz explained that Mary’s favor didn’t exempt her from suffering; instead, it prepared and sustained her for it.

Favor Doesn’t Exempt Us from Pain

Metz emphasized that favor often comes with profound challenges:

• God’s Presence in Pain: Mary’s favor was not a guarantee of ease but a reminder of God’s nearness and purpose.
• Faith in the Midst of Suffering: Despite the heartbreak of her son’s crucifixion, Mary remained a part of God’s redemptive work.

“Mary was favored,” Metz reminded the congregation, “but that favor didn’t exempt her from suffering. It strengthened her to endure it.”

Lessons from Mary’s Favor

Metz used Mary’s story to draw out several key lessons about the nature of favor:

1. Favor is Not a Shield from Hardship: Being favored by God does not mean life will be free of pain or challenges.
2. Favor Sustains Us Through Pain: God’s favor doesn’t abandon us in our suffering; it strengthens and sustains us.
3. Favor Invites Us into God’s Purpose: Like Mary, favor often places us at the heart of God’s redemptive work, even when it involves personal sacrifice.

Conclusion: Favor and Faithfulness

Metz closed this section by challenging the congregation to rethink their understanding of favor. Mary’s life reminds us that favor is not about avoiding hardship but about trusting God’s presence and purpose in the midst of it.

“Favor doesn’t guarantee comfort. It guarantees God’s presence and the strength to endure.”

Mary’s story, filled with both joy and sorrow, calls believers to embrace God’s favor with humility, faith, and perseverance. Though favor may come with a cost, it is always accompanied by God’s sustaining grace and an invitation to participate in His redemptive work.

Favor Is Not Withheld in Suffering

Nathan Metz used Mary’s story to challenge the misconception that God’s favor is absent during hard times. He began by reframing favor as something deeper than circumstances, encouraging the congregation to see favor as a reflection of God’s character, not as a reward for ease or comfort:

“And this is possible because favor is not withheld in the bad times, it’s not given to us because we’re good, and it’s not withheld when things are bad.”

Favor Coexists with Suffering

Mary’s life as the mother of Jesus is a powerful example of how favor and suffering can exist together. Metz painted a vivid picture of the hardships Mary endured despite being called “highly favored” by the angel Gabriel:

• An Unwed Pregnancy: Mary faced societal judgment and personal uncertainty as she carried the Son of God.
• Exile in Egypt: Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt to protect their child from King Herod’s massacre, living as refugees in a foreign land.
• Witnessing Her Son’s Crucifixion: Mary stood at the foot of the cross, watching her son suffer and die in one of the most brutal ways imaginable.

Metz reminded the congregation that Mary’s suffering did not diminish her status as favored:

“Mary was favored, but her life wasn’t easy. Yet she was never outside God’s favor.”

This underscores that favor does not mean a life free of pain but instead guarantees God’s presence and purpose in the midst of hardship.

God’s Favor Sustains, Not Shields

Metz tied Mary’s journey to the larger theme of the sermon: favor doesn’t shield us from suffering, but it strengthens us to endure it. He explained:

“Favor doesn’t mean life will be easy or without pain. Mary’s life shows us that favor is often intertwined with sacrifice. But it’s also a reminder that God’s presence is with us in those moments.”

Simeon’s Prophecy

Metz reflected on the prophetic words of Simeon, spoken to Mary during Jesus’ presentation at the temple:

“A sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:35).

Simeon’s words foreshadowed the suffering Mary would experience as part of her role in God’s redemptive plan. Metz noted that this moment—filled with both the joy of Jesus’ arrival and the weight of the sacrifice to come—captures the dual nature of favor:

• Hope and Redemption: Advent celebrates the arrival of Christ, bringing hope to the world.
• Sacrifice and Suffering: The favor that brought Christ into the world also led to His suffering and death, which Mary would witness firsthand.

Metz tied this to the Advent season, emphasizing that favor sustains us in both the joy and the weight of God’s redemptive work.

Favor Isn’t Reserved for Suffering Alone

Metz also tackled the opposite misconception: that favor is reserved for those who have endured great suffering or hardship. He cautioned against romanticizing struggle:

“Sometimes we romanticize struggle, thinking God only shows favor to the broken or burdened. But favor isn’t tied to thriving or struggling—it’s constant because it reflects God’s character, not our circumstances.”

Metz reminded the congregation that God’s favor meets people in all walks of life, whether they are thriving or struggling:

“God’s favor is about His purpose and presence. It’s about what He’s doing in and through us.”

A Lesson for Today: Faith in the Face of the Unknown

Metz challenged the congregation to consider how favor sustains them in their own hardships:

• Trust in God’s Plan: Like Mary, we are called to trust God even when we don’t understand the full picture. Metz explained:
  “Her faith didn’t eliminate her pain, but it allowed her to endure it with strength and peace.”
• Faith in Hard Times: Favor doesn’t erase difficulties; it assures us that God is with us, working through our struggles for His greater purpose.

Mary’s story reminds believers that favor doesn’t exempt us from the valleys of life but walks with us through them. Metz emphasized that God’s favor is unchanging, even in suffering:

“Favor doesn’t mean the absence of pain—it means the presence of God.”

Takeaways: Favor as Sustaining Grace

Metz closed this section with a call to embrace favor as a sustaining force in the face of life’s challenges:

1. Favor Isn’t Based on Circumstances: God’s favor remains constant, whether life is easy or difficult.
2. Favor Sustains Us Through Pain: Like Mary, we can trust that God’s presence will strengthen us to endure suffering with faith.
3. Favor Reflects God’s Purpose: Favor invites us into God’s redemptive work, even when it involves personal sacrifice.

Through Mary’s journey, Metz reminded the congregation that God’s favor doesn’t eliminate suffering—it transforms it into an opportunity to experience His sustaining grace and to participate in His greater plan.

“Favor isn’t withheld in suffering. It’s what sustains us through it.”

Favor Is Not About Material Prosperity

Metz challenges the prosperity gospel mindset, which equates favor with material wealth or success. Using Mary’s poverty as an example, he underscores that God’s favor is not measured by financial prosperity:
“And it’s not God’s proof in his provision, even though that’s commonly the way that it’s referred to—prosperity.”

He reminds the congregation of Mary’s economic status, both at the time of Jesus’ birth and 12 years later, when she and Joseph present an offering at the temple. Instead of offering a lamb, which was required for those who could afford it, they bring two doves—the sacrifice prescribed for the poor:

“All indications are that Mary is poor when this announcement of the birth comes, and she doesn’t get wealthy. Twelve years later, we’re told that she brings an offering to the temple, and the offering is not the lamb; it’s the dove, which the Old Testament describes as poor people’s sacrifice. If you cannot, then bring a dove. They bring a dove; they don’t have any money even twelve years later.”

Metz drives home the point that Mary’s lack of material wealth does not negate her favor:

“There’s no indication in all of Scripture that Mary gets rich, so because she is by all accounts poor from the beginning to the end, surely that means she’s not received God’s favor?”

Mary’s Poverty: A Testament to God’s Grace

Nathan Metz highlighted the humble circumstances of Mary’s life, using the example of her offering at the temple to illustrate that favor is not tied to wealth, status, or power. This theme reinforces the central message that God’s favor is a gift of grace, rooted in His character rather than human achievement.

A Humble Offering

In accordance with Jewish law, Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the temple and offered a sacrifice of two doves or pigeons, as described in Leviticus 12:6-8. This offering was an allowance for those who could not afford a lamb, signifying Mary and Joseph’s modest means.
Metz noted:

“Even twelve years later, when they returned to the temple, there’s no sign that Mary or her family had risen out of poverty. They were poor, yet they were highly favored.”

This act of faithfulness demonstrates that God’s favor is not reserved for the wealthy or privileged. Mary’s poverty underscores the unearned nature of favor and highlights her humility and trust in God’s plan.

God’s Favor Transcends Status

Mary’s story reflects God’s consistent pattern throughout Scripture of working through the humble and lowly to accomplish His purposes:

• Abraham, a nomad, became the father of nations.
• David, a shepherd, was chosen as king.
• Ruth, a foreign widow, became part of the lineage of Christ.

“God doesn’t need our wealth or status to do His work,” Metz explained. “In fact, He often chooses the ordinary, the overlooked, and the humble to show that His power is made perfect in weakness.”

Poverty and God’s Redemptive Plan

Mary’s poverty also mirrors the humility of Christ Himself:

• Jesus’ Humble Beginnings: Born in a manger and raised by poor parents, Jesus entered the world not through privilege but through vulnerability.
• The Gospel’s Heart: The choice of Mary reflects the nature of the Gospel, which is good news for the poor and the marginalized. Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) foreshadows this, celebrating God’s reversal of worldly values:
  “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
  He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.”

Metz tied this to Jesus’ ministry:

“Throughout His life, Jesus identified with the poor, the outcast, and the broken. His kingdom operates on principles completely different from the world’s.”

Reflection: Favor Beyond Prosperity

Metz’s message challenges the congregation to rethink how they define favor. Do we equate favor with comfort, wealth, or worldly success? Mary’s story reminds us that God’s favor is about His presence and purpose, not our circumstances. It calls us to:

• Recognize God’s Grace: Like Mary, we are favored not because of what we have or what we’ve achieved but because of God’s unchanging love.
• Embrace Humility: Favor is not tied to status—it’s a reflection of God’s redemptive work through ordinary people.
• Rest in God’s Purpose: Whether we are in abundance or lack, God’s favor remains constant, sustaining us and working through us to reveal His glory.

As Metz concluded, “God’s favor is about His presence, not our prosperity. It meets us in our poverty, our brokenness, and our need, reminding us that His grace is enough.”

Reframing Favor: Beyond the Prosperity Gospel

Nathan Metz critiques the deeply ingrained misconception that favor is synonymous with material blessings, wealth, or worldly success. Using humor and irony, he exposes the flawed logic of equating God’s favor with prosperity:

“When God favors me, it pours into my life in buckets. Look at the favor he’s poured onto my life—my house, my car, my bills—they’re paid because he favors me. Apparently, he doesn’t favor Mary then.”

This sarcastic observation reframes the congregation’s understanding of favor, forcing them to confront the contrast between prosperity-focused thinking and the realities of Mary’s life. Metz underscores that if material wealth or ease were the measure of favor, Mary—the one chosen to bear the Son of God—wouldn’t qualify as “highly favored.”

Mary’s Life: A Counter-Narrative to Prosperity Theology

Metz points the audience to Mary’s story as a clear contradiction of the prosperity gospel mindset.

“All indications are that Mary was poor when this announcement of the birth came. She didn’t suddenly get wealthy because she was favored. Even 12 years later, when Mary and Joseph return to the temple, they bring the sacrifice of doves, not a lamb. That’s the offering prescribed for those who can’t afford the more expensive sacrifice.”

He invites the audience to consider this paradox: Mary, who bore the greatest honor of being the mother of Jesus, lived a life of poverty, suffering, and social vulnerability. Yet she was called “highly favored.”

Metz emphasizes that Mary’s favor transcends material circumstances:

“There’s no indication in all of Scripture that Mary ever becomes wealthy or escapes the difficulties of life. Favor isn’t about material blessings—it’s about God’s presence and purpose in your life.”

The Sarcasm of Prosperity

To drive home the absurdity of tying favor to prosperity, Metz uses a relatable and sarcastic tone:

“If favor means prosperity, then Mary should have had it all. Where’s her mansion? Where’s her security? Where’s her stockpile of blessings? Apparently, by that standard, she wasn’t favored at all!”

This critique invites the audience to rethink their assumptions and acknowledge that prosperity theology is incompatible with the Gospel. Mary’s life becomes a case study for understanding that God’s favor is not about worldly measures but about eternal purposes.

True Favor: God’s Eternal Purpose

Metz challenges the congregation to embrace a deeper, more biblical understanding of favor—one rooted in God’s eternal plans rather than worldly success. He explains:

“Favor isn’t proof of provision, ease, or prosperity. It’s proof of God’s presence with you, working in and through your life for His glory and the good of His kingdom.”

Mary’s story exemplifies this truth. Her favor wasn’t marked by wealth or comfort but by her participation in God’s redemptive plan. Metz notes that favor often comes with great responsibility and even sacrifice, as seen in Mary’s willingness to bear and raise the Son of God amid personal and societal challenges.

“Mary was favored not because of what she had but because of what God was doing through her life. Favor isn’t about what you gain—it’s about how God uses you for His purposes.”

Reflection: Reframing Favor in Our Lives

Metz closes this segment by inviting the congregation to rethink how they view favor in their own lives. He calls them to move beyond superficial metrics of success and to rest in the truth that God’s favor is about His presence and purpose:

“Favor doesn’t mean an easy life. It means God is with you, working through you. It’s not about how much you have—it’s about how much He’s doing in you and through you.”

This reframing of favor shifts the focus from material blessings to God’s redemptive work. Metz reminds the congregation that true favor is found in being part of God’s eternal plan, just as Mary was. It is about embracing His purpose, even when it comes with challenges, and trusting that His presence is enough to sustain us.

Takeaway: A Call to Trust

As the congregation reflects on Mary’s story, Metz leaves them with a powerful challenge:

“Don’t measure favor by what you have or don’t have. Measure it by the assurance that God is with you, working in your life. That’s the only favor that matters.”

This closing thought ties the sermon together, reminding the audience that God’s favor is not a trophy or a transaction—it’s a gift of grace that calls us into a deeper relationship with Him and His mission for the world.

Favor Is Not a Commodity—It’s a Posture

In this pivotal section, Nathan Metz reframes the concept of favor, moving away from transactional or material understandings and pointing the congregation toward a relational and deeply personal reality. Metz begins by summarizing three misconceptions about favor that he has addressed earlier in the sermon:

“God’s favor is not His response to your good behavior, withheld in the bad times, or Him proving Himself when He provides for you.”

With this groundwork laid, Metz shifts the focus to the true nature of favor. It is not a tangible, measurable thing—a commodity that can be earned, lost, or possessed. Instead, favor is God’s unchanging and loving posture toward His creation.

“Favor is not a commodity; it’s His posture. Favor is not something you can get your hands on and prove this way; it’s His posture toward you.”

What Is Divine Favor?

Metz defines favor as deeply relational, not transactional. It is not something we can earn through good behavior, accumulate through prosperity, or lose during hardships. Instead, favor is a reflection of God’s consistent, gracious, and loving attitude toward His people:

“Favor isn’t about what you do—it’s about who God is.”

This shift in perspective challenges the audience to stop evaluating favor based on external circumstances or personal performance. Instead, it invites them to rest in the reality of God’s unchanging posture of grace, love, and delight.

Mary’s Story: Discovering Favor

Using Mary as an example, Metz highlights the unearned nature of favor. Gabriel’s greeting—“You have found favor with God”—underscores that Mary didn’t achieve favor but discovered it. Metz emphasizes:

“Mary didn’t earn favor; she found it. It was there all along—it wasn’t something she created or accomplished. She stumbled across it, like finding a treasure that’s already been buried for you.”

Mary’s ordinariness becomes an essential part of the lesson. Her favor was not a reward for her status, wealth, or achievements, but a gift of grace rooted in God’s purpose for her life. Metz notes:

“Mary was highly favored not because of who she was but because of who God is. Favor isn’t about merit—it’s about God’s sovereign choice and His love for His people.”

Favor in God’s Posture: A Relational Reality

Metz invites the congregation to embrace a more profound and freeing understanding of favor as God’s posture toward humanity:

“God’s favor is His decision to be with you. It’s His way of saying, ‘I like you. I’m for you. I’m with you.’”

This posture is not conditional on circumstances or performance. Metz reminds the audience that favor is a reflection of God’s character, not a reaction to human behavior. He quotes John Oswalt’s insight on “eternal insecurity” to illustrate the human struggle to trust in God’s delight:

“We walk around as though God tolerates us but doesn’t really delight in us. But the truth is, He does. God doesn’t just love you—He likes you.”

Jesus’ Mindset and Demeanor: A Model of Favor

Metz ties this relational understanding of favor to Jesus’ example, pointing to Philippians 2:5-8 as a profound description of Christ’s favor toward humanity. This passage highlights Jesus’ humility and His deliberate choices to step into human history:

• Humility: Though fully God, Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage” (Philippians 2:6). Instead, He emptied Himself and became human.
• Self-Giving Love: Jesus’ actions, from His incarnation to His death on the cross, were motivated by His favor toward humanity. “Every decision Jesus made—taking on flesh, serving others, dying for us—was rooted in His posture of love and delight.”

Metz emphasizes that Jesus’ demeanor wasn’t one of obligation or frustration. Instead, it reflected joy and delight in saving His people:

“He didn’t have to do it—He wanted to. That’s what favor looks like.”

Favor Beyond Performance or Provision

Metz then addresses the common human tendency to tie favor to performance or provision. He uses humor and personal vulnerability to challenge this mindset:

“I’m a performer by nature. Writing this sermon, I had to remind myself: God’s favor doesn’t depend on how well I preach. Provision is not an indicator, and performance is not a modifier.”

By sharing his own struggle, Metz helps the audience see that favor is not tied to success or failure. It’s not something that grows or diminishes based on achievements but is a constant reflection of God’s grace.

Practical Takeaways

Metz closes this section by offering three practical ways to embrace the truth of God’s favor:

1. Embrace God’s Posture Toward You:
   Reflect on the mindset and demeanor of Jesus. His every decision—from the incarnation to the cross—was an act of favor and love. Reject the lies that God acts out of obligation or frustration and rest in the truth that He delights in you.
2. Live as Favored People:
   Walk in confidence, knowing you are cherished and chosen by God. Metz reminds the congregation: “You’re not just loved—you’re liked. Live like it.” Show this favor to others by extending grace, love, and kindness.
3. Combat Lies with Truth:
   Metz acknowledges that Satan often distorts God’s character, making Him seem distant or disapproving. He encourages the audience to counter these lies with Scripture, such as Philippians 2, which shows Jesus’ joy in serving humanity, and Isaiah 53, which reveals the depth of God’s love in His redemptive plan.

Conclusion: The Gift of Favor

Metz ends by tying the concept of favor back to the Advent season, reminding the congregation of the greatest demonstration of God’s posture toward humanity: the incarnation.

“Through Jesus, God showed His favor in the most profound way. He didn’t just say, ‘I’m with you.’ He became one of us. He filled us with His presence and gave us the gift of Himself.”

This Advent, Metz calls on the congregation to rest in the truth that God’s favor is not a commodity to be earned or proven—it’s His unchanging posture of love, grace, and delight. “God doesn’t just tolerate you. He delights in you. That’s favor.”

Provision Is Not an Indicator of Favor

Nathan Metz addresses a common misconception: the belief that material provision or abundance is evidence of God’s favor. With clarity and personal vulnerability, he reframes this notion, challenging the congregation to see favor beyond worldly markers of success or comfort.

“Provision is not an indicator—whether you have or don’t have does not indicate His favor,” Metz declared. He emphasized that equating God’s favor with wealth, financial stability, or material blessings distorts its true meaning. Favor, Metz explained, transcends external circumstances and is rooted in God’s relational posture toward us.

Favor in Scarcity and Loss

Metz flips the prosperity mindset on its head by pointing out how God’s favor can sometimes be expressed most profoundly in moments of scarcity or loss:

“There are times in my life when it would be just the opposite. God showed me His favor by taking from me.”

He reflects on personal experiences, describing how seasons of difficulty and “desert moments” were opportunities for growth, dependence, and transformation. Rather than viewing lack as a sign of disfavor, Metz encourages the congregation to consider how God’s grace can work through those challenging seasons:

“God showed me His favor by allowing me to have less, by placing me in a desert. His favor in that moment was less. Amen.”

This reframing invites the audience to see scarcity not as punishment or abandonment but as a purposeful expression of God’s favor. In those moments, God draws us closer, deepens our faith, and refines our character.

Favor Beyond Circumstances

Metz reminds the congregation that favor is not tied to what we have or don’t have. Both abundance and scarcity are part of God’s work in our lives, and His favor remains constant through all seasons. He challenges the audience to rethink their perspective on provision:

“Favor is about God’s purpose for you, not about what you have. It’s about what He’s doing in you and through you.”

This liberating truth shifts the focus from external indicators to God’s unchanging presence and relational posture toward His people.

A Call to Trust in Desert Seasons

In closing this section, Metz calls the congregation to embrace a deeper trust in God’s plan, especially during times of loss or limitation. Scarcity and struggle can feel like moments of disfavor, but Metz reassures the audience that those are often the times when God’s favor sustains and transforms us the most.

“Even in the desert, God’s favor is with you. His presence doesn’t waver based on your circumstances—it’s constant because He is constant.”

This section challenges the congregation to reframe their understanding of favor, letting go of the belief that provision or abundance proves God’s love. Metz’s insights help them recognize that favor is not a commodity tied to blessings but a relational reality that sustains them through both abundance and scarcity.

Performance Is Not a Modifier of Favor

In the third major point of his sermon, Nathan Metz addresses a common misconception: the idea that our performance—whether spiritual, professional, or personal—can influence the degree of God’s favor. Metz confronts this belief head-on, challenging the audience to let go of the notion that they can earn or enhance God’s favor through their actions.

Performance Does Not Determine Favor

Metz begins by acknowledging how deeply ingrained this mindset can be, especially for those who find their identity in achievement. Speaking candidly, Metz reflects on his own struggle with tying performance to favor:

“Performance is not a modifier. I’m going to raise my hand and say that’s probably harder for me because I’m a performer. Actually, the Enneagram says I’m a performer. I’m literally performing.”

This vulnerability makes the message deeply relatable, as Metz admits that even he wrestles with the temptation to equate success with increased favor.

He uses his own preparation for this very sermon as an example:

“When I’m writing this very sermon and praying to get ready for this very sermon, Nathan, performance is not a modifier. God doesn’t favor you more before or after this sermon.”

This confession drives home the point that God’s favor is not transactional. It doesn’t fluctuate based on how well we perform or fail to perform.

Unchanging Favor

Metz reassures the congregation that God’s favor is rooted in His unchanging love, not in human effort or achievement:

“God’s favor isn’t something you increase by being good or decrease by falling short. It’s not tied to your performance. It’s rooted in His love.”

This truth liberates believers from the exhausting cycle of striving to earn God’s approval. Instead, Metz invites the audience to rest in the assurance that God’s favor is constant, unconditional, and not dependent on what they do.

Mary’s Example: Faith Over Performance

To illustrate this point, Metz turns again to Mary’s story. He reminds the congregation that Mary wasn’t chosen for her role in God’s redemptive plan because she was “more righteous” or performed better than others:

“Mary’s favor wasn’t earned by anything she did. She wasn’t selected because she outperformed others or proved herself worthy. Her favor was rooted in God’s grace and His sovereign choice.”

What set Mary apart was not her achievements but her humble and faithful response to God’s calling:

“Her response wasn’t, ‘Look how worthy I am.’ It was, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.’”

Shifting from Striving to Resting

Metz challenges the audience to rethink how they approach their relationship with God. Rather than striving to earn His favor through good deeds or religious performance, believers are called to rest in the grace that God freely offers:
“This truth shifts the focus from striving to resting in God’s grace, freeing believers from the burden of trying to earn His approval.”

Practical Takeaways

Metz concludes this section by encouraging the congregation to embrace a healthier, more grace-filled perspective:

1. Stop Striving for Approval: Recognize that God’s favor is not something you earn through performance or achievement.
2. Rest in God’s Grace: Embrace the truth that God’s favor is a gift, rooted in His love and not your actions.
3. Respond with Faith, Not Effort: Like Mary, trust in God’s plans and His posture of favor toward you, responding with humility and faith rather than trying to prove yourself worthy.

By dismantling the myth that performance modifies favor, Metz frees the audience to step into the unearned and unconditional favor of God. His personal reflections and Mary’s example invite the congregation to shift their focus from striving for perfection to resting in the relational grace of a loving God.

Living in the Reality of Favor

Nathan Metz closes his sermon by inviting the congregation to live fully in the reality of God’s favor. He challenges them to let go of the misconceptions that tie favor to performance, provision, or circumstances and instead embrace favor as a relational posture rooted in God’s unchanging love and grace.

Freedom Through Favor

Metz’s earlier points dismantle the transactional views of favor that so many people carry—whether through striving for performance, longing for material provision, or interpreting hardship as a lack of favor. He calls the audience to rest in the truth that favor is not earned, proven, or withheld based on life’s ups and downs. He explains:

“Favor is not tied to what you do, what you have, or what you lack. Favor is God’s posture toward you, a gift of grace that invites you to trust Him and rest in His love.”

By embracing this truth, Metz says, believers are freed from the exhausting cycle of trying to earn God’s favor or interpret life’s circumstances as evidence of His posture toward them.

An Invitation to Rest

One of the implicit takeaways of Metz’s sermon is that living in the reality of favor begins with rest—letting go of striving and trusting in the sufficiency of God’s love.
Metz encourages the congregation to reject the lies they may have believed about favor:

1. Favor is not earned by good behavior. God’s love for us does not increase with our successes or decrease with our failures.
2. Favor is not withheld during hard times. God’s presence sustains us through hardship and suffering, as seen in Mary’s story.
3. Favor is not proven by provision or performance. God’s favor is constant, even in seasons of scarcity or personal failure.

By embracing these truths, Metz invites the audience to live as people who are already favored. “You don’t have to prove anything,” he reassures. “God’s favor is already yours.”

Living Loved

Metz points to Mary’s example as a model for how to live in the reality of favor. Despite her lowly circumstances, Mary trusted God’s word and rested in His favor:

“Mary didn’t earn favor or fight for it. She found it, and she rested in it. That’s the invitation for us, too.”

Living in God’s favor means letting go of striving, anxiety, and insecurity. It means walking with the confidence that God’s posture toward us is one of delight and love. Metz invites the congregation to reimagine their daily lives through the lens of favor, encouraging them to:

1. Rest in the Truth of Favor: Trust that God’s favor is not something to achieve but something to receive.
2. Live with Gratitude: Recognize God’s favor as a gift and let it inspire joy, worship, and thanksgiving.
3. Extend Favor to Others: Reflect God’s relational posture toward others by showing grace, kindness, and love in all relationships.

The Joy of Being Fully Loved

Metz closes with the reminder that favor is not a fleeting or circumstantial reality—it is eternal and unchanging, rooted in God’s very nature. By accepting this truth, believers can live in the joy and confidence of being fully loved by God:

“God doesn’t just love you. He likes you. His favor isn’t about what you’ve done—it’s about who He is.”

This simple but profound statement reframes the way believers see themselves and their relationship with God, inviting them to live with open hearts and hands, fully embracing the reality of God’s favor.

A Personal Encounter with God’s Favor

Nathan Metz shared a deeply personal and vulnerable moment from his own faith journey to illustrate the sustaining, relational nature of God’s favor. Drawing from his experience with Wellspring prayer ministry, Metz invited the congregation to consider how God’s favor can be discerned and embraced, even in moments of uncertainty or struggle.

Wellspring Prayer: Reexamining God’s Presence in Our Lives

Metz began by describing the Wellspring prayer ministry, a three-hour prayer and reflection experience designed to help participants revisit their past and recognize where God was present, even in difficult or unclear moments.

“Wellspring is typically a three-hour prayer over your life discussion, a discerning moment where you are brought face to face with some of the things that you may have been through in your life,” Metz explained. “The primary thing that’s really happening there is changing your recollection, changing your perception of where Jesus was and how he was interacting with you in that moment.”

This practice encourages believers to reinterpret their past through the lens of God’s grace and presence. Metz emphasized that favor is often most visible in hindsight, as we look back and see how God was working in ways we may not have understood at the time.

A Letter from God: Personal and Sustaining Favor

Metz then shared a poignant experience from a recent Wellspring session that he attended just days before the sermon. During the session, he received a personal letter—a message written as though it were from God, affirming His unwavering favor and love. Metz read the letter aloud to the congregation:

“Son, you are highly favored by me, and my favor matters. Beneath everything you’re feeling, I see your trust in me. I rejoice in your faith, even when it feels like you’re barely hanging on. I am faithful, son. Don’t give up, don’t give in. You are highly favored by me, and my favor matters.”

Pausing to let the words resonate, Metz added, “God doesn’t just tolerate you. He likes you. He favors you. His favor is personal, sustaining, and constant.”

This moment underscored the core message of the sermon: God’s favor is not abstract or distant. It is deeply relational and offers reassurance, even in life’s most challenging seasons.

Reflection Through Wellspring Prayer

Metz explained that Wellspring prayer offers a powerful way to reconnect with God’s presence, especially in seasons of struggle or confusion. The practice of reinterpreting past events through faith helps believers see God’s favor woven through their lives, transforming even the hardest moments into testimonies of grace.

A Time for Discernment

Wellspring prayer aligns closely with the themes of favor and faith explored in Mary’s story. Metz emphasized:

• Reinterpreting the Past: “The prayer experience reshapes painful memories into testimonies of grace, helping participants see how God was working even in difficult circumstances.”
• Recognizing God’s Presence: “It’s not about what you’ve done,” Metz reminded the congregation, “but about how God was faithfully present with you, even when you couldn’t see it.”

Mary’s Story: A Reflection of Favor

Metz connected the Wellspring experience to Mary’s story, showing how favor often requires reflection and faith to fully understand. Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message, “May your word to me be fulfilled,” exemplifies the trust and surrender that believers are called to embrace in their own lives.

Just as Mary’s favor came with challenges and uncertainties, so too does God’s favor in our lives. Metz noted that reflecting on God’s presence through practices like Wellspring prayer allows believers to see how His favor has sustained them and guided them toward His purposes.

Application: Living in the Light of Favor

Metz closed this section by encouraging the congregation to engage in practices like Wellspring prayer as a way to deepen their faith and recognize God’s unwavering favor. He outlined three key applications:

1. Seek God’s Favor in Reflection: Intentional times of prayer and reflection help us recognize God’s grace in both the extraordinary and the everyday moments of life.
2. Align With His Presence: These practices remind us that favor is about relationship, not reward. God’s favor is His posture of love and grace toward us, not something to be earned or proven.
3. Celebrate His Faithfulness: Like Mary, who sang her Magnificat in response to God’s favor, we are invited to rejoice in His work in our lives, even when we don’t fully understand it.

An Invitation to Reinterpret Your Story

Metz’s personal testimony and the Wellspring prayer experience offered a powerful invitation to the congregation to reexamine their own lives. By looking back with faith, believers can see how God’s favor has been present all along—sustaining them through hardship, guiding them through uncertainty, and drawing them deeper into His love and grace.

Metz concluded with the assurance that favor is not distant or theoretical. It is God’s loving and active posture toward each of His children—a truth that transforms the way we see ourselves and our relationship with Him.

Reading the Letter: A Father’s Affirmation

Metz shifts to reading a letter that was part of his Wellspring experience, asking permission from the congregation to share it. His lighthearted tone (“I’ll read only to Abby. Does anybody else want to hear the letter?”) draws the audience in, creating a sense of intimacy and openness.

The letter, which is framed as words from God to Metz, communicates powerful truths about God’s posture of favor. It is deeply personal, affirming, and relational, emphasizing trust, perseverance, and God’s pride in him:

“My son, beneath everything you’re feeling, I feel your trust in me. I rejoice in your faith, son. Despite the attacks of the enemy, you continue to believe in me in your mind, body, and spirit. The enemy is telling you to just give up, but I say, don’t give up, don’t give in. Continue to choose life—life, physical life, emotional life, spiritual life.”

The letter affirms that God sees Metz’s struggles and faithfulness, even in moments of weakness or weariness. It emphasizes that God’s favor is not earned by strength or perfection but is freely given out of His love:

“I’m so proud of you, even in the moments when it seems like you’re barely hanging on, you’re faithful to me. I see your faithfulness. I am faithful, son. You are highly favored by me, and my favor matters.”

This deeply personal moment illustrates God’s favor as an active and ongoing relationship. It is not tied to circumstances or achievements but flows from God’s love and faithfulness.

Reflecting on God’s Favor

After reading the letter, Metz reflects on its meaning and how it aligns with the sermon’s broader theme of favor. While the letter is not Scripture, it is consistent with biblical truths about God’s character and His relational posture toward His children:

“It’s not scripture, but it’s consistent. The favor of God is his posture towards you.”

Metz reiterates the relational nature of favor, grounding it in the truths shared throughout the sermon. Favor is not an abstract concept or a reward—it is a reflection of God’s unchanging delight in His people:

“He likes you. God likes you. God thinks you are special. He favors you.”

This conclusion ties the personal reflection back to the central message of the sermon, reminding the congregation that God’s favor is intimate, affirming, and rooted in His love.

Favor Expressed in Filling

Nathan Metz transitions to a central question in his sermon: How does God express His favor? Favor, as Metz has explained, is not transactional or based on performance but is a reflection of God’s relational posture toward us. This section dives deeper into what favor causes God to do and how He acts on it:

“How does He express that favor? What does He do about it? When God favors you, what’s the verb that follows? What does that cause Him to do?”

The answer lies in filling—God’s desire to draw near and dwell within us, an act that flows naturally from His favor. This theme is rooted in Luke 1:30–33, where the angel Gabriel tells Mary that her favor with God will lead to the ultimate act of divine filling: she will conceive and give birth to the Son of God.

Favor Leads to Filling: Mary’s Story

Metz directs the congregation to Gabriel’s words to Mary, emphasizing how God’s favor leads to action:
“But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’”

Metz explains the profound connection between favor and filling: God’s favor doesn’t just stop at a declaration—it moves Him to act. For Mary, favor led to the extraordinary act of God dwelling within her through the Incarnation.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God; you will conceive and give birth. God’s desire is to express His favor with His filling.”

This highlights a universal principle: God’s favor leads to His filling. Just as Mary was literally filled with Christ, God expresses His favor toward us by filling us spiritually with His presence through the Holy Spirit.

The Mystery of Divine Filling

Mary’s question, “How will this be?” echoes the wonder and mystery of divine filling. Gabriel’s response underscores that this filling is not humanly achieved but is entirely a work of God:
“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

Metz explains that the mystery of filling is not something we can fully intellectualize or earn but must embrace by faith. Just as Mary was filled with the presence of God, so too are believers filled today through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

“God doesn’t just give favor from a distance—He fills us with His presence, making us His temple.”

This filling is deeply personal and relational. It represents God’s desire to be intimately involved in our lives—not just in major decisions or spiritual milestones but in the day-to-day details of our existence.

God’s Favor Expressed Through Filling

Metz articulates a transformative truth: God’s ultimate expression of favor is His filling. This filling is not limited to Mary’s unique experience but is available to all believers through the Holy Spirit. Metz emphasizes:

1. Favor Is About Presence, Not Performance:
   “God’s favor is His desire to be with you and fill you—not because of what you’ve done, but because of who He is.”
2. Mary’s Humble Circumstances Reflect This Truth:
   Despite her poverty, Mary was chosen to carry the Savior, demonstrating that favor transcends worldly success or status.
3. The Filling as Evidence of Favor:
   “The ultimate sign of God’s favor is His filling—first through Mary and now through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.”

The Three Fs: Faith, Favor, and Filling

Metz introduces a powerful framework that ties together the sermon’s themes: Faith, Favor, and Filling. These concepts are interconnected and lead believers deeper into the mystery of God’s grace:

1. Faith:
   Faith is the starting point for embracing God’s favor and filling. It’s not about intellectual understanding but about trusting in God’s promises and posture toward us.
   • “God from transcendence has decided that He likes you and is going to act on that favor by filling you.”
2. Favor:
   Favor is God’s relational posture of love and grace toward us, not something we earn.
   • “Favor is not a commodity—it’s His posture towards you.”
3. Filling:
   God expresses His favor by filling us with His presence, symbolized by Mary’s literal filling with Christ and fulfilled in believers through the Holy Spirit.
   • “How does favor lead to filling? It happens through faith.”

How God Shows Favor

Metz outlines five ways God’s favor manifests in the lives of believers, as seen through Mary’s story:

1. He Sees You as You Are:
   God’s favor begins with His intimate knowledge of us. Just as He saw Mary—an ordinary young woman—He sees and delights in each of us.
   • “God’s favor isn’t tied to wealth, achievements, or social standing. He doesn’t just tolerate you—He delights in you.”
2. He Draws Near to You:
   God’s favor is expressed through His presence. Metz noted that God’s favor was seen in His desire to dwell with His people, whether through the tabernacle, Jesus as Immanuel, or the Holy Spirit in believers today.
   • “God shows His favor by being with you. His presence is His favor.”
3. He Invites You Into His Plan:
   Like Mary, God’s favor often includes a calling to participate in His redemptive work. Each believer has a unique role in His kingdom.
   • “You are special to Him. No one else can fulfill the role He’s given you.”
4. He Sustains You Through Grace:
   Favor doesn’t exempt us from hardship but sustains us through it. Mary’s journey shows that favor is not a shield but a source of strength.
   • “God’s favor gives us grace for the hardest moments, not as a shield but as a sustaining force.”
5. He Blesses You With His Promises:
   Favor comes with the assurance of God’s promises, which provide hope and confidence.
   • “God’s favor isn’t just for the here and now—it’s eternal. His promises assure us of His unchanging love.”

Conclusion: The Incarnation as the Ultimate Filling

Metz ties these themes together with the ultimate expression of favor and filling: the Incarnation. God’s favor caused Him to dwell with us and in us through Christ. This Advent season, believers are reminded that the same God who filled Mary with His presence desires to fill us today with His Spirit.

“God’s favor is not a distant sentiment—it’s His active, loving presence in your life. He favors you, He fills you, and He calls you to walk with Him in faith.”

Mary’s Filling Points to Ours

In this section of the sermon, Nathan Metz bridges Mary’s unique experience of being filled with Jesus to the shared experience of all believers being filled with the Holy Spirit. Using Mary’s story as both a metaphor and theological foundation, Metz emphasizes that God’s favor is expressed in His desire to dwell with and within us.

“He expressed His favor to Mary by filling her with a literal flesh-and-blood child so that He could fill you with the Son of God, calling you a temple.”

This profound truth reveals the purpose of Mary’s miraculous filling: it wasn’t just for her—it was the beginning of God’s plan to fill all of humanity with His presence.

Mary: A Vessel of Favor and Filling

Metz highlights two key aspects of Mary’s story to show how her experience illustrates God’s favor and filling:

1. God’s Favor Toward Mary:
   Gabriel’s words to Mary, “You have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30), reflect a foundational truth about divine favor: it is not earned or achieved but freely given as a gift of grace. Metz explains:
   • The Filling of Christ: Mary was literally filled with the Son of God—a miraculous act that symbolizes God’s ultimate desire to fill His people with His Spirit.
   • Purpose Beyond Herself: Mary’s filling wasn’t just for her. Metz elaborates, “Mary’s filling wasn’t just for her. It was part of God’s plan to bring salvation and life to the world.”
2. A Model for Us:
   Mary’s story also serves as an example for believers today. She responded to God’s favor with faith and surrender, saying, “I am the Lord’s servant… May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).
   • Like Mary, we are called to be vessels of God’s favor, filled with His Spirit so that His grace and love can flow through us to others.
   • Metz emphasizes, “God’s favor is His posture toward us—His desire to dwell with us and within us.”

The Expression of Favor: Filling

Metz explains that the primary way God expresses His favor is through His filling. Just as Mary was filled with Christ, believers are filled with the Holy Spirit. Metz declares:

“God favored Mary by filling her with His Son. He favors you by calling you His temple and filling you with His Spirit.”

To illustrate this divine involvement, Metz uses a lighthearted and relatable analogy:
“Imagine an employee not only helping you pick out a product but also driving to your house to install it. Then, they stick around to help you use it, maintain it, and troubleshoot any problems. That’s how absurd—and beautiful—God’s filling is. He doesn’t just show up for the big moments; He’s present for every detail of your life.”

This humorous illustration captures the extraordinary nature of God’s presence. His favor isn’t distant or detached—it’s deeply personal, active, and ongoing.

Metz adds, “By filling Mary with Christ physically, God elevated humanity. By filling us with His Spirit, He transforms our identity and purpose. His favor makes us more treasured, more complete, and more like Him.”

The Mystery of the Incarnation

Metz ties the theme of filling to the mystery of the Incarnation, God’s ultimate act of drawing near to humanity. He acknowledges that this mystery is beyond full human comprehension but invites the congregation to embrace it by faith:

• “We don’t know, and we can’t know!” Metz exclaimed, underscoring the theological depth of God becoming human.
• Quoting Athanasius of Alexandria, Metz provides a profound insight:
  “He became what we are so that we might become what He is.”

This truth, Metz explains, reflects the transformative nature of the Incarnation. The filling of Christ in Mary points to the filling of Christ in all believers—a truth expressed in Colossians 1:27:
“The glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

The Incarnation: God’s Desire to Fill

Metz highlights three key aspects of the Incarnation to show how it reflects God’s favor and desire to fill His people:

1. God’s Decision to Enter Humanity:
   The Incarnation begins with a series of deliberate decisions by Jesus to favor humanity:
   • From taking on human flesh to enduring the cross, every step reflects God’s desire to dwell with His people.
   • Metz remarks, “The Incarnation shows us that God’s favor is rooted in His desire to be with us—not out of obligation, but out of love.”
2. A Mystery Beyond Comprehension:
   Metz acknowledges the theological depth of the Incarnation, describing it as one of the two great mysteries of theology (the other being the Trinity).
   • “We don’t know how it works—it’s a mystery!” he said, inviting the congregation to approach this truth with awe rather than intellectual mastery.
3. God’s Favor and Presence:
   The Incarnation reveals God’s ultimate posture of favor: His desire to be present with us and within us. Metz emphasizes:
   • “Christ in you—the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
   • Just as Mary was filled with Christ, believers today are filled with the Holy Spirit, transforming their identity and purpose.

Athanasius and the Theology of Filling

Metz draws on the wisdom of Athanasius of Alexandria to articulate the connection between favor, filling, and transformation:
“He became what we are so that we might become what He is.”

This quote anchors the sermon’s message that the Incarnation is both the ultimate expression of God’s favor and the means by which we are filled with His presence. Metz explains:

• “God didn’t just favor Mary—He favors all of us by sending His Son to dwell with us and within us.”
• This filling transforms believers into vessels of God’s grace, called to reflect His presence in the world.

Conclusion: The Filling that Transforms

Metz concludes by emphasizing the transformative power of God’s filling:

• “God’s favor isn’t something you earn—it’s something you receive. And when He fills you, it changes everything. His favor makes you more treasured, more complete, and more like Him.”

Mary’s filling with Christ points to the broader Christian reality: God’s favor leads to His filling, and His filling leads to transformation. This Advent season, believers are invited to respond like Mary—with faith, surrender, and a willingness to be vessels of God’s grace in the world.

The Transforming Power of God’s Filling

Metz reflects on the transformative nature of being filled with God’s presence. Drawing from the writings of Athanasius, an early Church Father, he uses an analogy to show how God’s filling elevates humanity:

“Athanasius said, you know how it is when some great king enters a large city and dwells in one of its houses. Because of his dwelling in that single house, the whole city is honored.”

Metz explains that in the same way, God’s dwelling within us elevates and honors all of humanity. The Incarnation—the event of God becoming human in the person of Jesus—didn’t just favor Mary; it elevated the entire human experience:

“God’s dwelling in you elevates what it is to be human. God’s becoming a human, God’s Christmas made humanity more valuable, more treasured because he took our shape.”

This theological reflection emphasizes the cosmic significance of God’s favor and filling. Through the Incarnation, God has not only entered into the human story but has elevated humanity itself, making it more precious and honored by His presence.

Jesus: The One Who Fills All

Metz connected Mary’s filling with the larger reality of Christ’s mission. “The child Mary carried became the one who fills all of creation,” he said, emphasizing the transformative power of Jesus’ incarnation.

1. The Filling of Humanity
   • Ephesians 3:19: “That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
   • John 1:16: “From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”
     Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for humanity to be filled with God’s Spirit, transforming us into His likeness.
2. Athanasius’ Insight
   Metz referenced the early church father Athanasius, who wrote in On the Incarnation:
   “He became what we are so that we might become what He is.”
   This captures the heart of the incarnation: God’s favor is not only about dwelling with us but about filling us with His divine life, making us participants in His redemptive work.

The Favor of Christmas

Metz concludes this section by tying the filling of Mary to the broader message of Christmas. The favor shown to Mary is not isolated; it is a symbol of how God expresses His favor to all humanity. By becoming flesh, God chose to dwell among us and within us, elevating the value of human life and restoring the relationship between humanity and God:

“That’s how he favored us.”

This powerful conclusion reminds the audience that favor isn’t merely a passive state but an active, transformative reality. God’s favor leads to filling, and that filling changes everything—our identity, our worth, and our relationship with Him.

The Call to Be Filled

In closing, Metz posed a question: “How is God inviting you to be filled today?” He encouraged the congregation to see God’s favor as an ongoing invitation to experience His presence and purpose.

• John 14:16-17: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth… He lives with you and will be in you.”
• A Life Transformed: “Mary’s filling changed the world. Imagine what God can do through you when you allow Him to fill you with His Spirit.”

Metz concluded, “God’s favor is not just about being with you—it’s about being in you. This Advent season, may you prepare your heart to be filled with His peace, joy, and grace, just as Mary did.”

The Lowe’s Employee Illustration: A Picture of Involvement

Nathan Metz used a humorous and exaggerated story about a trip to Lowe’s to illustrate the extraordinary depth of God’s involvement in our lives. At first glance, the scenario was relatable—an employee offering assistance at the store. Metz described browsing the shelves, trying to figure out what he needed, when an employee stepped in to help:

“I was at Lowe’s, and I was shopping, looking at the shelf. Many of you have been in the same situation. I got these things I think that I’ve got it planned out in my head, and one of the employees comes up to help me. ‘What are you looking for? What are you doing?’ I explain, ‘Okay, you’re going to want one of these. Let me help you get that into the cart.’ So he helps me, gets it down into the cart, and helps me push it up to the front.”

The situation quickly escalates into absurdity as Metz imagines the Lowe’s employee going far beyond what anyone would expect. Not only does the employee help load the item into the cart, but he also offers to go the extra mile: loading the item into Metz’s car, driving him home, installing the product, and even staying to teach him how to use it:

“He walks me out to my car, helps me get it up into the car, and he said, ‘By the way, this is a little challenging to install in your home. Let me go to your house if that’s okay, and I’m going to help you install it.’ So he gets in the driver’s seat, and I got in the passenger seat and told him where I lived. He drove; we got there; he helps me bring it into the house and helps me to install it.”

The humor reaches its peak as the employee’s dedication becomes comically excessive, offering to stick around for ongoing support and maintenance:

“And then he said, ‘By the way, using this actually is pretty complicated too. Let me sit with you here for a little while. We’re going to read the instruction manual; I want to make sure you’re completely comfortable using this product.’ And so, once he had done that, he said, ‘Over time, there’s going to be maintenance, there’s going to be upkeep, there’s going to be things that change, and I want for you to feel complete comfort and mastery over using this product. I’m just going to hang around here to help you out.’”

Finally, Metz delivers the punchline, acknowledging the obvious:

“That never happened.”

Illustration of God’s Involvement

The purpose of this playful illustration becomes clear as Metz transitions to the profound truth it conveys:

“That makes more sense than God filling you.”

In other words, the level of care and involvement imagined in the story pales in comparison to how deeply God invests Himself in our lives. Unlike the fictional Lowe’s employee, God’s care is real, personal, and constant. Metz uses this exaggerated scenario to highlight the radical nature of God’s favor and the way He expresses it through His filling.

God’s Astonishingly Personal Care

Metz drew several key insights from this story, emphasizing how God’s favor is not distant or passive but deeply relational:

1. God’s Favor and Involvement:
   Unlike a store employee who helps out momentarily, God’s involvement is intimate and ongoing. Metz explained:
   • God doesn’t just show up for the “big moments” in our lives—He is present for everything, from mundane decisions to life’s turning points.
   • This level of involvement demonstrates the depth of His favor, which is not transactional or temporary but rooted in His desire to dwell with us and within us.
2. God in the Everyday:
   Metz reminded the congregation that God’s presence is not confined to monumental or spiritual events. He is active even in the seemingly ordinary aspects of life:
   • “From ‘I hope I have a good day today’ to ‘What do I do at this turning point?’ God is there, filling us with His Spirit and walking with us.”
3. The Miracle of God’s Filling:
   Metz emphasized the extraordinary nature of God’s filling:
   • The Creator of the universe doesn’t just favor us from a distance—He chooses to dwell in us, guiding us in both the grand and the ordinary moments of life.
   • “God doesn’t just tolerate us. He delights in being with us and filling us with His Spirit.”

Favor Expressed in Filling

This lighthearted yet profound illustration reinforced Metz’s earlier teaching that God’s favor leads to His filling. Just as Mary was filled with Christ physically, we are filled spiritually through the Holy Spirit. Metz concluded:

“God’s favor is not something He gives sparingly or reluctantly. It’s a reflection of His posture toward us, expressed through His constant, intimate presence. He fills us—not because He has to, but because He wants to.”

This illustration resonated with the congregation, reminding them of the astonishing truth that God’s favor is not distant or abstract but active, relational, and deeply personal. The exaggerated commitment of the fictional Lowe’s employee served to highlight the unparalleled depth of God’s involvement in our lives—a commitment that far surpasses human understanding and points to His boundless grace.

The Surprising Reality of God’s Involvement

After delivering the humorous and exaggerated Lowe’s employee illustration, Nathan Metz pivoted to a profound theological truth: the depth of God’s involvement in our lives surpasses even the most absurd levels of personal care and attention imagined in the story. He made this surprising comparison clear:

“That makes more sense than God filling you. That the God who created everything would favor you so much to be that involved in your life, as to fill you.”

Metz emphasized that the Creator of the universe doesn’t merely assist from a distance or step in for monumental moments; He enters into every detail of our lives with extraordinary personal care. This radical truth reframes God’s favor as relational, intimate, and ever-present, challenging the audience to marvel at the astonishing extent of His involvement:

“As to be present in every moment—not just the moments of great consequence, not just your giant decisions, but the minutia. Available not only for, ‘What do I do at this pinnacle or at this turning point?’ but even, ‘I hope I have a good day today.’”

This reflection tied the humor and relatability of the illustration to the reality of God’s astonishing favor. While no human helper would commit to such an extreme level of care, God does so willingly, out of His love and grace for His people.

The Mindset and Humility of Jesus

Metz transitioned from this reflection on God’s favor to Philippians 2:5–9, where Paul describes the humility of Christ. Metz used this passage to explore the mindset behind God’s willingness to engage so deeply with humanity:

1. Jesus Came Because He Wanted To
Metz stressed that Jesus’ incarnation was not an act of reluctant duty. Instead, it was a decision rooted in love and a deep desire to save and restore humanity. Jesus didn’t come because He had to—He came because He wanted to.

2. Jesus’ Humility Leads to Our Filling
Jesus’ ultimate act of humility—emptying Himself to take on the form of a servant—paved the way for believers to be filled with His Spirit. This filling, Metz explained, is God’s way of expressing His favor, sustaining and transforming us.

The Nine Decisions of Jesus: Favor Expressed Through Humility

To further illuminate Philippians 2, Metz identified nine deliberate decisions Jesus made during the Incarnation that demonstrate His humility, obedience, and love:

1. “Did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage” (Philippians 2:6):
   Jesus willingly set aside His divine privileges, refusing to use them for personal gain.
2. “Made Himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7):
   He emptied Himself of His heavenly glory, stepping into the limitations of human life.
3. “Taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7):
   Jesus embraced servanthood as His true nature, living to serve rather than to be served.
4. “Being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:7):
   The Creator chose to become like His creation, experiencing human vulnerability and frailty.
5. “Being found in appearance as a man” (Philippians 2:8):
   Jesus fully entered into the human condition, walking among us not as an observer but as one of us.
6. “Humbled Himself” (Philippians 2:8):
   Jesus made the intentional choice to lower Himself for the sake of humanity, demonstrating profound humility.
7. “Becoming obedient to death” (Philippians 2:8):
   His obedience to God’s redemptive plan extended to the ultimate sacrifice: giving His life.
8. “Even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8):
   Jesus endured the most shameful and excruciating death of His time, bearing the weight of humanity’s sin.
9. The Summation of These Acts:
   Each decision reflects Jesus’ unwavering commitment to redeeming humanity, showing that divine favor is marked by humility, love, and self-sacrifice.

Isaiah 53: The Suffering Servant

Metz tied these decisions of Jesus to Isaiah 53, particularly verse 10:

“It was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.”

This passage illustrates the depth of God’s favor expressed through the suffering of Jesus. Metz explained that God’s pleasure in this act wasn’t in the suffering itself but in the outcome—humanity’s salvation and reconciliation:

1. God’s Favor Through Suffering:
God’s willingness to act through Jesus’ suffering reflects His joyful determination to help humanity. Metz said, “God was pleased to help us by allowing Jesus to bear our sins. His favor wasn’t about sparing Himself—it was about saving us.”

2. God’s Delight in Redemption:
Metz reframed Isaiah 53:10 as a testament to God’s love, highlighting that His willingness to act was rooted in favor and grace, not obligation.

The Depth of God’s Favor

Metz concluded by reflecting on the depth of God’s favor as revealed through Jesus’ humility and sacrifice:

1. Favor in Humility:
   Jesus’ choices reveal a God who humbles Himself to meet us where we are, inviting us into a relationship defined by love and grace.
2. Favor in Action:
   God’s favor is not passive. Through Jesus, God actively engages in the redemption of humanity, stepping into our brokenness to bring healing and hope.
3. Favor in Sacrifice:
   The cross is the ultimate expression of God’s favor, showing that His love is costly but unwavering. It’s not about avoiding hardship but enduring it for the sake of relationship and restoration.

Metz’s teaching on the surprising reality of God’s involvement reminded the congregation that God’s favor is not distant or abstract. It’s expressed through His willingness to fill, sustain, and redeem us—actions rooted in humility, sacrifice, and boundless love. The Lowe’s employee illustration, coupled with the profound truths of Philippians 2 and Isaiah 53, invited the audience to marvel at the lengths God goes to demonstrate His favor and to embrace His presence in every moment of life.

The Filling Presence of God

Nathan Metz concludes this section by drawing together the threads of his message: God’s favor is most profoundly expressed through His filling presence. Unlike human relationships or worldly notions of help, God does not offer guidance or assistance from a distance. Instead, He chooses to dwell intimately within us, walking with us in every moment of life, no matter how big or small. Metz encapsulates this truth with a simple yet powerful statement:

“He fills you, and He’s present.”

This statement underscores the deeply relational and constant nature of God’s favor. It is not transactional or limited to particular moments of spiritual or worldly significance—it is all-encompassing, extending to the minutiae of daily life. God’s involvement is not only for the monumental turning points, but also for the everyday details, such as “I hope I have a good day today.” This idea reveals the personal nature of divine favor, which is expressed not only in grand gestures but also in the quiet moments of life.

The Ultimate Sacrificial Love: John 15:13

To illustrate the depth of God’s favor and filling, Metz connects the sermon to John 15:13:
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

This verse reflects the essence of Jesus’ mission and the ultimate expression of God’s favor: sacrificial love. Metz unpacks the significance of this sacrificial act and ties it directly to the themes of favor, humility, and divine involvement.

1. God’s Favor Is Rooted in Love, Not Obligation
Metz emphasizes that Jesus’ decision to lay down His life for humanity wasn’t motivated by obligation or duty but by deep, abiding love. His sacrifice was an act of joyful and purposeful giving:
“He doesn’t act begrudgingly; He was pleased to help us.”
This ties back to the earlier connection with Isaiah 53:10, which states, “It was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.” Metz explains that this pleasure wasn’t in the suffering itself but in the redemption it accomplished.

2. Jesus Calls Us Friends
Metz draws attention to Jesus’ words in John 15:15:
“I no longer call you servants… Instead, I have called you friends.”
This intimate language underscores the relational closeness Jesus offers to us. By calling us His friends, Jesus highlights the deeply personal nature of His love and sacrifice. This sacrificial act is not abstract or distant—it is personal, intimate, and relational.

The Incarnation: The First Act of Sacrificial Love

Metz ties the themes of filling and favor to the Advent story, inviting the congregation to reflect on how Jesus’ incarnation was the first act of His sacrificial love:

1. Jesus’ Birth: A Willing Act of Humility
Jesus’ coming to earth was not something He was forced to do—it was His deliberate choice to step into human frailty and brokenness so that He could draw near to us. As Philippians 2:7 describes, “He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.” This willingness to enter into our humanity reflects God’s favor expressed through humility and filling.

2. God’s Favor in Suffering
Metz reminds the audience that God’s favor does not exempt us from hardship but assures us of His presence and purpose even in the midst of it. Jesus’ life, beginning with His birth and culminating in His death, reflects this truth. As Metz said earlier in the sermon, “God’s favor strengthens us through hardship—it doesn’t shield us from it.”

Application: Living in God’s Favor and Filling

Metz challenges the congregation to reflect on how God’s favor and filling shape their daily lives, encouraging them to embrace the following truths:

1. Receiving Favor as a Gift
Trust that God’s favor is not something you earn or perform for—it is a gift. His actions toward you are motivated by love, not obligation. This understanding frees believers to live in the assurance of God’s constant presence and grace.

2. Living Out Sacrificial Love
Metz calls the congregation to reflect Jesus’ love by serving others selflessly. Sacrificial love is not only about grand gestures but also about daily acts of kindness, forgiveness, and generosity. This mirrors the relational and filling nature of God’s favor, which is expressed in both the profound and the everyday.

3. Trusting God’s Filling in Every Moment
God’s favor is not distant or abstract—it is expressed through His filling presence in our lives. Metz urges the congregation to rely on this truth in every moment, whether they are facing life-changing decisions or simply navigating the small details of daily life.

The Depth of God’s Favor

Metz concludes by reminding the audience that the filling presence of God is the ultimate expression of His favor. Through Jesus’ humility, sacrifice, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, God chooses to dwell within us—not because He has to, but because He wants to. This profound truth invites believers to live in gratitude, trust, and joy, knowing that God’s favor and presence are constant and unchanging.

This message ties back to the Advent theme of God drawing near to humanity through the birth of Christ. As we reflect on the miracle of the incarnation, we are reminded that God’s favor isn’t reserved for the extraordinary—it is present in every detail of our lives, transforming us into vessels of His love and grace.

The Question of God’s Heart: Does He Want to Favor Us?

Metz opens the closing reflection by addressing a profound question that many people wrestle with, even if they don’t say it aloud: Does God truly want to favor us? Is His love and grace given out of delight or mere obligation? He raises this question with clarity:

 “But does he want to? What’s his demeanor? You know, is he only doing this because he has to?”

He explores the doubts that often creep into our minds, particularly when we feel the weight of sin and unworthiness, leading us to believe that God’s favor might be reluctant or conditional:

 “If he knew what I’d done, he knows what I’ve done. He’s doing this because he has to. He doesn’t want to.”

This question cuts to the heart of how many people misunderstand God’s character. It sets the stage for Metz to dismantle the lies of shame and fear that distort our relationship with God. He expands on this thought, pointing out the false narrative many hold:

 “We know God loves us, but do we think He likes us? There’s this creeping thought that maybe God’s love is a duty and not a delight.”

Metz then reassures the congregation of the truth about God’s character: 

“But that’s not true. God’s love and favor are not forced. They’re born out of His very nature—His goodness, His delight in us, not our deserving.” 

He challenges the lies of shame and fear, encouraging believers to see His favor as an intentional and joyful expression of His heart. This shift in perspective invites the congregation to trust in God’s genuine delight and love, even in the face of their perceived unworthiness.

Satan, Shame, and Sermons: Distorting God’s Favor

Nathan Metz identifies three culprits that often distort our understanding of God’s favor: Satan, shame, and even well-intentioned sermons. Each plays a role in misrepresenting God’s love, leading believers to feel like obligations rather than delights.

1. Satan’s Lies: Eroding Trust in God’s Love

Metz begins by explaining how Satan actively seeks to twist our perception of God’s favor. Instead of seeing God as a loving Father who delights in His children, Satan whispers lies that portray God as a distant taskmaster or a begrudging deity:
“Satan does not want you to feel that God likes you; he wants you to feel like an obligation, like you screwed this up, and you owe Him, and you’re going to spend your whole life making up that lost ground.”

These lies take root in our hearts, replacing grace with guilt and creating a warped image of God:

• God Acts Out of Obligation: Satan convinces us that God tolerates us rather than treasures us. Phrases like, “Look what you made Him do,” echo in our minds, turning God’s sacrifice into a source of guilt rather than love.
• You’re Beyond God’s Favor: Another of Satan’s lies suggests that we’ve sinned too much to ever be truly favored by God. This leads to feelings of rejection and insecurity, making God seem distant or begrudging.

Metz points out that these deceptions are not only damaging but entirely unbiblical:
“That’s Satan language, but it becomes shame.”

2. Shame: Turning Guilt Into Identity

While guilt focuses on actions (“I did wrong”), shame twists our mistakes into identity statements (“I am wrong”). Metz elaborates on how shame distorts our understanding of ourselves and of God’s favor:
“It’s not that I did wrong; I am wrong. It’s not that I broke something; I’m broken. It’s not that I did that; I am that.”

Shame creates a powerful barrier to receiving God’s favor, convincing us that we are fundamentally flawed and unworthy of love. Instead of approaching God as beloved children, shame drives us into a posture of fear, insecurity, and distance.

3. Sermons: When Good Intentions Go Wrong

Metz acknowledges that some sermons and religious teachings, though well-meaning, have unintentionally reinforced shame and distorted the Gospel message:
“Unfortunately, you may have been in places where sermons, Satan, shame, and sermons have reiterated this and baked it in that your relationship before God makes you like a worm.”

In an effort to emphasize human sinfulness, some preachers have left listeners feeling crushed and unworthy, rather than loved and redeemed. Metz laments this approach, pointing out that it can lead people to believe that their relationship with God is defined solely by failure and obligation.

Overcoming Barriers to Favor

Metz offers a path forward, inviting the congregation to reject these distortions and embrace the truth of God’s favor:

The Truth: God’s Favor is Rooted in Joy

Satan’s lies and shame’s accusations are directly countered by the biblical truth of God’s favor:

• God’s Favor is Joyful, Not Obligatory: Metz references Isaiah 53:10, which says, “It was the Lord’s will to crush Him.” Metz explains that God wasn’t pleased in causing suffering but in the outcome—our redemption. This shows that God’s favor is not reluctant but an act of love:
  “The Lord was pleased to crush Him—not out of cruelty, but because it pleased Him to help you.”
• God Delights in Us: Quoting Psalm 147:11, Metz reminds the congregation that God’s favor flows from His joy:
  “The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.”

Favor Reflects God’s Nature, Not Our Actions

Metz stresses that God’s favor isn’t transactional or performance-based—it’s a reflection of His unchanging character:

• God Doesn’t Tolerate Us—He Enjoys Us: Metz reassures the audience that God’s favor is not grudging or conditional. He cherishes and enjoys His people, even in their imperfections.
• The Incarnation as the Ultimate Proof of Favor: Metz points to Philippians 2, where Paul describes Jesus’ humility and willingness to take on human form. Every step of the Incarnation was a decision of favor:
  “Jesus didn’t cling to equality with God but humbled Himself, taking on human likeness. Every step of the Incarnation was a decision of favor—He wanted to do it.”

4. Breaking Free from Shame

Metz challenges the congregation to confront shame and replace its lies with the truth of God’s favor:

• Reject the Lie That You’re Broken Beyond Repair: Metz invites believers to see themselves through God’s eyes—not as broken failures but as beloved children redeemed by grace.
• Trust in God’s Delight: He urges the audience to embrace the reality that God doesn’t just love them—He likes them. This shift in perspective transforms our relationship with God from one of fear to one of joy and trust.

5. God’s Favor Through Sacrifice

Metz ties these truths back to the humility and love of Jesus, citing Isaiah 53:10:
“It pleased the Lord to crush Him”—not because of cruelty, but because it pleased Him to help you.”
This reminds us that God’s favor is deeply personal, rooted in love, and demonstrated in His willingness to sacrifice for our redemption.

Closing Thought: Favor Is a Gift to Embrace

Metz concludes this section by reframing God’s favor as a gift that cannot be earned or lost. By rejecting Satan’s lies, shame’s accusations, and distorted theology, believers are invited to rest in the truth of God’s joyful love:
“God’s actions toward you aren’t driven by obligation or reluctance; they flow from His joy and delight in you.”

This truth not only liberates us from the chains of shame but also empowers us to live as people who are deeply loved and cherished by God. In embracing this reality, we find the courage to reject false narratives and step into the fullness of God’s favor.

Rejecting the Lie of Groveling Before God

Nathan Metz boldly confronts a deeply ingrained but harmful misconception about our posture before God: the idea that we must approach Him groveling, burdened by self-loathing, and overwhelmed by shame. While humility is a vital aspect of the Christian faith, Metz warns against a distortion that transforms humility into shameful groveling—a posture rooted in fear rather than trust in God’s love.

Metz critiques this theology of self-abasement, describing how it emphasizes human unworthiness to the point of obscuring God’s grace:
“Come before Him low and groveling. Come before Him low because of everything we’ve done wrong and how great He is.”

This kind of approach reduces our relationship with God to one marked by fear and obligation rather than joy and freedom. Metz contrasts this distortion with the truth of God’s heart—a God who delights in His people, offers favor freely, and desires a relationship of love, not shame.

Overcoming Eternal Insecurity

Metz identifies “eternal insecurity” as a major barrier to experiencing the fullness of God’s favor. This mindset is rooted in the lie that we must constantly strive to earn God’s love or make up for past failures. Satan uses this lie to keep believers trapped in cycles of guilt and performance-based faith, whispering:
“You’re just an obligation to God. Look at what you made Him do. You’ll spend your whole life trying to make up for it.”

1. Recognizing Favor

To overcome this insecurity, Metz challenges the congregation to reflect on how they resist or diminish God’s favor in their own lives:
“Do you truly believe that God likes you? That He favors you—not because of what you’ve done, but because of who He is?”

2. Resting in His Delight

Metz points to Mary’s response to God’s favor as a model for us. When the angel Gabriel announced that she was “highly favored,” Mary responded not with shame or insecurity but with humble surrender:
“Mary didn’t overthink it. She said, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May it be so.’ Can you trust God enough to say the same?”

This kind of trust invites us to rest in God’s unchanging favor, letting go of performance-based faith and embracing the truth that God’s favor is a gift, not a reward.

Reclaiming the Truth About God’s Favor

Metz reclaims the true nature of God’s favor by emphasizing two key realities:

1. God’s Favor Is Rooted in Delight

Metz highlights that God’s posture toward us is one of joy, not reluctance:

• Philippians 2:6-7 shows Christ’s decisions as rooted in favor:
  “He made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” to express His love for humanity.
• Metz also references Isaiah 53:10, which says, “The Lord was pleased to crush Him”—not out of cruelty, but because it brought Him joy to redeem and restore us. This demonstrates that God’s actions are driven by His deep love and desire to help us, not by a sense of duty or begrudging obligation.

2. God’s Favor Is Relational, Not Transactional

Metz explains that God’s favor reflects His loving posture toward us, not a reward for good behavior or a punishment for bad behavior:
“Favor isn’t something you earn; it’s something you find. It’s His posture of grace and love toward you.”

This understanding frees us from viewing God as a distant judge keeping score and allows us to approach Him as a loving Father who delights in us.

Application: Rejecting Satan’s Lies

Metz provides practical steps for embracing the truth of God’s favor and rejecting the lies of shame and inadequacy:

1. Embrace the Truth of God’s Favor

Metz reminds the congregation that Satan’s lies seek to distort God’s character. Satan wants us to see God as begrudging or aloof, but Scripture paints a very different picture:
“God calls us friends, cherishes us, and delights in us.”

2. Live in the Freedom of Favor

Embracing God’s favor means rejecting shame-based theology and stepping into the fullness of His love. Metz explains that humility and gratitude are appropriate responses to God’s favor, but shame and groveling are not what God desires.

Faith: The Key to Favor

Metz underscores that faith is the key to experiencing God’s favor and filling. He explains that while the mystery of Christ dwelling in us cannot be fully understood, it must be embraced by faith:
“We can’t know how Christ’s filling works—and that’s great! It proves He’s God. It’s a mystery we embrace by faith.”

This faith transforms how we see ourselves and our relationship with God:

• Faith Rejects Shame: Instead of living in fear and insecurity, faith allows us to trust in God’s delight in us.
• Faith Invites Rest: When we understand that God’s favor is unchanging and undeserved, we can stop striving and rest in His grace.

Closing Thought: God’s Favor is Freely Given

Metz ends by reminding the congregation that God’s favor is not something to be earned or achieved—it is a gift to be received. Just as Mary accepted God’s favor with humble trust, we are invited to live in the reality of God’s unchanging posture toward us. Metz challenges the audience to reject shame, Satan’s lies, and distorted theology, and instead embrace the truth of God’s joyful love:

“God doesn’t just love you—He likes you. He favors you. And His favor is not distant or reluctant. It’s constant, personal, and rooted in His delight.”

This truth liberates believers to live as cherished children of God, confident in His favor and sustained by His presence.

Worship as a Response to Favor

Metz reflects on the significance of Mary’s Magnificat, emphasizing that her song of praise arises from the filling and favor she received:
“He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.”

The line, repeated in the closing song, underscores the awe and gratitude that come from recognizing God’s active presence in our lives. For Mary, her worship is deeply personal, rooted in the truth of how God saw her, chose her, and filled her. Metz draws this connection for the congregation, explaining that favor, when fully received, inspires a response of joyful worship:
“Oh my soul, magnify the Lord, my spirit has rejoiced for my God has regarded me.”

This is not just a moment of personal reflection, but a communal act of worship. Together, the congregation joins in Mary’s declaration of God’s greatness, recognizing that His favor extends beyond Mary to all believers through Christ.

Magnifying the Lord: A Response to Favor

The sermon concludes with a powerful moment of worship, anchored in Mary’s Magnificat from Luke 1:46–55, her song of praise in response to God’s favor:

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Nathan Metz uses this closing moment to highlight the appropriate response to God’s favor: praise, gratitude, and magnification of His greatness. Just as Mary’s song flows naturally from her recognition of God’s mighty works in her life, the congregation is invited to join in worship and make Mary’s response their own.

Living a Life That Magnifies the Lord

Metz challenges the congregation to see worship as more than just a song—it is a way of life. Just as Mary magnified the Lord with her voice and her life, we too are called to reflect God’s favor in everything we do. Metz encourages believers to let the truth of God’s favor shape their actions, decisions, and relationships:

• Magnify Him With Your Voice: Lift up praise to God with gratitude for His unchanging favor.
• Magnify Him With Your Life: Live in such a way that your actions reflect His love and grace to others.

Metz offers practical applications to help believers embody this response:

• Worship like you’re favored: Let your praise be joyful and full, rooted in the confidence of being loved by God.
• Take risks like you’re favored: Step out in faith, knowing God’s favor goes with you.
• Interact with others like you’re favored: Extend God’s grace and kindness to others as a reflection of the favor you’ve received.
• Sing, pray, and live with a posture that reflects God’s delight in you: Let your life be a daily Magnificat, magnifying God in every situation.

The Song: “Magnify the Lord”

The sermon transitions into a time of corporate worship with the song “Magnify the Lord.” This moment invites the congregation to join Mary’s song of praise and make it their own:
“Oh my soul, magnify the Lord, my spirit has rejoiced for my God has regarded me.”

This simple yet profound declaration echoes Mary’s gratitude and joy, reminding believers that God’s favor is personal and transformative. The lyrics further draw attention to God’s mighty works:

“He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.”

Metz emphasizes that this moment of worship isn’t just about singing—it’s about recognizing and responding to the reality of God’s favor. Like Mary, we are invited to respond with humility, gratitude, and awe, magnifying the Lord for all He has done.

Closing Reflection

As the congregation sings, Metz leaves them with this final challenge:
“How will you magnify the Lord this week? Not just with your voice but with your life? Will you live as someone who is favored, chosen, and filled by God?”

Mary’s Magnificat serves as a model for how we should respond to God’s favor: with joyful surrender, humble gratitude, and a life that reflects His greatness. Through worship and daily living, we are called to magnify the Lord, celebrating His mighty works and sharing His love with the world.

This closing moment encapsulates the heart of the sermon, tying together the themes of favor, filling, and faith. It’s an invitation for every believer to live into the reality of God’s favor, trusting that, like Mary, we are seen, chosen, and deeply loved by God.

A Call to Live in Favor and Filling

As the service comes to a close, Nathan Metz offers a powerful reflection and commissioning, tying together the central themes of the sermon. He emphasizes that God’s favor is not a commodity to be earned but a gift to be received, and the filling of His presence equips believers to live purposefully for Him.

Metz begins by reminding the congregation of the communal and missional aspect of favor. God’s filling is not just for personal comfort but for the sake of others:
“Church, may we go from this place as people who feel the filling of favor that God has placed upon us so that the world might know Him who loves them so deeply.”

This statement encapsulates the heart of the message: favor is a gift that transforms us and calls us to be vessels of God’s love and grace in the world.

Living Out God’s Favor

Metz challenges the congregation to adopt a mindset shaped by God’s favor and Christ’s humility, applying what they have learned in their daily lives. He highlights three key responses to favor:

1. Recognize the Cost of Favor
   God’s favor often calls us to humility and service, rather than comfort or privilege. Metz points to Jesus’ example in Philippians 2:5–8, where Christ “made Himself nothing” and became obedient to death on a cross.
   • Mary’s Example: Just as Mary humbly accepted her calling to bear the Son of God, believers are invited to step into their own God-given roles, even when it involves sacrifice.
   • The Call to Action: Metz explains, “Favor is not about what makes us comfortable; it’s about what makes God’s love known.”
2. Reflect God’s Favor to Others
   God’s favor is not meant to be hoarded but shared. Mary’s filling served the greater purpose of salvation, and believers are called to reflect that favor through love and service:
   • Practical Application: Metz encourages acts of kindness, showing grace in difficult relationships, and living in a way that points others to God.
   • Challenge: “Treat others like they’re favored—because they are. Let your life reflect the grace you’ve received.”
3. Trust God’s Plan
   Mary’s response to Gabriel, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38), reflects a posture of trust and surrender. Metz invites the congregation to emulate her faith:
   • Faith Over Fear: “Favor means trusting that God knows what’s best, even when we can’t see the whole picture.”
   • Application: Trust God’s purposes, especially in moments of uncertainty or challenge, believing that His favor sustains us.

Application: Embracing the Mindset of Christ

Metz provides a practical framework for living in the reality of God’s favor and filling:

Step 1: Begin by Being Liked

Metz encourages the congregation to embrace the truth that God doesn’t just love them—He likes them:

• “God likes your personality, your quirks, even the ways you trip sometimes. He delights in who you are.”
• He invites believers to sit with this truth each day, letting it reshape how they view themselves and their relationship with God.

Step 2: Magnify Him With Your Life

Once believers embrace God’s favor, the natural response is to magnify Him in all they do:

• Pray and Read Scripture Like You Are Favored: Approach the Bible as a love letter, expecting to encounter God’s delight.
• Take Risks as You Are Favored: Live boldly, trusting in God’s sovereignty.
• Treat Others as Favored: Extend the grace you’ve received by showing unconditional love to others.

Metz summarizes this call with a challenge:
“Live like you’re favored. Worship like you’re favored. Treat others like they’re favored too.”

Faith in Action: Mary’s Example

Mary’s response to God’s favor—“May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38)—serves as a model for how believers are called to live. Metz ties together the themes of faith, favor, and filling:

• Faith as the Gateway to Favor: Trust in God’s love opens the door to experiencing His favor and presence.
• Favor as a Gift, Not a Reward: God’s favor is unearned, rooted in His character, and freely given.
• Filling for a Purpose: God fills His people with His Spirit so they can reflect His love to the world.

Metz concludes with a challenge:
“How will you magnify the Lord this week—not just with your voice but with your life? Will you live as someone who is favored, chosen, and filled by God?”

The Sending: A People of Favor

The service concludes with a powerful act of worship, as the congregation sings “Oh my soul, magnify the Lord; my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” This communal moment reflects Mary’s Magnificat and ties the message of favor to a life of worship and mission.

Magnifying the Lord in Song and Life

Metz reminds the congregation that worship is not confined to singing—it is a way of life:

• Magnify Him Through Worship: Celebrate His greatness with gratitude and joy.
• Magnify Him Through Action: Let your actions reflect God’s favor and grace.
• Magnify Him Through Faith: Live boldly, trusting in God’s promises.

Metz ties this back to Mary’s story:
“Worship like you’re favored. Live like you’re favored. Treat others like they’re favored too.”

Reflection and Commissioning

Metz leaves the congregation with questions to carry into their week:

1. How does embracing the truth that God likes you change how you view your relationship with Him?
2. What risks might you take, knowing you are favored?
3. How can you reflect God’s favor to those around you?

He concludes with a simple but profound charge:
“Church, may we go from this place as people who feel the filling of favor that God has placed upon us so that the world might know Him who loves them so deeply. You are sent.”

This final blessing ties together the themes of the sermon—favor, filling, and mission—and commissions the congregation to live as vessels of God’s love, magnifying Him in all they do.

Final Thought: Living as People of Favor

As the congregation is sent out, Metz’s message lingers: God’s favor is not just a theological concept—it is a lived reality that transforms our identity, relationships, and purpose. This Advent season, may believers rest in God’s favor, reflect His love, and magnify Him with their lives, just as Mary did in her song of praise.

About Nathan Metz

Current Positions:

• Director of Chaplaincy and Leadership Development at TLC Management
• Adjunct Professor at Wesley Seminary

Education:

• Studied at Wesley Seminary

Social Media Profile:

• Facebook: NathanandJade Metz