When Character Leads, Favor Follows | Character Killers | Chad Veach

0:00 Hey, what's going on, everybody? Welcome to Zoe Church Podcast, where every week we put out a message of hope and life. Today, we are in part four of a series that we've been in called Character Killers, The Cost of Compromise. And we're going to jump in in just a moment. But here in L.A., it is the first Sunday of the month of April, and we are celebrating all of the tithers of our church. If you're a part of our community, but not here in Los Angeles, we want to say thank you for your generosity. If you've yet to begin your worship in the area of tithes and offerings, I want to encourage you to go to our website and you can give there. But before we do anything else, let's pray over every giver. God, thank you for those that are given today. Bless them beyond their wildest imagination. Thank you for an open heaven and an open window over their life.

0:56 In Jesus' name. All right, let's jump into this week's message called, When Character Leads, Favor Follows. Amen. Go to Daniel. Go to Daniel chapter number one. Go there in your Bible. We are in part four of a new series that we're in, and it's called Character Killers, The Cost of Compromise. And we've been talking together for the last few weeks about really the importance of having good character, the importance of having godly character in our life. And I've been using this line. If you're new to church, listen to this one. This is what I so believe about God. This line just fits with God. God is more concerned with your character than your comfort because your character is attached to your destiny. I just believe in that, that God is trying to mold you and shape you and develop you because he has a plan for you. So he doesn't work on your character to see what's going to happen. He knows the plan he has for you. So he develops your character. Now, you're concerned with your comfort, but God is concerned with your character. You're looking for the easy way out or the easy way down. God's looking to develop you because he has a vision or a dream for you. Anybody thankful today that God's got a plan for your life? Come on, give them a clap of thanksgiving today. God's got a plan for my life. God's got a plan for the Lakers in Jesus' name. God's got a plan for the Dodgers. All we do is win, win, win, no matter what.

2:38 I feel good. I said it last week, but God is less concerned with what you're doing, and he's more concerned with who you're becoming. Who you're becoming trumps what you are currently doing. But I would not minimize what you're doing. I believe God is using what you're doing right now. He's using that to develop who you're becoming. And I love this about character. character, we could really replace it with God's will and God's way. God wants us to walk in his truths, walk in his will, walk in his ways. And this is so important because God has a plan for your life. And I just want to tell you today that as we walk down this path of developing our character, I want you to lean into it, not lean out of it. We're leaning into character and who we could become and what we could become because on the other side of it is blessing. In fact, I want you to write down the title of today. When character leads, favor follows.

3:51 When character leads your life, I want to give you a promise. Favor will follow your life. And I want to tell you, when God's favor is on your life, there's an old saying in church that says, favor ain't what? Favor ain't fair. When you got God's favor, no man can cancel you. When you got God's favor, your business will explode. When you got God's favor, open doors are about to happen. When you got God's favor, he's about to connect you with some people that you should never be connected to. Put you in some rooms. I don't know how I got here. Come on, clap if you want the favor of God on your life. And when character leads you, favor will follow you. It's kind of like God's blessing. God's blessing is on the other side of obedience. When you obey God, his blessing follows you. There's a story that Jesus tells about these 10 lepers, and they look like Clipper fans, the 10 lepers. And these 10 lepers, they come to Jesus, they're like, hey, Sue, you got to heal us, man.

4:47 You got to heal us, Jesus. We got leprosy. Come on, man. And Jesus goes, all right, go show yourself to the priest, and you'll be healed. And the Bible says, as they went, they were healed. In other words, they didn't get healed, and they go show themselves. As they obeyed God, they were blessed. The blessing of God is on the other side. Oh, come on, clap like you understand what I'm trying to tell you today. character leads and favor follows. So if you lean into God's will and God's ways, his favor is going to, kind of like when I walk through the Century City Mall, I am type A. I am a driven, fast-walking man of God.

5:34 And when I walk, I walk on purpose, aka fast. So when I walk through that mall, I got to look back to see where my little kids are. You know what I mean? Because my kids don't walk straight. They walk in zigzags. And I just want to tell you that when you lean into character, the favor of God is going to follow you. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. Amen to that? Look at Daniel chapter one. This is Daniel, a powerful man of God. This is where we get our 21 days of prayer and fasting right here. Daniel chapter one, verse eight. But Daniel resolved. See, in other words, I like that word resolved because you don't fall into character. Character doesn't just happen. You got to make a decision to live in God's path. So Daniel resolved. I'm praying over you today. You get some resolve. In other words, don't live wishy-washy. I wonder if I'm going to go to Coachella. No, no, you got to make, go to Stagecoach.

6:32 Come on, somebody. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. A few people are like, it's right. that's right that's right get your truck we're gonna go down there we're gonna get your dog too God, that was so fun. Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the vino that he drank. Therefore, he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs. Daniel says basically to the chief of the eunuchs, I'm not going to have this wine or this meat that everybody else is having. I'm going to refrain and I'm going to resolve. It wasn't really about the food as much as it's about what the food represented.

7:28 And he makes a decision out of character and fear of God. I'm not going to involve myself in that. And as he made this decision, the favor of God followed his life. In fact, put it on the screen. I love this. Daniel's unshakable character led to supernatural favor. And I'm just encouraging you, you need the favor of God in your home. You need the favor of God on what you're building. Raise your hand if you're a business owner. All the entrepreneurs in the house, look at all these business owners in the house. You need God's favor on your business and your family. And the more you lean into character, the more favor. Come on, clap like you understand. Favor is going to follow it. The problem is that so many of us have been willing to pay the fare and pay the price of compromise, the cost of compromise. Compromise presents itself. It's going to be the thrill of a lifetime. You're finally going to be satisfied. You're going to have the time of your life. But sin costs you more than you ever want to pay and makes you stay longer than you ever want to stay.

8:41 and it promises you something it could never deliver. And it's stuff full of costs. You ever stay at a hotel and you go on the Expedia or some hotel website and you think you're getting a screaming deal? You think you've got a deal of a lifetime. It says $299. That's a good deal nowadays, $299. When I was growing up, we used to stay at the hotel, motel, holiday inn.

9:09 Who feels my pain? $2.99, I still think that's crazy. But you ever stay at a hotel? The worst part of staying at a hotel is checking out. Because when you check out, you look at your invoice, and like, these jokers charge me for everything. I thought the water bottle was free, $79. The chocolate they put on my pillowcase was $7. They charged me to breathe the air in the room. See, compromise tells you it's free, but the cost is crazy. In fact, just put it on the screen, the cost of compromise. Put this up. It costs you resentment and identity and anxiety and reputation, and you get disconnected and erosion. That's the cost of compromise. Oh, this, let me read it. Resentment, if you give up something important to you, you feel bitter and disappointed later. How about your identity? Compromising your values will make you feel like you're losing who you really are.

10:09 Anxiety, conflict between what you want and what you settled for will wear you down. How about your name? Others lose trust in you when they see you're going against your value. Disconnected, when you're not being who you're supposed to be, you grow distant from the people that are around you. Erosion, compromising your morals, chips away at your ability to discern between right and wrong.

10:33 We thought we were just going to have fun. We thought we're just going to go down this path. Everybody else is doing it. We didn't know. There goes my reputation, my identity, my resentment, my erosion. I didn't know it was going to cost me all that. How come somebody hid the fees? See, the enemy's been lying to you that you can do whatever you want, say whatever you want to say, and go wherever you want to go and not pay the consequences for it. I'm thankful today that my Bible says that he will lead me down a path of righteousness for his. Oh, come on, give them a clap of thanksgiving and praise. My God leads me into green pastures and still waters and the right path.

11:13 Don't you go down, compromise. Don't you pay that fare. You've got to see what's in that recipe. You ever go to a smoothie joint and you look at the smoothie menu, you don't understand half the ingredients. Oats tongue? What is an oat tongue? All right. It said everyone is fine. No, you got to say, what is this costing you? Because I know I'm not leaning into compromise. I'm trying to lean into character to become who God has called me to become. And when you do this, I promise you the benefits, the favor that will follow, I'm telling you, I'm going to give you some promises. If you lean into character, write down, here's the first one. Here's the first one today. Write down peace. When you lean into your character, the result of walking in godly character, you are going to have the peace of God on your pillow. Oh, I love this scripture.

12:10 Look here on the screen, Isaiah 26, verse 3. You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast because they trust in you. Look at this next one, Psalm 119. Great peace have those who love your law. Nothing can make them stumble. There is no pillow softer than a clear conscience. Oh, I don't know about you, but I love going to bed at night. Anybody, where are the sleepers at? Anybody good at sleeping? I'm a professional sleeper. And when I say professional, I lay down at night three seconds later.

12:47 He gone. You know why I sleep so good and so fast? My conscience is clear. I lay down at night. Anybody love a good pillow? Ain't no other worst when the wrong pillow's on your bed. You're like, this little thing. Get this little soft. No, uh-uh. This last week I slept wrong. Slept wrong on the wrong pillow. I woke up. I was walking through the airport like this saying just all messed up. My neck might have been messed up, but I'm telling you, when I go to bed, I want to have the peace of God on my pillow. Let me ask you a question today. What's your peace worth? a lot of times we're like i feel like i can kind of like you know mess around a little bit and dab around a little bit and i can compromise a little bit and when i go to bed you know how your mind's racing and thinking about who knows and what if they find out and what if and i'm lord i'm sorry i'm not doing it your way and lord i'd rather go into bed with peace knowing i'm doing it god's way than than trying to beg god please forgive me please help me please rescue me i know i'm in this Jonah whale situation, but Lord, if you get me out this time, I want peace. Anybody else?

14:13 The Bible says the peace of God should rule your heart. It should lead your life. And if you ever hung around Jesus, Jesus was and is a non-anxious presence. If you got around Jesus, you go, this dude is the most chill dude I've ever been around. He carried peace. Why did he carry so much peace? Because he was walking in the will of God for his life. He was obedient to the Father at every turn. And at every turn, he said things like, not my will be done, Father, but your will be done. and he was blameless without compromise and that's why he was the perfect lamb of God that could take away the sins of the world. He didn't live in compromise. He lived in character and that's why he carried such peace.

15:07 And when you follow Jesus, you get the peace of Jesus to lead your life with peace. Come on, clap if you want peace in your life. So I'm telling you, when you lean into character, you get peace. Write down number two, you get trust. People trust you. In fact, I will say this. Not only do others trust you, even better, God trusts you. Oh, I love this scripture. Put it on the screen. This is the parable of the talents. And it says in Matthew 25, 21, well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. In other words, because your character has counted and you've displayed good character, I can trust you not just with small things. I can trust you with many things. And I'm praying over you that you don't just get trusted by people. Come on, even better, let's be trusted by God.

16:01 The question today is not if God loves you. The question today is if God can trust you. Can God trust you with more money? Can God trust you with more influence? Can God trust you with people? Can God trust you with hearts? What can God trust? See, again, God's using what you're doing right now to develop where you're going in the future. And the way that you live, the character that you display today tells a signal to God whether you could be trusted with more or not. In fact, it says in one scripture, take from the one who is bad steward and give it to the one that is a good steward. Amen? And you're in the trust game. I don't know if you knew this. You're in the trust business. Trust is that thing it takes years to build and seconds to lose. And you know, nobody ever walks up to you and is like, hey, just want to let you know, I trust you.

16:55 That's the crazy thing about trust. Nobody ever walks up to me like, hey, just want to let you know, I heard about your pillows. I trust you. Nobody ever says that. But people are taking mental notes, aren't they? And people are trying to size up. Can I trust you or not? Do you have the character that is trustworthy? Like when I say something to you, do I think it's gonna be repeated to another? If I give you, you know, people trust you if they give you the passcode to their debit card and the passcode to your phone. Can I trust you with private information? And I wanna encourage you, become somebody that's trustworthy. Not just trustworthy with people, but trustworthy to God. that God can trust you with finance. God can trust you with influence. God can trust you with opportunity because you're not gonna use it for your own gain. You're gonna use it for the glory of the living God.

17:51 It's not about my name. It's all about your name. And God is developing your character. And when you lean into your character, he gives you the favor to be trusted. I'll never forget when the fires broke out, there was a guy that called me from Teos. and this guy called me and said, hey, I got a shipment that I want to send and I got a bunch of goods and I don't want to send it. There's some organizations out there that I think are fraudulent. There's some people out there that I think are not going to get it into the right hands. But I know Zoe and I know you and I trust you to get it into their hands. And so I'm shipping it from Tejas. Come on, clap if you believe it. I'm shipping it from Tejas to LA. Can we just thank God for our fire relief team and Zoe cares and everybody that's been on the ground. Come on, let's really honor them. Let's thank Brennan that's been leading the efforts.

18:45 So in other words, there's people in Texas that are watching what you're doing in LA. And they're taking notes if you're trustworthy or not. And you want to send the signal that I'm not about my name, I am about his name. I'm not living on my own agenda. I'm actually surrendered. I'm living on God's agenda. And when you lean into that character, Daniel's sitting at the table. He's like, that ribeye looks really good. I got to be honest. In Summer Low right now, it's been a tough day.

19:20 But I've resolved. I've resolved. Hey, could you let me not have that stuff? And the chief said, yeah, you're good. and the supernatural favor that came on Daniel. You know, he got hooked up with peace on his pillow. He was trusted by others. Right down to the third one, relationships, the relationships that happen. All of a sudden, you got relationships that are taking place. Why? Because when you've got good character, you've got good relationships. I want to remind you that life moves at the speed of your relationships. And when you've got faulty, weird, twisted character, you lose your relationships. When you've got good godly character, you retain your relationships, and you add more relationships in your life, and that's the kind of world that God wants you to live in. Look at Luke chapter 2, 52. I love this about Jesus. And Jesus grew in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God, and with man. In other words, when you got good character, it's not just that God loves you, now people love you, because people do not love a compromiser. People do not love somebody that's stuck in sketchy McNasty. People do not love people that are fraudulent. People love people that are trustworthy, that are carrying peace, that are walking in God's way. People that they can count on and bank on. I know you're not perfect, but you're trustworthy.

20:48 And all of a sudden you got relationships. Oh, I love this next one. Put it on the screen. Proverbs 3. Let love and faithfulness never leave you. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and in the sight of man. Anybody want to have a good name? Let me ask it again. Anybody want to have a good name? Your name goes before you. Your name is going to close doors or open doors for you. And God said to Abraham, I will bless you and I will cause you to be a blessing and I will make your name great. If you've got a bad reputation, don't you worry. I know the God that can turn around a bad reputation. If you don't believe it, just go ask Rahab. Rahab was a harlot. All of a sudden, she saw an opportunity to lean into a new chapter, and all of a sudden, she got caught up in the lineage of Jesus, and she turned around a bad reputation. Clap today if you believe that our God can turn around your name and put something.

21:45 He can put respect on that name. He can put some weight on that name. He can put some favor on that name. He can put some blessing on that name. That's the power of my God, because when you lean in the Character. Oh, come on, clap everybody at home. Clap everybody today. Thank the Lord. This is what God can do.

22:06 A good name is better to be chosen than great riches. I'd rather have a good name than a big bank account. Because when you got character, your name is secured. Even when your enemies try and come against you, God will shield and protect you. Even when they falsely accuse you like they did with Jesus, God will be your protector. But you notice when you've been shifty and shady, you're just out there on your own. You understand? And so choose to have a good name. Look at this last one. Psalm 128. Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine. Your children like olive shoots. I don't even know what olive shoots are, but it sounds gangster.

22:59 You know, my kids are olive shoots. We walk in Century City olive shoot style all the way to Olive Garden. salad, breadsticks, and soup. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord. You see what it keeps saying? Obeys God, fears God, walks in God's truths, saying, Lord, I'm going to lean in to character because I know I'll get your peace on my pillow. I'll get trust from you and trust from others. I'll get more relationships. By the way, there's nothing about God that's trying to make your world smaller. There's nothing about God that's trying to, you know, I just want you to live in a small little world with a small little soul. We're just gonna make everything smaller and easier. No, the Bible says the world of the generous gets larger and it's gonna connect you with more people.

24:00 And you're gonna meet people that God wants you to love on that don't look like you or act like you or maybe even vote like you. And that's the way that God works. God is going to give you relationship. Here's the fourth one. Write down the fourth one. It's confidence. And I wonder, how's your God-fidence today? Your confidence in God. Your ability. Philippians 4.13, put it on the screen. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. How about Proverbs 28, verse 1? I love this one. The wicked flee, though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. Something about someone that's got character that, you know, when you hang around a weasel or if you ever hang around a compromiser, they got slouchy, you know, they just weasel with it.

24:53 You know what I mean? They're just weasely. Yesterday, we got haircuts at my house last night, and the lady was cutting my hair, and there's a girl in our church, and she cut everybody's hair. and I was sitting there and I caught myself like this, slouched over. And all of a sudden I told myself, don't you act like that. You ever catch yourself slouching? Yeah, yeah. When you got character, you got confidence that if God be for me, who can be against me? Come on, clap if you believe. I got confidence. By my God, I can leap over a wall. By my God, I can, I lift my eyes to the mountains. where does my help come from? My help comes from you, the maker of heaven and earth. And when you're walking in character, your confidence goes through the roof. I know that the enemy tried to come in like a flood, but the Lord's going to raise a standard against him. No weapon is going to prosper. And every tongue that rises against me in judgment, God's going to condemn it. And I'm walking in confidence today. God is for me. God is with me. Come on, clap today. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength and the stronghold of my life. I know who my God is, and I've been walking with God. I've been obeying God.

26:18 I've been seeking God. I've been loving God. You got to get it in your life. Who stole your confidence? Who stole it? It was compromise, wasn't it? Compromise was in that erosion and that resentment and in that identity and in that disconnect and you and in that anxiety and you thought it was going to be fun and it cost you your confidence. I'm here to tell you today that I serve the God of new beginnings. I serve the God that says though your sins may be as crimson, I can wash you as white as snow. As far as the east is from the west, I've removed your transgressions from you. Clap today if you're thankful for the grace of Jesus Christ. Give him a praise. because compromise will get you stuck. Compromise will get you in there going like, well, I had destiny, and I had a dream, but I done messed it up, didn't I?

27:16 And I... you know and then you get into God's presence and God's like hey hey hey shoulders back hey hey hold on hey hey who told you you couldn't lift your hands who who who told you you who told you you couldn't shout shout down the preacher who who told you you couldn't serve who who was that that wasn't me that wasn't me I served the God of new beginnings I served the got a second chances. Oh, third, fourth, fifth, sixth. I'm on my thousand and fifty thousand chance. How about you? and every time I've compromised in my life it'll happen again tonight at 11 you know where to meet me I'll see you there and if the if the machines broke we're going to the next one Amen.

28:07 Holler at your boy if you see him in the drive-thru. Every time I've compromised, I've got to remind myself, that's not who I am in Christ. He's got a destiny for my life. And I'm getting peace back and trust back. And I'm getting relationships in order. And I'm getting my confidence.

28:28 Amen. If I could give you one gift, if I could give you one gift in life, I'd give you the gift of confidence. it's hard to live life being insecure. It's hard. That's so good. I love that you love that. I didn't know. I just, you know, I just go with stuff. And if you like it or not, it doesn't matter. I liked it. A lot of times what happens is we, you know, we get sold the lie. It's going to be so great. It's going to be so awesome. You're going to love it. This is the one. This is the relationship. This is the thing. And we go down this path, and we get left. You know, I think the prodigal son, he woke up in that pig pen. He was like. This ain't it.

29:22 This is not it. I'm going to go back to my father's house. Even if I got to walk. what did his dad do? He ran down that gravel road and he threw his arms around him and he said, no, no, no. You go kill that fatted calf. You go get that David Yerman ring up for my boy. Somebody go call DJ Khaled. Another one. We partying tonight. My son came home. if you've been compromising, don't you worry. I know the God that can call you home. Come on, clap if you're thankful. It's his kindness that leads me to what? Repentance.

30:17 Repentance. And all of a sudden I get back. You think the prodigal son had another stint away in the clubs? No, he was planted after that. He said, I know what compromise feels like. I ain't going back to that. I ain't going back to that bitter life where I'm a weasel and I'm a mess around her and I'm a two-faced. No, no, no, I'm in the Father's house now. I'm leaning into my destiny. I'm leaning into my character. I'm leaning into God's plan. I guarantee favor followed all of his days. Worship team, come join me. I'm praying that for you. I'm praying that for your season. Lean into it. What could God do with your lean in? What could God do with your surrender? What could God do with you submitting to the will and the way of God? What could God do with you saying, I don't care anymore. This world has nothing to offer me. I live for you. I live for your plan. I live for your dream and not mine.

31:11 What could God do? What could God do with you? What could God do? And the favor, I believe, it just starts to follow. Just put it on the screen here, favor. Psalm 5, verse 12. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous, and you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalm 84, verse 10, better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the clippers. For the Lord God is a sun and a shield, and the Lord bestows favor. the Lord bestows what? He bestows what? Favor and honor. No good thing. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk according to his plan.

32:05 No good thing. God's not going to withhold anything. He said, when you walk upright and blameless, I don't hold my spiritual blessing. I don't withhold any financial blessing. No good thing. Will God withhold? Sometimes with my boys, they make compromises, and they talk back to our queen of our world, and when they do that, I've got to withhold the Nintendo Switch, and I've got to withhold the Netflix account, and I've got to withhold things until I can discipline them a little bit and get them on the right path. But I'm telling you, when you walk and you lean into God's word and God's will and God's ways, no good thing will he withhold from those who walk according to his will. and I'm just praying for you. I'm praying for you today. I'm praying for you today that you would be able to look at the invoice and be like, I've been paying for what? I'm done with it. No more.

32:58 I'm not paying that bill anymore. Have you seen these apps, you know, that will show you all your subscriptions and people are like, Peacock? I'm subscribed to Peacock? Oh, we canceling that. what have you been subscribed to that you need to cancel today what have you been lied to about it's just a little something just a little something it's just a little it's just like a little disobedience Here it comes. Disconnect, erosion, anxiety, identity, resentment. sin is exhausting isn't it and the problem with sin is it's so fun in the beginning it's thrilling when it starts until the bill shows up you're like wait what i just spent all that for what it's not worth it but doing it God's way and living for Jesus the favor that will follow your life will blow your mind away amen come on stand your feet together stand your feet let's pray let's thank Jesus today