15/5/2016 – Pastor Prince on “Your blessing and cursing is wrapped up in your understanding of law and grace”

Sermon Notes- Ps Prince
Topic: Your blessing and cursing is wrapped up in your understanding of law and grace. 
15/5/16 

Special item song:

??But what the  Philisine couldn’t see 
Is what I had was more than me…

See on my own I’m weak
But my God fights for me…

But instead He lifted up my head
Cause my God fights for me…

He’s my shield. He’s my sword
The victory’s the LORD’s…

So what’s your story here 
What’s the giant lying before you Today
It don’t matter what you’ve got
Because the battle’s already won. 
So lift your voice in victory 
Cause my God fights for me 

**The Battle IS the LORD’s**

 ??

SERMON STARTS:

Let go of your worrisome thoughts and let God take hold. 

Pastor wasn’t supposed to preach today but The LORD gave him the Word early and so had time to spend with family and still preach on his birthday! 

Thank God for the gospel of grace that transforms people because people transform nations. 

God’s Word is still the standard. When there is high moral excellence in the nation, the nation prospers. 

Though we fight for a nation that is modern and civilised and living under the blessings of God, fighting outwardly will not bring about it. People have to be transformed from within. True transformation is from within. Not behaviour modification. Permanent change. 

How does one change from within? Will power? Doesn’t work. Every new year resolution proves that. We change by hearing the gospel ie. the good news being preached. We can’t change by hearing the mixed gospel. 

How can the people hear the gospel if it isn’t being preached? God is restoring the gospel. Pastor asked his son, Justin, what to preach? “GRACE REVOLUTION”

Paul sat at the feet of a great man. Of all the Pharisees during Paul’s time, Gamaliah was the Pharisees of Pharisees. Paul later also became a Pharisee of Pharisee as well. The sect called The Way aka Christianity, Peter preached and 3000 and then 5000 were saved. Under the right teaching there is BOTH Quality growth and quantity growth. Simply put, there must be growth. 

Joel Osteen preaches simply that God is goodness and love. He does not go deep into the scripture verses but he preaches the gospel, full of grace, and he is reaching the lost and unchurched. Souls are saved in comparison to the theologians preaching legalism and mixed gospels who come against him. 

Our ministry is not one ministry which speaks in a corner. Our church’s influence is not of man but of God. Not of Joseph Prince. 

Gamaliah stood up and said if this is not of God, God will overthrow it. If it is of God, be careful u are not fighting against God. 

It is hard for u to kick against the goads. You will hurt yourself. 

People are seeing the beauty of grace

 When u amulgalate or mix the two, the law is robbed of its sternness and absolute nature & u rob grace of its freeness and beauty. For law to be law, u gave to keep it. Doesn’t recognise doing your best. Law also has blessings/ rewards and curses. 

If u keep the law but break one, u are guilty of all- James. 

Lifestyle, sinful habits, deliverance… Blessing and cursing is involved in understanding the gospel of grace. How blessed u are rests solely on your understanding of law and grace. 

When people ask u- “I hear you all believe in throwing out the Ten Commandments.” Use scripture law. We are dead to the law to be married to Jesus Christ. Rom 7:6

 See Rom 7:4-7

Dead to the law not to be a loose cannon. Dead to the law to marry a new husband. Married law, fruit of death. 

This union with Christ produces fruit. Children, fruit. Good fruit. Meekness, self control, love,… Certain princeliness of u. Above pettiness and resentment and bitterness. Walk worthy of your high calling. Walk like a prince or princess 

What arouses sinful passions? The law. The law is holy but cannot bend to make you righteous. The law is just but can’t justify you. The law is perfect. 

We are not under the law not because it is bad. Law can’t make you holy. Only faith in the LORD Jesus Christ can. 

Contrast. Under law, sinful passions, aroused, bear fruit to death. The very attempt. 

Holiness comes not by effort. Holiness and justification and sanctification comes from faith 

Some think we are delivered just from law in terms of sacrificial animals and rituals. But you must not take the text out of the context or you’re left with the con. Must read in context.
See V7- know sin through the law. 

Christ gives u your wife and u love her so u don’t commit adultery. Diff from don’t commit adultery to keep letter of law but don’t love her. 

So many testimonies coming in. Life transformed.

In Romans 6- where sin increased, grace super abounded. Where sin theonazio (increase u can count), grace hooper (hyper) abounds. 

Pastor says some articles mix him in quotes with those who preach universalism. That’s NOT what Pastor preaches. Pastor warns them
NOT to lie by inference since they believe in law. 

Testimony from a pastor from Arizona

Pastor of a small church in Nahajo Reservation. 2008 came to know JP ministry. Came to see new converts and life transformed when gospel of grace was preached in their church. 

By their fruit u shall know them. Be fruit inspectors. 

Alcoholics where delivered. Miraculous healing for hole in heart. Sister was severely ill because of malpractice in the hospital. Doctor said did all they could. Every surgery done for her was first for the hospital. Worse trauma cause in the hospital history. Did not eat for four months. Doc said did their best. Baptised. And kidneys are now fully functioning and healed despite what doctors said. Delivered of sinful lifestyle now that she knows how much God loves her. 

Gospel of grace some say over preached. But not true. So many out there don’t know the love of God. Might say it but heart doesn’t understand it.

We should not be common Chrisians. It’s important to have a lifestyle that glorifies Christ. Your blessing and cursing is wrapped up in your understanding of law and grace. 

Gal 1:6-9

Galatians focuses on sanctification by faith. 
Paul was shocked that people turned away so soon from the GRACE OF CHRIST. It is the true gospel. Nowadays u preach grace of gospel, they say it is another gospel. Perversion. 

Perverting the gospel of Christ= intro of the law. 

Double curse on anyone (even bloggers, not just pastors) who preaches anything other than what Paul has preached. Some are preaching by blogging or sharing. Make sure u are sharing the true gospel. 

Some say we are under the blessing and not the curse. Listen. There is a forgotten curse in the New Testament. It is a curse even believers can come under coz Paul says “even if we or an angel of heaven preach any other gospel than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

Pastor is very concerned for people who come against the gospel of grace. Has seen bad endings happen to some folks. 

Why is it you put a curse? U are a God of love. When u judge it is a strange act. – Isaiah. 

God: Because I love my people and if anyone is perverting the beauty of the gospel. The double curse will stop the person. 

Preach gospel of grace= doubly blessed. We have been blessed in this church. God will bless the people who bring forth the gospel of grace because the World outside still operates under the law mentality. 

If you go to Geylang… The seedy side of town… Geylang is not seedy, great food but if you go to the seedy side where there are lot of bars at Geylang, and if you interview them, “Why should God let you enter heaven?” They will always answer based on the law. “I didn’t kill people.” “I’m not like Osama or Sadaam” “I take good care of my family” “I don’t hurt people.” Always based on their works. U don’t have to preach the law to them. 

U don’t need the HS to understand do good get good do bad get good. It takes revelation to teach the divine exchange- that another of the Cross took on all the bad you deserved. Takes the HS to elucidate.

If it is based on my good works and performance, all my good works as high as Everest can’t reach God’s standard. I can’t go up to God so He came down to me… To die for my sins.  Knowing this takes revelation. 

The beauty of grace and the gospel of grace must be preserved. It is what transforms individuals, spouses, makes wonderful fathers and mothers families, societies and nations. We can complain about this group that group and this political agenda until the cows come home and nothing will be changed UNTIL we start preaching the good news. We have forgotten to preach the good news. We must not forget the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Some churches preach law/mix and then only at the end they ask people to keep giving to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only time they mention His name. 

The double curse is to protect the beauty and purity of the Gospel of Grace. 

None of you. All of Him. Galatians- none of u and all of him. 

The pastor earlier was holy but no fruit and it was only when they focused on the gospel of grace that lives were transformed. 

Don’t focus on trying to produce. Focus on the gospel and the gospel transforms them. 

There are people blogging and writing, if you are preaching online make sure u are getting the double blessing and not the double curse. God will not allow His gospel of grace to come under attack. 

Where sin abounds, Grace super abounds. HooperpariZio!

I have MORE faith in the grace of God than the sinfulness of man. 

Doesn’t mean that we are conscious of Grace is, we don’t know how bad sin is. Want to see how bad sin is, look at the cross. Want to see how wonderful grace is, look at the cross. 

Sin is enough to send even God’s son to the cross for us. And God’s love is what sends Jesus to the cross for us. 

If u focus on sin sin sin and no cross, u will only cause them to produce more sin. 

Bible says that Worshippers once cleansed should have no more sin consciousness. 

To be sin consciousness means Jesus work isn’t perfect and Father God didn’t accept the payment. That’s why sin is still on your conscience. 

Freed of our debt so if we keep behaving like we are still debt ridden is an insult to the one who paid the debt. 

Beholding Jesus transforms us. Makes us holy. 

So yes, NT does have a curse and we can come under it.

Marrow of Pastor’s preaching: 

Galatians 3:8-9

Justification of Gentiles by faith

Long before there was the nation of Israel, Abraham heard the gospel preached to him and saw that God would justify all of us by faith. 

Paul refers to the seed of Abraham. Christ. 

If u are in Christ, then U are Abraham’s seed.

When u are blessed no one can stop u or hinder u. Might not be the smartest one or wealthiest and least connected one but the BLESSING IS ON U to promote u and bless u to a place of favour. 

Wherever Joseph was put down, he rose up. When u are blessed, no human hand is long enough to stop God’s hand. 

V9- those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. Equivalent. Faith here must be interpreted in context- faith by believing. 

I, the righteousness of God in Christ; we confess this whilst we are still in sin. We don’t want to get out of this sin but we acknowledge it is by Him and not by our own effort. We have many testimonies of people who confess this and are freed. 

Lady has been a Christian since 2008 but had a smoking addiction and slowly loss her fire for God. Would smoke outside of church during choir practice. Going church became a duty and would skip church to sleep. Prayed for God to renew her love for Him. Friend invited her to our church and she fell in love with Jesus all over again. Not about pastor. All about Jesus. She has read the bible before but never truly understood it until Pastor preached. Began to see God’s love for her. Would confess she is the righteousness of God through Christ even as she smoked. Felt hypocritical at first. But cig slowly began to tasted weird and she lost all desire to smoke. She has been smoke free for three years now. 

Positional faith.

Confessing your sin isn’t about apologising or begging for forgiveness and swearing u won’t do it again. There is no faith there. 

Father, I thank you that you’ve forgiven me in Christ. I am the righteousness of God in Christ having no fruit over this addiction or bondage. Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength

Isaiah 45:24-25- after Christ always comes glory

Glory always follows grace, justification. 

How can the church walk in glory if we don’t understand justification by faith?

Sanctification also comes by faith. 

Pastor says we can argue based on theology but how many lives have been saved and transformed under your ministry? Pastor can show the many fruits and testimonies from the gospel of grace, and challenges those preaching legalism to show their fruits. 

How was Abraham blessed? Justified by faith and called God’s friend. Lived more than 400y before the Ten Commandments. Not friend because he kept the Ten Commandments. Enoch lived before Abraham. When he had a son called Methuselah (the judgment will come, and this boy lived 969 years… The longest. The flood was said to come after he dies and God made him love the longest). Enoch walked with God. No Ten Commandments. How did he walk with God? 

Outward governing is brought by Ten Commandments eg. Legal system in the world is based on Judeo Christian principals. None of this will have anarchy

Talking about inward transformation.

Joseph lived before Ten Commandments. Said no to Potiphar’s wife.  Holiness superseding human effort. Beyond natural reasoning. 

How can we receive good we don’t deserve? No such thing as free lunch. 

Lady wasn’t delivered of her smoking addiction by nicotine patches. Her desire was gone. True transformation. 

Pastor used to eat cockles by the mounts. Loved it sooo much. One day had a revelation and wanted to be off cockles. He still craves cockles. He still eat fried kuay teow but asks for no cockles. But sometimes a cockle slips in and he relishes it. That’s not true deliverance hahaha. 

The desire is gone= true deliverance 

The Kings didn’t see inward beauty of Sarah. These are heathen kings.

When she was 65yo, Pharoah wanted her and God intervened. Abimelech wanted her when she was in her 90s.

Abraham’s youth was renewed – he was running at the age of hundred years old to get to the visitors

When Sarah died, he had another wife (Keturah?) and had kids by her too. 

Believing Abraham not working not performing Abraham. 

He lied about his wife yet God calls him righteous. 

Permanency of our righteousness.
Confessing our sin but also declaring forgiveness in Christ is permanent. 

Gal 3:9-10

Of the works of the law = under the curse
Not broken the law but position of righteousness based on the law. This includes believers 

The moment u take position on law ground, I are under the curse if u don’t keep all

Sometimes a non believer can believe easier than a Christian and get healed and blessed right away. Christians are very conscious of where they have fallen short sometimes. 

Gal 3:13

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.

Deut 28
The blessings and the curses

14 verses of blessing if u keep the law
54 verses of cursing if u don’t keep the law
40 more! 

Deut 28:3—> Blessing is on u and not the place

V4–> health blessings – yours including ur kids’ health 

V12 —> Lending is a good place to be. Borrowing isn’t sinful because Lending is not wrong. But it is not good. 

V13—> head and not the tail. Above ONLY and not beneath. 

But read on… The curses….

Why do u delineate in detail the curses? Why not the blessings? 

Because people are confused about what are curses. People have no prob with blessings but some are confused what are curses. The solution is in the Cross! 

V22- consumption – TB (disease of the lungs). Well we are redeemed of that

V27- healed of tumours and itches that can’t be healed. 

V28- healed in areas of our sanity

V59- healed of our chronic illnesses 

V61- healed of EVERY SICKNESS AND PLAGUE even those NOT written here. 

V41- our kids will not be in captivity to addictions and bad company. Amen!! 

V43- Alien rise higher and higher… Ah the answer is not found in the govt, the answer is found in Christ

V65- no rest is a curse. Stress is a curse. Stress can cut ones life short. Passed through genetic make up coz of the generational cursed. BUT we are redeemed from it in Christ. 

V66,67 – Depression is a curse. Pastor was in depression before in his youth. Redeemed in Christ

V68- sold as a slave but no one will buy u. Insult of insults. 

Galatians 3:13- No one will buy you but Christ did!!! The word redeemed is to BUY. 

Stoning was a common practice then but he was crucified. His blood shed is enough to save us of our sins. But because ‘cursed is the man who hangs on the tree’- he died on the cross to redeem us from the curse. This verse was written by the psalmist before crucifixion was invented. 

Redeemed from the market place. Jesus bought u out of the market place “Ex-Agorazo”

Wow. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law!!!!! 

Gal 3:11-12

Two contrasting lifestyles. 

Live by faith or live by law. 

Hai-Yai (Hebrew, similar to La Chaim) and Zah-oh (Greek) to have full life, to recover from sickness and disease. Not just to have eternal life but to have full vigour by faith. 

Habakkuk- just shall live by faith 

Romans, Galatians, Hebrews

Roman- how to become just
Galatians – how to live by faith 
Hebrews- faith (Hall of faith in Heb 11) 

The righteous will recover from sickness by faith.

U can’t live by law and grace or faith and works at the same time. Cannot mix.

The law is not of faith – Gal 3:12

Live by faith!

Why are people not receiving or being blessed? 

It all comes from believing we are righteous through faith

Some ask if u believe in health and wealth? 

Answer we believe in healing, health, provision – the Lord is my shepherd I shall not lack. Use bible language. 

Jesus healed everyone who came to Him. Everyone who touched Him was healed.

U never see in the bible where someone with withering hand come to Jesus and the LORD says, go and make things right first then I will heal u. He never qualified people first before he healed them. 

Imperfect people can receive.

This is what the world and the church is missing out on hearing. 

Heaven output and u output = kaput!!

Heaven output and u receive= yay!!

Whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. We believe in confessing our sins because it has been forgiven. 

Jesus did not take things away from people so they will develop compassion for others. But He  took a little and multiplied it – borrowed Peter’s boat and paid them back with net breaking boat sinking load of fishes, took 5 loaves and 2 fishes from the kid and multiplied it.

Matthew 9:29

According to your faith, let it be to you. 

Matthew 15:28

Let it be to you as you desire

These were not perfect people. Holiness is important to reflect His glory but not the qualification to receive. They received by faith. He did not say according to His power and our faith. 

We suffer for Jesus when people make fun of us but we don’t suffer the curses Jesus took for us. We suffer persecution by people. But not from the curses. 

Luke 17:19
Your faith has made u well

(Mark ??)

Luke 8:48
Your faith has made u well

Instead we question our performance instead of our believing 

Start operating in faith. When we take holy comm, don’t go through the motions. It’s about believing. 

Believing you will receive. Pray believing. Not pray wondering. 

Not ask in prayer feelingly. Pastor says sometimes he prays and he doesn’t feel it but he believes it. 

You can be moving nations by your prayer. 

Luke’s 17:5-6

Increase our faith 

If you have faith as a mustard seed… 

We can say to our diseases and growths to be pulled out from the roots and be planted in the sea

Mustard seed is the smallest seed of all herbs but the largest herb tree. 

Start using your faith. Start getting up saying this is the day the LORD has made. When bad things happen, God will protect us. Planes crashing, ours won’t because we are on board and in Christ. Start declaring. The moment you try to perform u are under the curse. 

Even if U have faith so small, speak it. Utilise it. Don’t wait until your faith is strong. 

The more simple it is, just speak it, the more u have results. Others will look at u and say u have great faith but u know the truth 

So do u want a life of believing or a life of faith? U choose. 

Pastor believes that our best days are ahead. No matter what our economy is like we won’t lack. Despite the rebellion and God dishonouring acts out there, our family will be godly and anointed and fruitful. Our daughters will be like Esther and our sons will be like David. Our future is as bright as Jesus is at the father’s right hand. Our lives can only get brighter and brighter. If you have a wayward child or spouse, pray believing and God will work on their hearts. 

Don’t believe the lies out there. If u are receiving good teaching, don’t fall prey to bad ones. It isn’t Jesus plus the law. It is Jesus or nothing. 

Don’t use your nagging or human strength. Pray believing. Financial debts? Pray believing speak over the debts and ask it to be uprooted and thrown into the sea. Blood pressure unnaturally high. Speak to it. 

Use whatever little faith you have. Speak it.

We are highly favoured, greatly blessed with believing Abraham. 

Every time u fail, the devil says u are under the curse. 

Pray- Thank U father that I am forgiven and redeemed by Jesus so nothing bad can happen to me & my family. Thank that you will redeem me from my failings & bless me. 

God is doing things right now in our lives we cannot see. Gotta believe that God is doing something to our kids and believing that God is transforming their hearts. Don’t jump the gun and scold the kids. Tell ur kid he is Jesus’ boy.  

(Prayer for protection from all powers of darkness and from Zika and all diseases. Prayer for protection and for favour.) Live by faith!!