The Old & the New: Change Has Taken Place

 30 April 2017 (11.30am service, New Creation Church at Star Vista)

 - Sermon delivered by Pastor Joseph Prince

Sermon Notes (Note: These are personal notes and not a transcription of the sermon.) 

I.           The Miracle of the Bible

A man once attended a convention. That time, he was not even a Christian. He asked a minister—do you believe in miracles? The minister said, “Yes, of course.”

The man was diagnosed with tumor. The doctor told him there was not much he could do. He asked his wife for a bible. He read it and read it… Gradually, he began to read the bible daily.

One day, while reading, he felt joy within him. He said he felt that he was healed. He went back to the doctor and the doctor said he was totally healed. That was 10 years ago.

When you read the bible, you don’t even have to be a believer to be healed.

To Pastor Prince, Jesus is someone turning alive in the pages of the bible.

As Pastor reads verse by verse of the bible, he asked God to speak to him, and he has notes coming to him. He jotted down these notes.

There is nothing like your own notes which speak to you in a special way, when you visit your notes again. Your notes are very precious to you. And when he was jotting down the notes, that was “My time with the Lord”, he said.

II. I am the Righteousness of God in Christ

In the Old [Testament], the new was hidden (concealed), in the New [Testament], the Old is opened (revealed).

God knows our nature— we like to seek things out, for instance, playing hide and seek. If you find the key, you can unlock the code (Jesus).

The Hebrew word for “complain” is “spend the night”— stay for another night in the complaint.

Complaining is a guarantee that you will stay in the situation.

When children of Israel complained, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.  (Numbers 21:5-7) Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."  (Numbers 21:8)

Numbers 21:9

So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

The bronze serpent is on the cross, and the serpent will loop around the cross.

Look to the bronze serpent on the cross, and you will live. The bronze serpent on the cross represents Jesus who took away our sins at the cross. Look to Jesus and we will live.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Proverbs 17:15

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

If you condemn yourself, you are condemning the righteousness of God in Christ [abomination].

  

Hebrews 10:1-4

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Man has a conscience. We cannot run away from the conscience. It tells you what is right, and what is wrong. Jesus is an over-payment. We have much more in our Christian life now because of what Jesus has done for us.

Now we are made righteous because of what Jesus did, not because of who we are.

III. Old & New- Things Have changed

Hebrews 10:1-4

For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

There has been a change. The bible tells us — “once purified”.

“Once”- once and for all, we are purified and will have no more consciousness of sin.

However, it is still important for us to receive the good news (the gospel).  For instance, if I have a debt and someone has paid for me, and if the news of the settling of debts did not get to me, I still have consciousness of being in debt to the person. When I see the person, I may still avoid him as I do not know that my debt has already been paid.

Once Jesus died for us, we should not be reminded of sins. The blood of Jesus has paid for our sins.

Hebrew 10:12

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

Hebrews 10:17-22

then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.  Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

“Let us draw near”— The more you come to God, the more you live. The more you come to God, you are full of life.

The meaning of “Christians” is “the anointed ones”. However, there is only one Christ.

The great confession is confessing Jesus Christ as our Lord.

Isaiah 45:21-25

Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me.

"Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.

He shall say, 'Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him.

In the Lord all the descendants of Israel Shall be justified, and shall glory.’

Isaiah 45:23-24

I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.

He shall say, 'Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him.’

Philippians 2:10-11

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord (Philippians 2:10-11), detailed in Isaiah 45:23-24—“Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength”.

Hebrew 6:18

that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

Romans 10:9-11

hat if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

“With the heart one believes unto righteousness”— we confess that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. You don’t have to climb a mountain, you don’t have to fast; we just need to open our mouth and confess, and we are saved.

You can talk to God anytime, anywhere, and it is the meaning of “drawing near” God.

John 1:17

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

I can send you an email from Singapore to you if you are in America. However, if I come to you, I am nearer to you.

Law was “given” from a distance; grace and truth “came through” Jesus Christ.

The first public miracle of Moses was a representation of law— turning water into blood.

The first public miracle of Jesus was turning water into wine, which signifies celebration.

Exodus 2:23-3:14

Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.  So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

Just groan, and God will remember His covenant.

God hears your groaning. Stop waiting for healing. Expect healing to occur anytime.

When God wants to deliver you or help you, God sends you a person.

God can find you anywhere to help you.

Exodus 3:2

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

 “The Angel of the Lord” refers to Jesus.

When Jesus appears, He always appears in the center. For instance, He was crucified between the two thieves.

When you put Jesus in the midst of your life, even if "the bush is burning with fire, the bush is not consumed".

All of us, if we want to be delivered from our fiery trial, we look to Jesus and will not be consumed.

However, even when you have good results, don’t focus on the results. Set your sight on Jesus.

Exodus 3: 3-5

Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."

When the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses! Here I am.”

Don’t be like the world to win the world.

Let your chief attraction be the quiet spirit, not your clothes, makeup, and hair, though you can dress well, put on makeup and have great hair.

Luke 15:22-23

But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;

Now, it’s “family ground”, and not the “holy ground”. There is a change. Now, the servants put on the sandals on the son's feet. However, Moses was asked to remove sandals off his feet.

Last time, the ring is alike your visa card. You use the ring to “purchase” things.

There is a change now.

IV. Conclusion

Exodus 2:23-3:14

Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

Exodus 3:5-14

Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.  So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Exodus 2:23-25

Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

God knows our sorrows. God has “come down” to “deliver” us out of our bondage to a higher place— to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey. “Flowing” has the meaning of overflowing.

The law always makes us self-conscious and self-occupied. It is not about “who I am” (not about our weakness/poverty) but “who He is” (His strength/supply).

“I AM”— the good shepherd, and the bread of life.

“I AM”— your light of the day, renewal of strength, your Father.

Jesus Is Risen! (Resurrection Sunday)

16 April 2017 (11.30am service, New Creation Church at Star Vista)
 - Sermon delivered by Pastor Joseph Prince

Sermon Notes (Note: These are personal notes and not a transcription of the sermon.) 

I. He Is risen indeed!

Romans 4:24-25

but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

He was raised because of our offences. We all know why Jesus went to the cross. It is not because He has sins that He has to pay for. He did no sin; in Him there was no sin; He knew no sin.

We are caught in the battle of the ages. The devil is no more cunning than telling you – you are not holy enough, you are not righteous enough, you have not studied your bible enough, etc.

Psalm 89:14

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

God loves man. However, He is full of righteousness and justice. The devil was thinking — if man were to sin, how can God still love man. Thus, the devil is trying to trap God. We are caught in the battle of the ages.

II.         Two stories

1.   The story of Daniel.

The king tenderly loved Daniel, as Daniel had an excellent spirit. The other two governors and other princes were jealous as Daniel rose to the rank. They tried to find fault in him, and found one fault— he worshipped God. Daniel prayed 3 times per day at the balcony towards Jerusalem to God. They decided to trap Daniel with this deed of his.

Daniel 6:7-16

All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter." Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king's decree: "Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter." So they answered and said before the king, "That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day." And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed." So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you."

All the governors of the kingdom referred to three governors, including Daniel.

They went to the king and present to him that “whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days [except the king] shall be cast into the den of lions". They flattered the king and appealed to his pride. The king even thought that Daniel was behind this too.

Daniel knew about this plan of the governors, and yet he went to the balcony and worshiped God.

When Daniel knelt down on his knees three times that day, prayed and gave thanks before his God, the king at his throne had no ability to carry out what he wanted though he was greatly displeased with himself. It was a wicked law targeted at a good man, and yet the king was powerless.

Once the king put his seal on it, he could not change it. It’s a case of being powerless against the law. The king was displeased with himself. It is when love is powerless against the law.

The king said to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you."

Daniel went into the lions’ den and God shut the mouth of the lions.

Daniel went into the den of the lions. He has served his sentence, and gone through the judgment.

We have been through the judgment through the body of Jesus who bore my sins. Jesus bore my judgment and I am free. The promised seed, dragon slayer and death destroyer have come in the new testament.

God’s heart is mercy, and his throne is righteous.

2.   The story of the adulteress

In another story, Jesus was tested on how He would handle the situation of one who has committed adultery by teachers of laws and the Pharisees:

John 8:3-8

Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?"  This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

As Jesus was writing on the ground, His fingers touched the stones. If Jesus were to say, “Don’t stone her”, he was not keeping Moses’s laws

However, if He were to say, “stone her”, He would not be demonstrating His grace.

He could stone her but he would not. Jesus did not compromise his righteousness with His answer.

The sinner was eventually left alone with the saviour. He said to the lady:

"Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." (John 8:11)

  

In this story, this woman is guilty (it’s a just and holy law). However, there is also a dilemma presented.

In Daniel’s case, a wicked law against a godly man was presented.

In the second story, the woman was outwardly guilty. If the Pharisees really care about the law, they did not have to bring the woman to Jesus. The whole thing was targeted at Jesus.

The king in the story of Daniel adhered to the righteousness of the law.

Sometimes as a leader, we have to do justice to save the rest. In our hearts, we love mercy.

Lucifer is aiming towards God.

God gave the 10 commandments twice.  Moses broke the first set of the 10 commandments given. The second set of the 10 commandments was given to Moses again. However, it was placed at the ark of the covenant.

Jesus stood down and wrote twice. He wrote on the stony ground. Jesus’s finger was on the stone. This reminded the Pharisees that He was the one who gave Moses the law. Now, grace and truth must come. Here, He revealed His heart, while the Old Testament revealed His hand.

He was demonstrating by his action—I was the one who wrote the law, and since you were so zealous of the law, “he who has without sin among you, throw the first stone”.

They would stone her but they could not. He could stone her but He would not. Here, the law is now powerless against love, and yet the Lord upheld the law.

The law is righteous, unbending and inflexibly righteous, only grace can save us.

He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.- Jesus was the only one who is without sin. However, He did not cast a stone.

One by one, the accusers all left.

Jesus asked the woman, “Where are those accusers?” and told her, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

First, there is no condemnation, and then the sinners have the power to go and sin no more.

Jesus freed the woman, however, sin is still the sin. When people receive the gift of no condemnation, they will sin no more.

The cross changes everything. Jesus was punished and judged on our behalf. God is righteous in making us righteous.

Romans 3:24-26

being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

How could Jesus “pass over” the sin of the woman? He was going to pay for it at the cross.

He paid for the woman’s sins, He paid for all our sins at the cross.

III.      Conclusion

Romans 5:17

For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

It’s not “work of righteousness”. It’s the “gift of righteousness”.

Because of the cross, the law cannot successfully condemn you.

Isaiah 54:13-14

All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.

All the children must be taught, not “about” the Lord but “by” the Lord. In righteousness, you shall be established.

Proverbs 17:15

Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— the LORD detests them both.

Isaiah 54:17

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the Lord.

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and your righteousness is from the Lord.

Isaiah: 54:13-14

All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.

“Far from oppression” and you will not fear. You will be at the right place at the right time.

Matthew 6:31-33

Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

If you do that, all the things that you desire will come with it.

Many of us are pursuing things. We have been pursuing things and cannot attain any result.

If you put the primary thing (righteousness) in the primary place, the secondary things (the lower needs) will be added to you.

If you put secondary things (for instance, working to get wealthier) in the primary place, you will forfeit the primary blessings, and there is no promise that you can even get the secondary blessing.

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