Joseph Prince - Freed From The Fear Of Death
Praise God, hallelujah. Happy Resurrection Day, the day death met its death in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a day, amen? The Bible tells us that death is an enemy to God. Just like sin is an enemy to God, the devil is an enemy to God, death is an enemy to God. It's never God's plan that man should die. That's why God hates death. The way he hates sin, God hates death and presently we're gonna see that the Scripture says that the last enemy that will be put under the feet of Jesus is death. And we're gonna explain to you how death has been vanquished but, effectively, in the life of the believers we are waiting for that day when death is put under the feet of Jesus experientially for us, amen. Nonetheless, Jesus conquered death and brought eternal life. That life that you and I have, the life that you and I possess, is a life that has swallowed up death. Can I have a good "Amen"?
Look at this verse. The Bible tells in verse 14, Hebrews 2: "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, Jesus Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil". That tells us clearly that death is not from God. But does that make the devil powerful in the sense that he has the power of death? No, friend. The devil does not have any power in and of himself, but what he borrows. Let me explain. There is something that God ordained, all right, called the law. And the Bible says very clearly that the law brings death. In fact, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, notice it's called the knowledge of good and evil, it's not called the tree of death. It is not called the tree of sin. It's called the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Today, what is the knowledge of good and evil? The law. God says, "Don't eat from that tree. The day you eat it, you shall die". You know, when God first gave the law, 3000 people died at the foot of Mount Sinai. In 2 Corinthians 3, the Word of God tells us the ministry of death written and engraved on stones. The only part of the law that was engraved on stones, written on stones by the finger of God, are the Ten Commandments. So since the devil knows that, you know what he does? What he does is that he flashes before you the Ten Commandments and he tells you that every time you do something wrong, you can expect bad things to happen, even to die early.
Notice that the devil don't come straight and kill. What he does, he accuses. In other words, the power of death is in his accusation. If you accept the condemnation, if you accept the accusation, all right, the devil has you. That's why in Hebrew, his name HaSatan means prosecutor in law, the accuser. Only when you accept accusation can you come under that power of death. Listen carefully, friend. Because a man sinned, everybody's gonna die. But Jesus did something for us. The Bible says that "through death He destroyed the devil who had the power of death, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage".
Look at these verses. Isn't it clear that God has done something about our fear of death? There must be a revelation that we must receive today that cause us no longer to be afraid of death. But if you have this idea anytime you can die, anytime the devil can pick your number, then, friend, you are not free from the fear of death. Aren't you glad you came today? Obviously, Jesus Christ has done something to release us. And the Bible says that through death he destroyed the devil. I love that word, "destroy". The word there in the Greek, "katargeo," means to deprive the power, deprive the devil of the power, to bankrupt him, to annul him, to put him to naught. The question is this: if Jesus conquered death, "And Pastor Prince..." for the people of the world we understand they don't believe in Christ, this is only true for those who believe in Christ, his victory can only be effective in the lives of those who believe in him. God will not honor people who will spurn the great grace gift that his Son made possible, amen.
So among those who believe, why is it that death seems to still be triumphing? Well, friend, I believe the day is coming, you see, one thing about victory, there is a victory that has been accomplished and there's a victory that is made effective in our experience. Let me explain. In the Old Testament there is a story of Joshua: as he conquered the enemies, there were five groups of enemies that came against Joshua and there were five kings. And Joshua told his captains, all the captains of his army, "Come over here". And he made the five kings, these brutal vicious five kings, all right, he made them bow to the ground, and Joshua told his captains, "Put your foot on their necks". How many understand it is one thing for them to be defeated. It's another thing to really experience it. God wants you to experience it.
All right, let's read this in 1 Corinthians 15, all right? "Then comes the end, when Jesus delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He put an end to all rule and all authority and power. For Christ must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy," see, God calls death an enemy. "The last enemy that will be destroyed is death". But when Jesus rose from the dead, death has been abolished. Death has been vanquished. So what does this verse say in "the last enemy"? It's talking about "under His feet". "He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet". Now, the feet is part of the body. The body of Christ is the church. It's talking about the victory already executed, the victory against the five kings has been executed, but they must be brought under your feet. That is experience. I am telling you, church, before Jesus Christ comes back, the body of Christ will have power in Christ to put death at bay. He is the head, we are the body, the church.
Well, in Matthew 22, verse 44, Jesus shared this. Jesus said, "The Lord said to my Lord," now this is God the Father saying to God the Son, and he's quoting this to the Pharisees, all right, because early on they challenged him. And he said, "God the Father said", David said. He said, David said, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand.'" So we know this to be God the Father telling the Son, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool". The footstool of the monarch at the time, the king, is that they have a throne and they put their feet on a footstool. God is saying, "The enemies are defeated, but I'm collecting them all to make them the footstool of the church, the body of Christ, where the feet belongs". Are you listening, people?
All right, now, who is gonna make Jesus's enemies his footstool? God says, "I make". "I make". What are we required to do? Don't forget, when Jesus rose from the dead, just like Jesus died for us, when he rose from the dead, he did it for us, and today we are seated with Christ at the right hand. So whatever the Father tells him, the Father says, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool," God is telling us. You know what God is saying? Would you like God to make your enemies your footstool in Christ? This is what God is saying. The only thing that he wants you to do: sit. Have a throne attitude, sit. Sit. The devil says: "What are you gonna do about it"? You say, "Not me. God says, 'Until I make.' Go tell him. I sit". And God will make your enemies your footstool, amen? Are you with me so far?
Now, I'm bringing this to a close. I hope you are with me. But the thing is this, church. There is a beautiful psalm of protection that we have used in our church, especially during the SARS outbreak in Singapore. When the SARS broke out in 2003, we're only a few thousand people but still quite a lot. People would shun public places, but our church was packed still. Our people knew the promises of Psalms 91 that I'd been preaching. In fact, we had a little 3 x 5 card that we would make available for all of you. You still remember that, those who were there? And you put it in your purses and your wallet, and I had you all, you know, commit yourself to read that, to confess that, every day. Psalms 91 says here in verse 1: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty".
This Psalm is a psalm of protection. I study and preach on this psalms since the '90s, but recently I've been asking God, "Where is this secret place"? I wanna know because the two names of God as mentioned here, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High," that is El Elyon, "Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty," that is Shaddai. The two names of God. And then the word, "He who dwells in the," Hebrew word, "yashev," which means sit. "He who sits in the secret place of the Most High," literally yashev. You'll be flanked by these wonderful names of God as your divine protection, El Elyon, the Most High God, on one side. The Almighty, Shaddai, on the other side. But it doesn't answer the question. It tells you the attitude: sit. But what is this secret place? You ever read your Bible and ask questions?
So I asked God this, and one day God answered me, sometime back, and I've been waiting only for an occasion like this to share with all of you for the first time. Never heard anyone preach this. This is fresh from God, okay? And I'll prove to you, from the Bible. So I read this and I asked God, "God, where is the secret place"? And God says, "What are the two names revealed there in this one verse? El Elyon, Most High God, and Shaddai, El Shaddai, the Almighty". God says, "When did these names appear"? And I knew my Bible then, already, enough to know that El Elyon appears in Genesis 14. Say, "Genesis 14". When, in the life of Abraham, when Abraham came from the slaughter of the kings, Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God, came, a type of Christ, came with bread and wine and greeted Abraham like this: "Blessed be the El Elyon, the Most High God". That was the first occurrence of the name "El Elyon," in the life of Abraham.
What about Shaddai? When did it first occur? Also in the life of Abraham. Three chapters after Genesis 14, in Genesis 17 God appeared to Abraham when Abraham was about 99 years old and God said to Abraham, "I am Almighty God," literally, "I am El Shaddai". So God still told me: Genesis 14, the first occurrence of El Elyon mentioned in the Bible. Genesis 17, the first occurrence of El Shaddai appearing. And God says, "Find out what happened in these two chapters, 14 and 17, means what? 15 and 16, in between". God says, "And then you'll find your secret place". What happened in those chapters? 15, he believed the same gospel you and I believe. It's the gospel message. He believed in the Lord and God gave him the gift of righteousness. God imputed righteousness to him.
How about next chapter? It's chapter 16. This is the problem. Chapter 16, there's a problem. You know what's the problem? Hagar. The entire chapter is about Hagar. Hagar is not God's idea. She was a woman that was given to Abraham when he was in Egypt, and he slept with her and produced Ishmael. And the Bible tells us in the book of Galatians that Hagar is a type of the old covenant from Mount Sinai that produces bondage. So, in other words, once you are righteous by faith, don't go under the law. Abraham did and you know what happened? It caused Abraham 13 years before God says, "I am El Shaddai". Thirteen years. So what is the message for us? It's the gospel message, people. It's the same message.
And, friend, one verse you need to look at and this is the verse, look at this verse in Philippians 3. The Bible says Paul says, "Be found in Christ, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith". Your own righteousness is from the law. Some people say, "But Pastor Prince, I'm not conscious of the law and all that," but you're still trying to produce your own righteousness. That is the law. But Paul says, "I don't want to have my own righteousness, but the righteousness which is from faith in Christ, the righteousness of faith". Look at this, the result. "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection".
Why is it the church of Jesus Christ does not know the power of his resurrection? Why is it that they're so poor in their knowledge of him, they do not know him and the power of his resurrection? Because the righteousness of faith is not being preached. When you see Jesus hanging on the cross, you don't see what's happening in the Spirit. But if your eyes to see... one day I was praying many years ago and I saw this, like a whirlwind, a cyclone, in the clouds above him, gathering momentum, the storm increasing, and then it broke over his head, being absorbed in his person.
And I saw, like, sin, I saw condemnation, I saw curse, I saw sickness, all of them just being absorbed into his very person, like a whirlwind. And I told myself, "One of these days, I wanna have this kind of video presentation, to show the people," and we have it ready for the first time ever. You people are the first, today, to watch it, before anyone else watches it. Sit back, church, and let's go back in time to that day when Jesus hung on the cross. From God with love.
Praise God. My dream fulfilled. I want the world to see. If you're someone just preaching, see what happened in the Spirit. Friend, all that he did is because of his love for us. The devil out there wants God to appear in a religious setting, but Christianity is not a religion. Jesus didn't say, "I come to give you religion. I come to give you rules and more rules". He said, "I came to give you life, and life more abundantly". He came to make us righteous. You can be righteous by the blood of Jesus, wearing just a T-shirt. Friend, he loves you, and there was a demonstration of God's love for you. All that he has done will be in vain if you don't receive it.
See, God will never force on you his forgiveness. God will never force on you his love. God will never force on you victory over death. He won't force these things on you, even though he loves you, he respects your free choice. But he loves you and he's saying, "Come home, come home to love. Come home to forgiveness. Come home to victory". If that is you wherever you are, that's watching this, and you say, "Pastor Prince, I want this wonderful Jesus to be my personal Savior and Lord," however you're watching this right now, you're gonna put your trust in Christ, in all he has done for you, and pray this prayer with me right now. Every head bowed, every eye closed, everywhere that's watching this. Say this from your heart. Say:
Heavenly Father, I believe in your love for me. You loved me even when I rebelled. When I went astray, and I didn't care about you, you loved me still. Thank you for the gift of your Son, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He died on the cross for my sins. He took my place, bore my judgment, and died instead of me. And Father, I thank you my sins are forgiven, the law is fully completed and fulfilled. The devil is defeated and, Father, you are glorified. You are my Lord Jesus now and forever more. In Jesus's name, amen. Amen, amen, amen.
Stand to your feet, church. If you prayed that prayer just now, you are now a child of God. Old things are passed away. Remember, what Christ did is now becoming real in your life. Death, where is it? Is it in front of you? Behind you. Always think, all right, you are now a resurrected being in an unresurrected body. When Jesus comes again, you have a new body, amen? But always think of yourself as someone alive from the dead, amen? And you will find you have an effect on your body as well. Praise the Lord. Lift your hands to the Lord.
Remember the El Shaddai, the God who is more than enough, the Most High God, El Elyon, who created the heavens and the earth, he's humbled himself to behold you and me. He who made the planets and the galaxies of the universe has come to this planet Earth and died for our sins. This same God is more than enough to protect you for this week, you and your families. Only God can put you at the right place at the right time.
Friend, you are now righteous, not by your works but by faith. And because you are righteous by faith, you are now seated with Christ in heavenly places. You are now in the secret place that all the prophets, all the patriarchs, all the Old Testament saints, were longing to have that place, and now you are in that place. Learn to rest in his love. Learn to rest this week. Do not be fearful, do not be worried for the future. And do not have guilt about the past. Learn to rest in his love.
This coming week, the Lord bless you and your families and the Lord keep you, protect you and your loved ones throughout this week from every sickness and disease, from all harm and accidents, from all the powers of darkness and from the evil one. The Lord make his face shine on you and be favorable to you. The Lord grant you great favor everywhere you go. The Lord grant you to be at the right place at the right time, enjoying his free favors. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and your loved ones and grant to you and yours his shalom peace. In the name of Yeshua HaMashiach, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen and amen.