Sermon Notes (Pastor Prince on the mercy seat and communion) 040916

From start to end of service, Ps Ed teared. Overwhelmed by the Father’s love. 

Luke 15-
The father ran, hugged, kissed, gave him the robes of righteousness, the ring, shod his feet with sandals, killed the fatted calf… Filled with love and compassion, the father ran. 

My son who is dead is now alive again

If u think u have a situation that is dying, give it to the LORD. He will cause it to return to life. 

We can never outgive Him.

Communion: 

Lord’s Prayer (special item)

Sermon starts:

In the OT, wherever the ark went prosperity sprung and the enemies were defeated. The ark of God is an amazing picture, the greatest visual aid for us to ustd the personal and finished work of Jesus Christ. 

More than 200 salvations at the Mid Autumn festival. Just counting those who came to the connect points to inform church. 

A 104yo opera singer in SG passed away. This lady had been coming to NCC and was saved a few years ago. 

In heaven u can’t do anything to expand his kingdom on earth, only here. 

Communion

Jesus didn’t give us ceremonies and rituals. But communion we do it in remembrance of Him. Remember HIM, not yourself. From Him comes your victory and salvation and help. Lift up eyes to the hill of Zion. His name is victory and strength.

The earth and all creation had fallen. Mosquitos not created to cause destruction. One little thing can cause so much trouble in the world. But for us, trust God and live life normal. Opportunity for God to glorify Himself in your life. In the midst of the bad thing, God will protect u. Terror, economic uncertainties…. We know the answers aren’t horizontal. It’s in looking up. God is still in charge and in control. We need to pray. Even though He is in in charge we should pray. Relationship. Even if it is a groan, God hears it. 

Whosoever believes in Jesus… God foreknows we will receive Jesus. He knows how we will use our choice. And for those God foreknew, He predestines us.

Free will and predestination- Pastor believes in both. 

Spurgeon- whosoever will may come on the gates when we arrive. 

Believe on Christ and receive eternal life. 

Predestined from the foundation of the world- on the gates when we enter and look back. 

Dead to the law- stirrings to the flesh is curbed. 
Gnosticism says body is evil? Everything is evil. That’s wrong. God could have given us food that are all bitter. He gives us diff tastes and desires. But he wants us to enjoy it the way He wants us to enjoy it. Not to yield to every lust we have. Intentions programmed into us are from God. Even with eating, eat to His glory. 

The cross of Jesus Christ doesn’t just saves us from eternal damnation but a righteous foundation for God to send rain and seasons.

Acts of God? Insurance companies definition wrong. Look up to Heaven- no tornados, no hospitals, no indication of evil. Health come to my body. Prosperity come (Heaven has streets of gold, no poverty mindset. Don’t abuse money also coz love of money is the problem. Money isn’t the problem. The desire for it is.)

God gave law not to justify men by it. 

Dead to the law that we might bring forth fruit to God. Sanctification- bring forth fruit. 

Unless dead to the law cannot live a fruitful life.

When God gave the law and someone says I’m not so bad. “I’ve never murdered” but “have u ever been angry?

Law holy. Can’t make people holy. 
Refer to the religious laws. Not the courts of law. 

Romans 6:14
Not under demand. Under supply.
U will coz He will supply U 

Under law, iniquities are visited through generations. Under the cross, “I will remember your sin no more.”

God can’t forgive at th expense of His righteousness. 

The cross is the answer- He took our place

Romans 3:19-27

V19 Some people look at someone for eg a prostitute and say they will never be as sinful as her. Don’t judge. We don’t know what her struggles were. 

V21

There is a righteousness that is apart from the law. Witnessed by the law and the prophets. 

Moses – law
Elijah- prophets
They were there to witness to the righteousness of God. Fear not. 

The more shame u put on them, the more they go on a moral arrest. Be frank about physical desires to our children. Teach them virginity is to be kept under lock and key. But for those fallen, don’t self condemn. 

Righteousness of God is offered/available to all.  Doesn’t come to all. We believe, it’s on us. 

V23- so focuses on this but many forget V22, V24 (justified FREELY- freely on your part without a coat but on God’s part, He gave His Son) , 25 

It was not free for God. He paid. The love of God provided His Son, the righteousness of God exacted the payment. Jesus didn’t pay the devil to free us. The love of God paid the righteousness of God. 

Grace can’t be cheap because Jesus bled on the cross, God gave His Son. 

The enemy wants to blind the world to the goodness of God.

God is Holy that’s why there must be a cross because if not it will be at the expense of His righteousness. 

GRACE is God provide everything for u to believe in Him. Other faiths don’t have this. 

Obedience of faith- when we believe in His righteous

Obey is to believe. 
Believe on Him whom I have sent 

Misinterpreted often:

Not all who call Jesus LORD LORD is saved. 
He that doeth the will of the Father will be saved. 

Most think it is doing. 

But the other chapt corroborate that the will of the Father is for us to believe in Jesus

When He comes back for the final judgment, everyone will know who He is

V25- propitiation 

The uncle who was hired to make the ark, not believer, but got saved!! 🙂 First time he has made something for the true God, he said. 

Based the size on the cubits.

“…As a propitiation by His blood, through faith…” – big word used twice only in the New Testament. But used during every appearance of the mercy seat in Scriptures. 

This is where no Zika, no disease can come 

U are in a place of safety. Wings speak of protection. U aren’t an ordinary person. 

Blood sprinkled on mercy seat. 

Holiest place ever. In the middle of the encampment (pic of the Cross). 

Holiest- sanctified. Separated unto God. Set aside. 

Jesus in John 17… even Jesus sanctifies Himself. 

Love is about giving and not getting. 

We don’t put our precious jewels by the toilet bowl. We put our books there lol. We put our precious jewels under lock and key in a safe. 

Some have fine China- only used for special guests.

Set aside. Made precious. 

Holiest thing u can meditate on is His mercy. The holiest of the holiest. 

Yom Kippir- blood sprinkled on the mercy seat 

Mercy seat – wherever it is mentioned in Septuagint. 

Hebrews 9:5 (mercy seat, propitiation) 

Entrance is the East. 
That’s why we sing as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us 

Priest takes the blood and Lev 16:14

Once on the mercy seat— Jesus only have to die once 
7 outside of it? —- you have PERFECT standing before God

7- number of perfection (everything is in 7s- multiples of 7)

So we can come to Him boldly for grace during our time of need. If we are perfect, we won’t need shed blood. 

U obtain mercy and find grace to help… 
Mercy is not getting the bad u deserve. 
Grace is getting the good u don’t deserve. 
We get it both ways. 🙂 

U make mockery of Grace, u mock Jesus. It points to Jesus. When u wanna judge any preaching, question who does it glorify? Man or Jesus? 

Don’t think u need to be a bible scholar or Greek scholar, or fear theologians. Fisherman can understand the bible. Tax collectors can understand the bible. 

God understands our motives. God sees through everything. Nothing is hidden from God. Everything is naked and open before God. And HE LOVES US. 

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus knowing the Father gave Him ALL things into His hands… What did he do next with His all powerful hands? He took them and used them to wash His disciples’ hand. 

Jesus gave Judas Iscariot the piece of bread and put into his mouth. Most honoured guest. After He said one of u will betray Me, He gave it one last chance. When Judas kissed Him, He asked, “Friend did U come and betray me?”

He could have waited and not commit suicide. Peter also betrayed him. Suicide is a form of self righteousness. 

Jesus was 100% man (acacia wood) – cried, felt pain st the cross, got tired and never sinned. He was tested but never tempted by sin. Jesus was also 100% God (overlaid with gold) 

The mercy seat or cover is 100% gold, beaten from one slab of gold. No wood. 

For us to enjoy the mercy seat, Jesus was beaten. 

The two cherubs- guardians of God’s judicial righteousness. Mentioned first at the garden of Eden- God drove Adam and Eve out. And at the entrance of the garden of Eden, placed cherubims so no one could come through. Guardians of God’s righteousness. First mention of sword. 

Last mention in OT of ‘sword’- awake oh sword and smite my fellow (aka my Son). 

He walked through and the cross should have been lifted up in honour Him but because He carried our sins, the swords pierced Him and the way was cleared. 

What is under the mercy seat? Items that represent man’s rebellion. 

“We must keep the law to be moral”- that led to licentiousness. The law stirs up sinful flesh. 

Tablets of stone- man’s rejection of God’s standard 

Manna- man’s rejection of God’s provision 

Aaron’s rod- man’s rejection of God’s appointed leadership

It’s not about how much theology u know but are people’s lives being transformed supernaturally? 

And blood is put over them. 

Grace is higher than law. So when we try to keep the law, we have fallen from grace. We always fall from a higher place. 

God’s eyes can penetrate anything but His Son’s blood. And His blood covers all of us who believe. 

There IS sin in us but God cannot see sin because He sees Jesus’ blood. 

God can be righteous because of Jesus’ finished work. For Him to reject anyone or punish anyone it is to do so at the expense of His righteousness and holiness. 

People who are hard on people and criticise fallen kids, when they realise their own kids are doing wrong, they change their tune. 

Btw, to put pastor’s sermons out there for free downloads, it is stealing. So please don’t do that. Be fair to him. He has to feed Justin. Justin eats a lot. 

Matthew 23:37-39

V37- God will never force protection on us. Willing to cover them. Wings pic of protection. Wish He could have gathered them like this.

In a time like this where people are fearful, believe God for protection. 

U must have to consent to His protection.

And another part of the gospel, He foresaw the armies would come and also, the Holocaust. And He wept. 

V38- Your house and no longer “My Father’s House”

Psalm 91:1

The world we live in has a sense of unprotection. 

Jude 1:20-21

V21- keep here is to keep from injury and danger

God loves me. God gave Jesus for me. He died in my place. I am loved. Practice His love. 

When u practice the love of Jesus, u won’t feel vulnerable 

Goliath means “to strip”
The enemy today tries to strip us of our righteousness consciousness. To make us feel unloved and condemned. Satan is called the accuser. 

Ps91:3-7 NLT

AMEN (be it unto me)

V7- so near right? But these evils WILL NOT touch u. 

Every Word of scripture is God breathed. 
God has preserved His Word even now. 

Brother from Wisconsin
Deaf and only child. Told birth was a mistake. Sexually abused ages 6. Abused until 12yo. His bio dad died when he was 9. Never met him. $350/day drug habit. Funded by crime. Caught. Prison. Came out. Got hooked. Had to go rehab. His wife discovered the sermon and they read Ps’ books and watched sermon via CC. Freed from addictions and free until now. Became senior pastor for the deaf. Preaches online. Used to persecute Christians. Life changed. Many in his church also have transformed lives. 

Lady from California

Replaying a sermon where prayer for protection was prayed at the end. She paused message and called her 17yo girl to come and participate and receive the prayer. During the prayer, prayed won’t die in our sleep. Didn’t have that fear, but received it anyway. Woke up and felt really ill. Daughter also unwell. Same symptoms. Went A&E and found out both had carbon monoxide poisoning coz heater spoiled. God heard and answered and woke them up just in time so they could be treated. Many people die in their sleep from similar incidents. 

Romans 3:25 NLT

Covering during Yom Kippur isn’t payment. It’s like a credit card bill that is mounting debts. 
Jesus is true payment. And He paid for all throughout time- He is outside time. 

Romans 3:19-27

V26- Jesus is our justifier. God is just in justifying us. All our sins were paid by Jesus blood shed on the cross. 

Give God the greatest glory when we declare I am the righteousness of God in Christ

People without revelation ask how can we say that? We must confess our sins. There is a place for confessing our sins BUT the greatest confession we can make is we are the righteousness of God in Christ. 

Mary Magdalene ran on resurrection morning. Didn’t know Jesus had risen.

John 20:11-14 

Angels sitting. Not standing or flying as they usually are said to be in the bible. Work is finished. 

She cried. She saw the mercy seat. 

Jesus first words “Woman why weepeth thou?”

Adam was the first gardener. She thought Jesus was the gardener. He is the gardener that has restored. 

He healed her heart. He cares for us and loves us. 

First mention of crying in OT- Haggar crying for her son. First mention of crying in NT- Rachel weeping for her children. Lots of weeping and crying. 

Jesus wept to dry our tears. Forsaken that we can have God’s constant presence and love. 

God is reaching out to u and cares for u and ur broken heart. The devil wants u to look at self and sorrows and uncleaness BUT Jesus wants u to look to Him to be blessed. 

He that comes to Jesus, He will not cast down. 
I come to Him and find rest. 

Help me Father. Give me grace to realise and to be more conscious of the length, breadth and depth of Your love for me. 

Run to the throne of Grace to find help in your time of need. The more u go, the more u live.