22 April 2018 - Wise as Serpents Harmless as Doves - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online

22 April 2018 - Wise as Serpents Harmless as Doves - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online

Praise and Worship songs performed:

1. Lion and the Lamb - Bethel Music
2. God You’re So Good - Brett Younker
3. Here I Bow - Brian Johnson
4. Glorious and Beautiful - New Creation Worship

Hesed wisdom is “grace wisdom”. The most often used word for “wisdom” in the Bible in Hebrew is “chokmah”. In Greek, it is “sofia”.

Proverbs 3:13-17 - In the Book of Proverbs, Wisdom is personified as a woman.
When you embrace wisdom, you get five things: long life, riches, honor, pleasure and peace.

“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.” (Proverbs 3:13-17 NKJV)

James 1:17 - Good gifts are for the world but perfect gifts are for believers.
Ideas given to non-believers are good gifts whereas ideas given to believers are perfect gifts.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17 NKJV)

James 1:5-8 - If you are a wise person, you will always know that you lack wisdom.
If you ask God for wisdom, He will show you the root that’s causing your problems in life right now.
If you’re working in a company, your first duty is to make sure your company does well.
Witness and minister to your colleagues in your free time only, not during work hours. That’s wisdom.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8 NKJV)

Deuteronomy 8:18 - God won’t zap and make money drop from the sky - that’s counterfeit money and God doesn’t deal in counterfeit money.
God does not give you wealth. He gives you the power to get wealth.
The word “get” means to create. It’s talking about God giving you ideas to get wealth.

““And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV)

I Kings 3:4-28 - This is a burnt offering, not a sin offering.
Sin offering is for the atonement for sins. Burnt offering is where the righteousness of the lamb offered is transferred to the offerer.
The word of God calls the sin offering the most holy offering whereas burnt offering is just called holy -  The sin offering represents what Jesus did on the cross. That’s the most pleasing thing to God.
King Solomon didn’t have to offer 1000 burnt offerings - he could have just offered 1. It shows his great appreciation for Christ.
Long life (in wisdom’s right hand) for Solomon was conditional - based on whether he kept God’s commandments. He was still under the Law.
However we believers who are under grace have Jesus to give us long life - He is the Son of the Right Hand.
Ask God for length of days and you can freely receive it. When you get Jesus you get everything.
Solomon was worshipping God at Gibeon but the Ark of the Covenant wasn’t there. The Ark was in the City of David. The Ark represents Jesus.
The gold on the Ark represents Jesus’ deity, the wood represents Jesus’ body of flesh and the blood on the mercy seat represents the blood that Jesus shed for us.
Solomon worshipping at Gibeon where the Ark wasn't there is a picture of religion - where Jesus is not in the center.
The first thing Solomon did after he woke up from the dream is to worship where the Ark of the Covenant was.
The first sign of a man who has received wisdom: he appreciates the Lord’s presence.
The first thing Solomon said after he had heard the two women talk was “Bring me a sword”.
In the Bible, the “Sword” refers to the word of God.
In the Hebrew alphabet, “Aleph Tav” (A and Z) is the divine signature of Jesus. Jesus has the final word in your life.
“Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.” - In this phrase there are three occurrences of Aleph Tav.
God gives us the power to get wealth - God never gives you anything that makes you sinful.
Capitalism is something from God. Communism is not from God.
Jesus bore our sins in His body and His soul. Not in His spirit.
There is something greater than the love of a mother - God sent His only begotten Son to die for us on the cross. 

“Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him. And one woman said, “O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. Then it happened, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together; no one was with us in the house, except the two of us in the house. And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne.” Then the other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” And the first woman said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” Thus they spoke before the king. And the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ” Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.” Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him. ” So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.” (I Kings 3:4-28 NKJV)

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We are sheep sent in the midst of wolves. We need wisdom. Jesus is not telling us to lie like the serpent in the Garden of Eden. He’s telling us to be wise and subtle - the serpent is the subtlest of all creatures. Sometimes Christians only know how to love but don’t have wisdom.

God wants us to live a holy life - to be uncommon, different from the world

Want to know people? Listen to the words that come out of their mouths. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 
If someone is always speaking profanities, that’s what’s in his or her heart. 

God wants your life to be holy - uncommon - different from the world. You’re a diamond, not a pebble. 

Proverbs 17:27-28 - If you want people to think you’re smart, keep quiet. Don’t talk so much. 

“He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” (Proverbs 17:27-28 NKJV)

Hebrews 4:12 - The Bible refers to the word of God as a sword.
The word of God has a physical effect on your body too, not just spiritual. It can even create miracles for you. 
Paul was beyond his time when he wrote this - what is sharper than a sword? Laser.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV)

I Kings 4:29-34 - God gave Solomon a big heart. 
The greatest wisdom in this world is found in the pages of the Bible. 
Ethan, Heman, Chalcol, Darda, the sons of Mahol are all worship leaders. It seems that worship leaders are wise people who are close to God. 
The cedars of Lebanon represents the beautiful and excellent demeanor of Jesus.
The hyssop is used for sprinkling blood. Jesus is the Hyssop who came to sprinkle His blood on us so that we could be cleansed. 
Everything that God created on this earth was created for Jesus. Every creature speaks something about Jesus. 
God sanctioned the eating of meat. How do we get meat? The animal must be killed and burnt. Just like Jesus on the cross. 
The Hebrew letter “Shin” is the same shape as in our heart. God has written His name in our heart. 

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men— than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.” (I Kings 4:29-34 NKJV)

To be effective in this world, we need to have God's wisdom. Especially when persecution can get really dangerous - we can't afford to be foolish.

God wants us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves

​Matthew 10 - We are sheep sent in the midst of wolves. We need wisdom.
Jesus is not telling us to lie like the serpent in the Garden of Eden. 
He’s telling us to be wise and subtle - the serpent is the subtlest of all creatures. 
Sometimes Christians only know how to love but don’t have wisdom. 
Parents need to have wisdom. Sometimes parents need to allow their kids to face the consequences of their actions.
The worst thing you can do for the prodigal son in the pig pen is to give food to him while God was dealing with him. 

““Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16 NKJV)

Philippians 1:9 - Paul prayed this for believers. God wants us to be both loving and wise. 

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,” (Philippians 1:9 NKJV)

Psalm 112:5 - If you’re lending money to someone, ask yourself “are you willing to lose this sum of money?”.
Lending money can destroy relationships if not handled correctly. 

“A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.” (Psalms 112:5 NKJV)

Acts 17:16 - Paul was angry but he used wisdom. 

“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.” (Acts 17:16 NKJV)

Acts 17:22-34 - Paul didn’t denounce their idols. He used wisdom and commended them for their religiosity. 
Instead of trying to persuade people by speaking to their minds, speak to their hearts instead - love is the most powerful of all. 

“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter. ” So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” (Acts 17:22-34 NKJV)

Luke 21:13-15 - God can give you irrefutable wisdom. 

“But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.” (Luke 21:13-15 NKJV)

Acts 6:9-12 - Stephen had received this kind of wisdom. 

“Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.” (Acts 6:9-12 NKJV)

Acts 6:15 - Sometimes God will just cause your face to shine when you’re under persecution. 
Your face is a good indicator of what’s in your heart. 

“And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15 NKJV)

Proverbs 26:18-19 - Don’t tell people (especially your spouse and children) these kind of hurtful jokes. You’re helping the devil throw fiery darts. 

“Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!”” (Proverbs 26:18-19 NKJV)

Scientific research shows that humans only use about 10% of our brain power. The remaining 90% is activated when we become believers: there are 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit. ​

I Corinthians 1:30-31 - In Jesus is our wisdom from God. 

“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”” (I Corinthians 1:30-31 NKJV)

Pastor Prince’s Closing Prayer: 
He prayed that we will have a hearing heart, that we will walk in love with discernment and be wise - 
That we go forth in the midst of wolves and be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 
He prayed for us to be the light of the world, to shine. And to be the salt of the earth, that our flavor will attract the world to Jesus. 
He prayed that we will be safe from all harm.

​Get Pastor Joseph Prince's latest book "Live the Let-Go Life: Breaking Free from Stress, Worry, and Anxiety" Here
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Scientific research shows that humans only use about 10% of our brain power. The remaining 90% is activated when we become believers: there are 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit.

I hope that you have been blessed by reading this post on "22 April 2018 - Wise as Serpents Harmless as Doves - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online".

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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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