25 December 2016 - Al-Tirah: Living A Fear-Free Life - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online

5/1/2017

25 December 2016 - Al-Tirah: Living A Fear-Free Life - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." - (Isaiah 9:6, NKJV)

Luke 7:36-50 - The woman with the alabaster box of ointment had a questionable career. Every time she went to work as a prostitute, she lost a bit of her soul.
When Jesus was a guest in Simon the Pharisee's house, the woman "bedewed" Jesus' feet with her tears and wiped His feet with her hair.
The ointment she bought was very expensive, but she poured it all onto Jesus' feet.
Jesus spoke a parable to Simon the Pharisee in terms of what he understood best - money.
Simon loved Jesus little, because he thought he was forgiven little. The woman loved Jesus much because she knew that she was forgiven much.
Jesus told her "your faith has saved you". It's not our works that saves us, it's our faith in Jesus.

“Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”” ‭(‭Luke‬ ‭7:36-50‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Jesus did not begin existing in the virgin Mary's womb. He existed with the Father since the beginning.
There are no three Gods. There is only one God.
The Lord our God is one. "One" can mean a single God, and it can also mean the united God.

If you are worried or troubled, remember that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. The peace He gives is an aggressive peace.
Even in the midst of your trouble, you can have His peace.
The night before Jesus was crucified, Jesus said "My peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you."
The peace Jesus gives us is not the false peace that the world has. It is true peace.

Luke 1:11-13 - "Al-tirah" in Hebrew means "fear not". If a citizen of heaven, an angel, comes from a place where there is peace, no death, and no decay, what would he say? What would his message be?
The Christmas story tells us that when the angel Gabriel came to Zechariah, he told him, "do not be afraid".
It's beautiful how Hebrew names carry lots of meaning - The name "Zechariah" means "God remembers" - don't be afraid, God remembers!
We are fearing something all the time, but the message from heaven is al-tirah, do not be afraid!
All of us believers have favor with God.

“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:11-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Simon the Pharisee thought he was righteous. He was righteous by human's standard - externally.
But when you look at his heart, it's full of sin. Actually all of us have broken the Ten Commandments.
You may say: "I have never murdered anyone!" But have you ever wished evil upon your boss/relative/loved one?
You may say: "I have never slept with anyone outside my marriage!" But have you ever mentally undressed someone else?
We all put the Ten Commandments outside, but God puts it inside.
The Ten Commandments is not for us to keep to be righteous. It is a mirror to show us our sinfulness, and our need for a Savior.
Yet the message to sinners is al-tirah, do not be afraid! For it is born to us this day in the city of David, a Savior!
Not a Lawgiver like Moses, but a Savior, and His name is Jesus. When man was still in his sin, God said al-tirah.

"Al-tirah" in Hebrew means "fear not". If a citizen of heaven, an angel, comes from a place where there is peace, no death, and no decay, what would he say? What would his message be? The Christmas story tells us that when the angel Gabriel came to Zechariah, he told him, "do not be afraid". It's beautiful how Hebrew names carry lots of meaning - The name "Zechariah" means "God remembers" - don't be afraid, God remembers! We are fearing something all the time, but the message from heaven is al-tirah, do not be afraid! All of us believers have favor with God.

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In the place near where Rachel died, the temple flock of sheep was kept in that area.
Shepherds watched over that flock. Those sheep were bred to be sacrificed at the temple.
God was the first One to kill an innocent animal to cover Adam and Eve's sins.
Our good works can never atone for our sins. Without the shedding of blood, there can never be the forgiveness of sins.
The sacrifice of animals is God's visual aid to man - it represents Jesus' blood shed on the cross for us.
Only the perfect sacrifice of the Messiah can cleanse us of all our sins.

The children of Israel's sins can be covered by the sacrificing of sheep because it's substitution. The innocent animal dies in place of the sinner.
God knows that there is no goodness in our flesh. Sometimes we need to go through the school of hard knocks before we know how weak and bad we are.

God chose the lamb as a visual aid because it typifies Jesus. The animal must represent Him. The lamb must be without blemish.
When the sinner lays his hands upon the sacrificial lamb, that's called identification- identifying with the righteous lamb.
God cannot provide for you, bless you and keep you in good health without the atonement of your sins. So the lamb is provided as an atonement.
All the sins of the sinner are transferred to the lamb and the lamb is killed in place of the sinner.

All the blood of sacrificial animals slain on Jewish altars can only cover sins year after year, but they can never take away sins.
It's like a credit card, it is not a true payment.
What the lamb deserves (blessings, grace and favor), the sinner gets, what the sinner deserves (death), the lamb gets.

John 8:3-11 - Jesus is the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. The Pharisees examined Jesus the Lamb for one whole week.
They tried to catch Jesus in His words - they asked must they pay taxes to Caesar?
They threw a woman caught in the act of adultery at Jesus' feet and tested Jesus to see what He would do.
They were not trying to uphold God's law. They were trying to catch Jesus.
The Bible says that Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground made of stone with His finger.
When God first wrote the Ten Commandments, He wrote it with His finger on stones.
Jesus wrote on stone as if to say - "You presume to tell Me about the Law when I was the One who wrote the Law? Let me give you the full light of the Law!"
Jesus brought the Law to its pristine standard. In fact, Jesus said stone the woman, but the one without sin should throw the first stone.
The Pharisees would stone her, but they could not. Jesus could stone her, but He would not.
Jesus did not compromise the Law. One by one the Pharisees left, leaving the woman alone with her Savior.
Jesus said "neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more". God wants us to know that we have the gift of no condemnation.
Only when people know that there's no condemnation from God, then can they have the power to go and sin no more.
Unfortunately the church has got it in reverse - they preach that believers should go and sin no more first and then they will not be condemned.

“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. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭8:3-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Jesus hanging on the cross is not an accident. God planned for it - He foreknew it.
God has already gone to 2017 and came back for us.
He wants to lead us by the hand through the new year.

God sees us as much more valuable than birds. If God feeds and provides for the birds of the air, will He not much more provide for us?

Luke 2:8-15 - On the night of Jesus' birth, the angel said al-tirah to the shepherds, and a company of angels appeared to them.
The message is always first do not be afraid.
The brightness of the angels' appearing made the night become like the day.
When Jesus hung there on the cross, midday became dark like midnight, so that we can always walk in the light.

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭2:8-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

No one took Jesus' life from Him. He laid down His life.
One time the Roman soldiers came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and when they asked for Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus said "I AM", and all the soldiers fell.
"I AM" is the name of God when He appeared to Moses in the burning bush.
Nowadays we are tired, but God will supply the fire to us such that we will not be burnt up or consumed.

Jesus laid down on the cross when He was to be nailed to the cross. No wonder the Roman centurion marveled when he saw Jesus - usually the people being crucified would be crying, struggling, and begging not to be crucified.
When Jesus hung on the cross, darkness covered the land.
It is interesting that China (it existed in Jesus' time) recorded in their annals of history that there was a worldwide eclipse at midday exactly at the time when Jesus hung on the cross.

One of God's names is Counsellor. He can give you advice and bring things to your attention that you would not have noticed or be able to know on your own.

Jesus for the first time, at the cross, cried out "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?".
He always called God His Father, except at the cross.
He cry out as such not because He didn't know why God forsook Him, but He said it for our benefit -
for us to know that Jesus called God "My God" to so that we can call God "My Father".
Jesus was scourged with the cat-o-nine-tails (a brutal whip with shards of glass and other sharp objects that fastens into the skin and rips it out when pulled out).
Why was He hit? So that by His stripes, we would be healed.
All that Jesus deserves - all the favor and blessings, is transferred to us, if we would but receive them.

What Jesus did at the cross fully met all the righteous demands of a Thrice-Holy God. Our sins were fully paid for.
Jesus positioned His head in a bowed position and He dismissed His spirit. That's power.
His head did not drop, He positioned it for death.
Jesus announced "Finished!" and it means that the devil is defeated.

God lives outside of time. He created time. God is able to go to the future and lay all our sins upon Jesus at the cross.
God sees the entire parade, whereas we only see a portion of it.

Now God can unleash His love upon us. Our sins were fully paid for in the body of Jesus Christ.
He cannot punish us for our sins twice. In the courts of Law, it's called "The Law of Double Jeopardy": The same crime cannot be tried twice.

On the night of Jesus' birth, the angel said al-tirah to the shepherds, and a company of angels appeared to them. The message is always first do not be afraid. The brightness of the angels' appearing made the night become like the day. When Jesus hung there on the cross, midday became dark like midnight, so that we can always walk in the light.

The woman with the alabaster jar of ointment (whose soul was lost little by little every time she lay down with an unknown man to be intimate) was restored. When God restores it's never like the way man restores. When man restores, it's never as good as the original state.
When God restores, it's always greater in quality and greater in quantity. Where sin abounds, grace superabounds!

A dying prophet, Elisha told the one who was going to be king to hit the arrow on the ground.
He hit it three times on the ground and Elisha said "What are you doing? Now you only have three victories" - He should keep hitting it on the ground repeatedly.
Man always limits God and doesn't receive the fullnesss of what God has for him.
Jesus multiplied the loaves and there were 12 basketfuls of loaves leftover.
The people all ate until they were satisfied.
God's supply is always more than the demand. God's supply for 2017 is greater than your demand.

Man can disappoint you, but Jesus cannot disappoint you. We are disappointed when we take our eyes off Him and look at our circumstances.

In Israel, the sacrificial lamb would be killed at 9am (morning sacrifice) and at 3pm (evening sacrifice). Jesus fulfilled both.

Grace means no demands, but only supply. When we are asked by God to do something, He will supply us the grace to do it.
All God asks is for us to allow Him to love us.

Stop trying to be your own Savior. When God provides, it's perfect.
He gave us His Son and Jesus died for us on the cross, so that all our sins are forgiven.
The things of God are simple, but powerful.

Pastor Joseph Prince prayed that 2017 will be a year where we keep receiving from God.
How can you be a blessing if you don't receive from God first?
On a flight, they always make the announcement that in an emergency, please put on your oxygen mask first before you attend to your children.
How can you attend to your children if you are knocked unconscious?
You must receive first before you can be a blessing to others.

Pastor Prince prayed that we would all receive our three prayer requests for 2017 (this is a culture in New Creation Church to present three prayer requests to God at the end or beginning of the new year).
The cross is not the source of God's goodness, it is an expression of His goodness.
When we approach God's throne of grace, all the things we don't deserve, we get, because of grace.
The only reason God wants our prayers to be answered is so that our joy may be full. He wants us to be full of joy.

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* Please Take Note: These sermon notes are not official New Creation Church (NCC) or Pastor Joseph Prince sermon notes. These sermon notes are not affiliated with NCC or Pastor Prince.
I highly recommend purchasing Pastor Prince's sermons on his mobile app "Joseph Prince" on Apple App Store or Google Play Store even after you read these notes as I may have missed out something he shared and the overall experience is definitely different when you listen to him preaching directly!
Use these notes as a revision guide instead of solely depending on them!

These sermon notes are independently-compiled by me, and I'm just a loyal and regular attendee of the the church's Sunday services, and I feel led to take detailed personal sermon notes of Pastor Prince's anointed messages to share them with the world, which desperately needs the true word of God and the original gospel of grace.

I feel blessed to be able to attend Pastor Joseph Prince's services in person, and would like to help everyone who isn't able to attend in person, to get hold of the messages as soon as it is preached!

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