Joseph Prince - Activate Your Grace Gifts (02/16/2026)
Heaven's greatest joy is the presence of Christ at the center of all worship, love, and attention—the rapture's best part is seeing Him face to face. The preacher explains how bringing Jesus (the perfect Lamb) to the Father in worship pleases God, reminds Him of His beloved Son's sacrifice, and brings breakthrough, as seen in Old Testament offerings and the new creation reality in Christ.
Christ – The Center of Heaven's Worship
Heaven won't be heaven if Christ is not there. He is the center of heaven of all of heaven's worship. Heaven's attention, heaven's love. That's the best thing about the rapture. Immediately we get to see him face to face. Amen. Have you noticed that the Father is pleased with anyone who brings his son to him in worship? In other words, you bring that consciousness of the love of Jesus for you. You bring to him the consciousness that Jesus is your savior. He gave his life on the cross for your sins. How do we know that God is pleased with that? Because every time in the Old Testament, when they offer a burnt offering, God brings in the miracle. God gives them the breakthrough. Amen.
It's like the offerer because he has sin. He brings the lamb without blemish. A picture of Jesus to the priest who represents God and the priest examines not the offerer is obvious why he's there. He has sin in his life. See, that's the mistake a lot of people make even after they become believers, they're so self occupied, whether they feel worthy to talk to God that day, whether they feel like God would answer their prayers because or they heard some bad news about some bad prognosis, about their physical condition, and they think that today I'm not in the flow because I've not been reading my Bible. They always think about themselves, what they do, whether they behave badly or good.
Focus on the Lamb, Not Yourself
It's not a matter of you, my friend, it's a matter of your lamb. So you bring your lamb to God. What is that? You're reminding the father of his son, the son that he loves. Jesus said this. Therefore, my father loved me because I lay down my life. You see, the Father always loved the son even before he came to earth. The Father loves the Son. In the book of Proverbs, I was daily his delight before creation, and yet God so loved you that he gave you his only begotten son. What are we that God will love us and give up his son? Not an angel, not a Gabriel or a Michael, the angel, but his son, the son that he loves for you. Amen for me. Wow, God loves you.
So when you bring his son, it fills God's heart. God doesn't look at the offerer anymore. God looks at his son and then the offerer does something in front of the priest. He lays his hands on his lamb. Laying your hands is identification. In other words, do not from now on see me as me in all my ugliness, in all my sins. See me in this lamb. So every time you put your trust in Jesus, my friend, you see friend, I'm preaching the gospel again. Amen. Because we live every day on the gospel and the reason we do communion is to God. Jesus says, remember me. He wants to be remembered, especially in the aspect of his dying love for you. He wants to be remembered. Often you see, you bring the lamb before the Father and you identify yourself with the lamb.
Identification with Christ – New Creation Reality
And that's what many of you have done when you put your trust in Christ and from this moment that you put your trust in Christ, from that moment, God never sees you in you anymore. As far as God is concerned, that old man is gone. God sees you in all the glories, in all the acceptance, in all the favor and the pleasure of his son that his son has with him. Amen. As He is. So are we in this world just like God looks at all of us, no matter how good we try to become, we are condemned not because of our sins, but because of Adam's sin and then condemn secondarily for the sins that we do. But the reason we sin is because of that sin nature that came from Adam.
So God sent another Adam, but he has to come as a man. There's no other way he has to come as a man. So Jesus came in the flesh died on the cross, and when he died on the cross, all of the sons of Adam, the first creation of men all died in him. It's as if God says this creation of Adam. There's nothing good in his flesh. It's nothing but sin and corruption. So God finished with the old Adam. All of us died in our old man, and then in the resurrection of Christ, there is a brand new man. Can I have a good amen?
So whether you feel like it, you don't feel like it, whether you are conscious of it or you are ignorant of it because you're not well taught. You are a brand new man in Christ, and that's the name of our church. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creation. All things have passed away. All things have become new. Amen. Praise the Lord.
Worship – Reminding the Father of His Son
So worship is nothing more than the words that we speak about his son to him, to the Father. Worship is reminding the father of his son and how wonderful he is. It's the same thing like you do when you look at pictures of your son or your daughter when they're not with you. Amen. You love to be reminded. It's not that you do not know how they look. They can be in the same house, but there are times at night when Justin is asleep, Jessica is asleep. I love to see my children passed by a picture of Jessica when she was about four years old and she was so icy and I think to myself how the years pass parents do you do that and you pause sometimes and think about when the picture was taken, you still find joy.
It's not that you don't find joy in them and then you have to find new joy. It's that it's the pleasure of your heart to be reminded. That's why one of the ways to talk to people when you don't know what to talk about and they have children and you have children, you talk about children and all of a sudden they come alive. Amen. Normal parents come alive. They are parents who have no sense of responsibility. I'm talking about normal parents. We love to talk about children, our grandchildren, amen. We love talking about them and we can talk for a long time about them. We send pictures to people. We don't really care about our grandchildren, but we want to send them. We want them to care. You understand? Amen. And we all like that. God loves his son.
The Father's Love Demonstrated on the Cross
So in go to Abraham, take your son, your only son, the son that you love, and offer him a man. Moriah, you'll never know what anguish, pangs the fathers of father's heart feels. Abraham had a little inkling of that when he brought his son, the son that he loved Isaac up Mount Moriah, but God spare him, didn't he? But what God did in sparing Abraham of the ultimate thing, the ultimate anguish of a father's heart, God did not spare his. And now we can tell God. Now I know that you love me because you did not spare your son, your only son, the son that you love.
The apostle of grace says it's like this. He who spared not his own son, but gave him up for us all. How will he not with him also freely give us all things. Amen. I tell you this, if you meditate on that verse alone, make it your memory verse for this week and here and there, he's in the jam or whatever. You have moments, just bring up that verse. He that spared not his own son the best, but gave him up for us all. Who did he give up for sins? How will he not with him? Also freely give us how many things, all things I'm telling you sometimes even before you pray, the answer comes because you are conscious like never before of this wonderful gift of his love. Amen.
The Good Shepherd's Care and Healing
And Lord Jesus, we thank you that you are our good shepherd. We gave your life for us. And Lord, these are your sheep Lord. And we see in your word Lord, that the good shepherd will always heal the wounded among the sheep. He'll always pour in the oil, the power of the Holy Spirit upon the wounds and heal Lord Jesus, even for those Lord that you feel have been stressed out because of parenting situations. Lord, your word says He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall carry the lambs and gently lead those that are with young and you will pour in the oil and the wine even for the parents that are stressed over their situation, love their daughters or their sons. I thank you Lord. You are the good shepherd and Lord Jesus, you know, Lord, the things that some of these wonderful sheep, Lord, that you have blessed so much, Lord, but you know, Lord, some of the things that they have gone through, Lord, maybe this past week, this past month, and Lord, you stand more than ready Lord to pour in that oil and the wine and heal and restore even in the midst of our symptoms, in the midst of our enemies. I thank you Lord. You make us the feast at your lavish table with more than enough. And when you anoint us, Lord, even right now, Lord, our anointing is running over more than enough.
And Lord, I'm asking you right now, in the name of Jesus, supply your healing supply, what nature cannot restore in the name of Jesus, supply that healing right now. Lord, supply with more than enough healing for that condition in the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. Amen. Give him praise. Hallelujah.
Healing Through the Word and Preaching
Then you may be seated once again just to remind you that the Lord doesn't stop healing just because we sit down and he doesn't tell the angels they sat down already. Stop pouring the oil of wine. Amen. Oil of the Holy Spirit, hallelujah. No. In fact, many times when the word goes forth, God heals. Amen. It is God's ordained way. Do you know that? That's why when you receive a bad report, listen to the word of God as much as you can. It doesn't have to be my message. It can be any other message that speaks to you, but it must be along the lines of healing. It cannot be someone who's saying that God doesn't heal today, don't listen to such stuff. Amen. Amen. Like they say of those day of miracles have over. We know there's no such thing as day of miracles. It's always been the God of miracles and he's still here. Hallelujah. Amen.
So listen to messages, because God's ordained way in the book of Corinthians, we find that it has pleased God. Ms. God is pleased with this method. It has pleased God to save. And the word save there, sozo is also heal, make whole restore. Amen. Save, heal. The restore is yes, please God, that by the foolishness of preaching to save, to heal. Now, it doesn't say foolishness of preachers, thank God. Amen. Although a few of us can qualify for that, I myself. Okay? So by the foolishness of preaching, now you think about preaching, someone stands down there, he talks. God is literally showing us, he talks, he preaches like Paul, right in the book of Acts, and then someone in Lystra, the city called Lystra. He was lame. He has been lame all this while, but hearing Paul preach and Paul shouted, stand upright on your feet, and the man leaped up, he was healed. Amen.
The Power of Listening to Christ-Centered Preaching
Now, what did he do? He was listening to Paul preach before he was healed. What was he doing? He was listening to Paul preach. So in someone who is like an Athenian or a guy from Macedonia, look at the entire thing and he was talking to himself. How can something like this happen? The foolishness, the guy just talking, no, he's talking is not like your people talking. Amen. It's not like your orators or the Greek orators that are famous for making speeches, the Toastmasters. Amen. They talk or they might give you things for you to do and apply for success, but you must apply it. You don't apply it. There'll be no success. So stay contingent on you. But the foolishness of preaching that the Bible talks about by the foolishness of preaching is preaching the gospel. And the gospel heals you without your effort minus your works. It's got nothing to do with you.
So when you listen, but there's a way of listening. Jesus taught us this in the parable of the sower, how to get the maximum benefit out of God's word. Amen. He says that in one place. He taught the parable in three gospels and everyone has a message. And he said this, take heed how you hear another gospel, it says, take heed what you hear. You got to make sure that the subject matter is Christ and it's finished work. No other place can you find this. You cannot find this on television today. You cannot find it on social media unless it is a Christian site. They don't want the name of Jesus to be mentioned any other name, but not the name of Jesus. You watch the interview, they take the name of Jesus out. All right? I want to thank God and my Lord Jesus Christ for this, and I've been going through it a time. Then they just keep the one and put it. So the world is not for Christ. If God wants to hear about his son, it'll be from you. Amen. You talk about Jesus, the more you talk about Jesus, the Father is pleased. Amen.
Grace Upon Grace – Continuous Favor
So let's talk about Jesus, the king of kings. Is he the Lord of Lords Supreme? In fact, recently my wife showed me also a very good presentation on social media about a prayer that's going on, but she's very astute. She says that. But the only thing is that it's all about God. God, God, the person wants his ministry to be so well accepted, doesn't even mention the name Jesus. Now, I'll tell you one thing, without Jesus, you cannot receive any of God's blessings. How do you receive eternal life? How that you receive forgiveness of sins and this life from God that goes on perpetually. Amen. Therefore, the believer is like sleep where you transcend from one dimension to another dimension or from earth to heaven. Amen. You're still alive. The body, they bury or they cremate whatever the body is not the same body. Even if you're alive in the rapture that you'll bring with you, you have a brand new body. So the real person is alive. That's why we do not sorrow for our loved ones who have gone to be with the Lord as those who have no hope, because we know the truth can have agree, amen.
So what Jesus did has pleased the Father so much, but again, I don't want you to think that the Father loved Jesus because of the greatest act that he did on that cross on our behalf, because he loved the father and he loved us. He laid down his life and that life became the sin offering for all our sins. Amen is all put away. Praise the Lord. We thank God for that because Jesus himself said, therefore, my father love me because I lay down my life. But that is but a fresh impetus. The Father love him all the time. Amen.
The Father's Fresh Love in Christ's Sacrifice
Just like my son Justin, let's say he does something for me in a special way. And the other day he was saying that for his prelim oral exam, English, he said that he was a bit nervous at first waiting in the room, but then he remembered, he said, I remembered my father can talk for one hour. He said that that gave him boldness. He said, I'm his son. He said that I am his son, right? Saying my father can do that, I can do that. And he said that he believe he did a good job. I hope that he's going to do just as well, if not better. But when he shared that with me, I was thrilled. I was thrilled in my heart. Of course, I didn't tell him there and then that he knew the story, but I didn't want to remind him that I was a stammerer in school. Amen. I was so nervous about talking to a group of people that I would just stutter and and just stand down there. Teacher would say, sit down and sit down. And I didn't want to remind him of all that, but I was so loved and so blessed by hearing my son say that, you know what I'm saying? At that moment, I loved him. Do you understand that? It's not that I don't love him before, but when your son or your granddaughter or grandson does something for you in a special way, you love that person at that moment, right?
So therefore, my father loved me because I lay down my life. The Father loved him all the time, but that was the greatest act by the way, that one act made all of us righteous. Amen. Praise the Lord. We do not know the anguish that Jesus went through on our behalf. Last shared just a few weeks ago. I shared about Jesus being the God, gods money and the anticipation of him becoming sin with our sins on that cross. And his father or God turning his back on his son, forsaking him at the cross because he was carrying our sins, right? The very thought caused him to sweat blood. And medical science says it only happens when your capillaries burst only under extremely extreme stress. It happened. It happened before. It's a medical condition. There's a term they use for it, it burst. And Jesus sweat blood in a garden, but because his blood is redeeming, his blood has no sin in it. And God sent his son to redeem us with his blood.
The Cross Redeems Every Curse
So when the blood fell from him, mingled with his sweat, the first curse when Adam fell our forefather, but no longer in that, are we in him? We are in Christ now. But the first man when he sin, and God says, upon the sweat of your face, you will eat bread. Right? And that tells us straight away poverty is not a blessing because Adam had everything. And by the way, Adam had too much. You say, well, he was the first man, one no choice, but everything God made, the other creation haven't come forth yet. His descendants haven't come forth. But God could have made a smaller one, a smaller earth and fewer trees, fewer fishes. Right? God made everything and then put one man, one woman to enjoy it all. I think a bit too much. Jesus was in an environment of wilderness. Nothing was there for him. He fasted 40 days and 40 nights, and the devil tempted him and he obeyed Adam, the first man had everything and disobeyed how wonderful this son is. No wonder the father loved him Jesus, even as a boy. Amen.
At the age of 12, my son's age, the Bible says he was at the father's house. He loved to be at the father's house. That tells us, especially when they turn, your daughter's turn 13 or 12, your son so-So bring them to the house of God. Make sure they are present in the house of God. And remember that he was surrounded by teachers of the law. And the Bible says that at the age of 12, he was asking questions and answering them. You see, it's not appropriate for a 12-year-old to be giving the sermon on the Mount, preaching to these adults, preaching to the Pharisees, preaching to the doctors of the law is not appropriate. It's not good taste. So everything Jesus did his glory, even at the age of 12, he did the very thing at the age of 12 that you should do. And that's where the beauty of Jesus even shines. Amen.
The Beauty of Christ in His Timing
At the age of 12, we find him asking questions, even though he knew much more than all of them, he should know because he wrote the book. And when they could not answer the questions, you see, they throw back the question, what do you think young man? And then he would answer. And the Bible says they were astonished at his understanding and answers very appropriate for a boy of 12-year-old, he's beautiful in his place, in his time. Everything is beautiful. Moral glory. We say be holy. For I am holy. Yeah. But do you understand it takes the leading of the Holy Spirit to have the right morality for that hour, for that moment. I'm not talking about situational ethics. Lying is lying. Adultery is adultery. Amen. Mother is mother always. I'm talking about the way we manifest the beauty of our character or the beauty of Christ through our character is the fruit of the spirit. It got nothing to do with you. Okay? Amen.
And by the way, talking about that God's the father's dream for all his family is that we be conformed to the image of Jesus. Amen. We be conformed to the image of Jesus. And you say, well, Jesus is a very nice person. Have you read about how he prepared a scourge and drove the money changers out of the temple. We have to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Amen. Right? He stood up for those who were oppressed. Amen. He stood up for those who were abused. Amen. They brought a woman caught in adultery and threw her right in front of Jesus. From what I know, if that's adultery and it's adultery, by the way, if it's adultery, it takes two. Where is the man is that the whole thing is a case of abuse and not just that jealousy of Jesus and they're trying to catch Jesus. They're not concerned about God's law. They're more concerned that Jesus is found breaking God's law. And of course we know that He doesn't break God's law anytime he transcends it. Amen.
Grace Transcends the Law – Fullness Received
For example, the law says he cannot touch or allow anyone who has bleeding that goes on even internal hemorrhage or a woman seasonal period that goes on beyond. And the Bible says, Leviticus mentioned it. It is sin. If she touches anyone, that person is defiled. That woman touched Jesus and instead of being defiled, she got healed. She got healed. And probably she may be suffering from a fibroid growth that is constantly bleeding beyond the normal time and she's ashamed to go out in public. Plus the law says whoever you touch will become defiled. I'll tell you this, she touched Jesus. He didn't get defiled. You know why grace is greater than the law? Amen.
So the Bible says in John one, and of his fullness we've all received and grace for grace. And of his fullness we have all received and grace for grace? Grace for grace? You know the Greek word there, grace. For grace is grace, anti grace. Grace, anti grace. No. Figure out what does that mean? Grace. For grace of fullness we have all received. And grace, anti grace, the word anti is not just against. We always think anti is against right, but anti is also in the place of anti is in the place of why the antichrist is the antichrist in the Bible. He's trying to imitate Christ. He's trying to provide himself as the savior of the world. But he's a fake, a false prophet, a false messiah. Amen. And that's why he's in the place of Christ taking the place of Christ. Many will come in the last day saying, I'm Christ. Those are anti-Christ in the place of Christ. Understand? So grace can be grace in the place of grace. NIV puts it grace, for the grace that has just passed in place of the grace that has passed. What does that mean? That means it's God's way of saying there's never a time in your life. Listen to me that even right now you're listening to me and this day, this week, this month, amen. There's never a time grace stops flowing to you.
Another place Paul says like this, God is able, but actually read carefully is able his future tense in English. But in the Greek there is actually God is pouring all grace towards you. All favor? What is grace? Un deserved unearned favor. God is pouring all favor towards you. Favor of the favor because grace is unmerited. Grace is favor but favor from God. Amen. There's favor from men as well, but grace is favor from God. Undeserved favor. Favor of the favor. After one favor leaves another favor comes to take his place instead of this favor. Now this favor comes we saying continuously. I like to illustrate it like this from the Sea of Galilee, one wave and another wave and another wave and another wave. I believe that God gives us creation. The world calls it mother nature. It's very funny. They don't mind saying mother nature, but Father God, wow, a big problem. Mother nature, no problem. You there's mother, there's father, except that God is not married to the creation. He created it. Amen.
Creation Illustrates Christ's Truths
So God created creation to illustrate his son, to illustrate him. Can I have a good amen? Amen. So these things don't exist just for itself. Or we say, oh, Jesus took examples like a good public speaker from seeds, from ground. No, he created those things for the sermon and whatever he created is good for men. He created the waves. And why must the sea not just be constant? We wouldn't know what because we come after. But why is it like wave after wave after wave? God says, if you had hearkened unto me your peace, your peace shall be like the waves of the sea. Amen. So it's illustration. Why do you eat meat that are dead? They must be killed. And then after they're killed, they're how they're killed. They're after they're killed, they're roasted. Right? The way they're killed is quite violent. However you do it because you don't realize you spare me the violence. I just want to eat my burger. So that meat after it is killed, it is roasted, right? Come on. And then it becomes food for you. Have you noticed that?
So God ordained that even in that, what is food for our eternal life? Christ crucified and the fire of God's judgment fell on him. That's supposed to hit your head, hit your family hit me because of our sins, but he bore our sins. It's like a laser. The judgment fell on him instead. And now because God is just, God is holy tries holy God cannot punish the same sin twice. He has punished it in the body of the Son that he love. He cannot punish it in your body. Now. So God ordained the eating is a way of always reminding us whatever it is, amen. Those of you who like perfume, aromatherapy those flowers or those herbs and those spices is when they're crushed, they're crushed. The perfume comes out. Even the flowers is when you crush it in your hands, you smell it. It gives all his fragrance. Why can something be faced disaster, crushing, destroyed. It gives all his fragrance like Jesus never was he more fragrant to God than when he was suffering on the cross. Amen?
Parables in Everyday Life Pointing to Christ
Things have to be destroyed to release the benefit for all of us. Actually everything has a parable. Why is it that the farmer goes to, so the plowed field right after it is plowed. What does he do? He goes and he puts in the seeds, right? If you study what happened to the seed, when you put the seed in the ground, it's a picture of burial. You understand seed by itself doesn't sprout seed buried as dead sprouts. That's a picture of resurrection. You're actually eating resurrection every day. You're eating the cross. You picture of the cross and then the resurrection. All this God ordained that we should understand. Amen.
How long did it take for the tabernacle of Moses to be built? You know how long? Nine months. Nine months. Why nine months? Ladies married ladies. Amen. No, you're not. Your body is a temple of God. Amen. God ordained that way. Our bodies work on a seven day cycle. Even the processes that you go through a seven day cycle, ladies, you know what I'm talking about? Seven day cycle. Your child is sick, bring 'em to the doctor. Doctor says, oh, it's a virus. Nothing much we can do. Usually you'll take seven days or one week to recover. So you ask him, is it one week or 20 days? And he'll at you, right? Amen. Some things take double seven to recover, right? 14 days, they say that every seventh year your cells repair itself, restore itself, right? Am I right? You're not the same person every seven years. Actually every seven years. If we get new cells in our body, then we should be better looking, healthier, stronger. But because of the law of sin and death in the world today that Adam released every seven years is supposed to be a renewal, right? But becomes worse.
It's like, do y'all remember VHS video? You put in that video and you remember when the machine came out that you could duplicate videos when you duplicate the one, the one that you duplicate is never as good as the original. And then we duplicate another one. The third one is definitely not as good as the original one. The more you duplicate, it gets worse and worse. It's like that yourself not supposed to be like that. It's supposed to be. If it's renewed every seven years, it's supposed get better and better. Every seven year of my life I do something special so that I don't grow old. Yeah, I know, I know, I know, I know. Alright, we all are aging. But can I say every seven years I believe in this principle. That's why God gives the principle of the seven year is a sabbatical for the land. That's for the land. Pastor Prince, you my friend, your body is from the land. God made man from the dust of the ground finally whether to bury you or burn you. It'll be soil, it be the ground, dust. Th art. And thus thou shall return.
Rest Starts in the Spirit – Sabbath for the Soul
The difference is that for the believer, we are born again to death for us is a graduation. Amen. To a place where you can never be unhappy, never be stressed, never grow old forever, young forever, strong forever, healthy forever, and have a body at adapt, not floating around. You have a body. Are you enjoying this sofa? Would you like me to share with you what the Lord shared with me every seven years? Yes. Yes. Are you on the seventh year cycle? Like if you are 21 years old, it is a seven year cycle. You're on the third, right? Third seven, some of your advance. Really? You're like book of Daniel 70 70th week. Really? Amen. Well, if the dust is not rested every seven years, you see what happens with the dust, huh? We're not talking about rest. You're thinking, oh, go somewhere else. Rest and all that rest starts with the spirit and then your soul. Because you can be in Hawaii, you can be in Japan, you can be in Austria, beautiful places, but inside you're not at rest. You are in environment of rest. But if you cannot rest, your mind is overworked. Amen. You cannot sleep at night and you are busy holding your children while you're on holiday. You're busy reminding them why you are there to enjoy the holidays. You're scolding them so that they can enjoy the holiday with you in your misery. Amen. I'm not going to be miserable alone. Everybody's going to join me. You know what I'm saying?
So that's why rest must start from inside. And thank God we have rest already, rest of conscience. Amen. That Jesus has given us. But there's another rest God wants to give you, which is the rest of the soul. Amen. So Jesus says, come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, the word heavy laden, there is really a weight, a burden that is oppressive. You look it up. And not just that the word laden where there, how much more heavy laden and these people that he spoke to, they were under the law. Amen. They were laboring to be accepted by God. Amen? Not just that they are laboring for the sustenance of their family trying to make a living. It's the same story today, except a lot of people today may not know that their first burden that they feel is actually a conscience that's not at rest.
So Jesus died on the cross for that purpose, first and foremost to give you rest in your conscience knowing that all your sins are forgiven. Amen? There's no more sin consciousness, praise God. So he says, come on to me. Come on. To what? Not to a formula, to a body of principles to the 10 Commandments. Amen. Come to the Christian religion. No, he didn't come to give us a religion. He came to give us life and life more abundantly. He says, I'm come, that you might have life and have it more abundantly. And the people with billions of dollars may not have life more abundant. You see them suffering. I just heard one guy sharing about the sorrow in his family doesn't guarantee joy, peace. He's come on to me, to Jesus, all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Two Kinds of Rest – Given and Found
So that's the rest is the rest that's given. I will give you rest, give you rest. Am I right? Yep. Right. So we have that. That's the rest of the conscience. When he appeared to his disciples after the resurrection, after the accomplished work of redemption at the cross, he rose again from the dead and he showed them his hands, his side. What do you say? Peace. Now you got the receipt of peace, you got the receipt. My wounds are the receipt, the divine receipt that God accepts my sacrifice on your behalf. I didn't go to the cross for my own. I have no sins. I went to the cross for you. I went to the cross for you. I went to the cross for you. Amen. These are the divine receipts. You are forever forgiven. All your sins are put away. Amen. God will never bring up your sins against you to punish you ever again. Can I have a good amen?
Now, live for him. Live for the one who loved you so much, live for his glory. Amen. Your destiny is not temporal. It's not just earthly. It is eternal. Heavenly. Live. Live in heaven. Amen. Don't listen to the saying so heavenly minded, no earthly good. Be heavenly minded so that you can be earthly good while you're still here. Amen. So that's the rest we have. Our sins are forgiven. Amen. We are not trying to get forgiven, trying to get forgiveness always. No. We are forgiven of our sins. When we take communion, it is a thanksgiving that we are all forgiven to the blood, which is the main cross of the new covenant. They are sins. Our remember no more.
Then Jesus says, I'll give you rest. And then he says, what? Take my yoke upon you. Take my yoke upon you. Now the yoke is what in those days pass off like a pillar of wood that they put on the shoulders of two ox, two oxen. Okay? That's the yoke. He says, take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly. Watch this and you will find rest. So that I will give rest. And here you will find rest. Two rest are mentioned here. So most Christians understand the first rest. Alright, I'll give you rest. But they don't understand the other rest that must be found. But he gave us a clue. First of all, take my yoke upon you. Yoke is always the teaching. For example, the Bible says in one place we are not able to bear this yoke of the law. Acts 15, when they came together and they heard the Jerusalem council, they came together. All the apostles came together, and Paul and Barnabas just came back from mission trip and they talk about how God moved mightily and there were miracles and signs and wonders among the Gentiles where they were. And the Gentiles got saved.
So now the church in Jerusalem says, yes, but they must be circumcised. Some voices came up, they must be circumcised that all of us we're not happy. They're not circumcised. No, no. We went through national service. They must go through national service. You know what I'm saying? We are circumcised. They must go. They also must be circumcised. Amen. I dunno why that came in, but we want them to be circumcised. But then Peter stood up, guys, remember guys, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Guys, remember God sent me, remember God sent me to the house of Cornelius who was a Gentile. He was an Italian, he's a non-Jew. He's a gentile. And then while I was preaching, I didn't even give them altar call the Holy Spirit fell the moment they believe right where they were sitting, the Holy Spirit filled them and they all spoke in tongues. That means they got saved filled with the Holy Spirit all at the same time. Guys, why are we asking them to be circumcised and to keep the law, the Jewish law? Amen. It says that neither we nor our fathers are able to bear the yoke. So the law is a yoke. Therefore, Jesus is saying take my yoke. What is that in grace? And he says, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. So it is light and easy. Light, easy, easy light. Light, easy.
Grace Makes the Yoke Easy and Light
So when the Lord tells you to do something, it's always easy and light. Even though for some other people they look at it, oh, there's a hard thing that you're doing. But for you, because God has given you the grace and he has given you the gift, you enjoy doing it even it's easy and light. Don't do what God has not raised you to do because you'll find it burdensome and hard. But when you do what God tells you to do, and I pray that in the days to come, you'll continue to discover what God has assigned you in life for. Amen. He has assigned you. For everyone has an assignment in life, praise the Lord. But that comes after you are established in Christ so that you don't think that God blesses you. God loves you because of your assignment. Because of what? Because you serve Him and all that. No, no, no, no. You need to understand your place in Christ. It's all by grace. Amen.
But God is so good that God gives you a grace to do something. And some of you have the grace to serve as an usher or security. You have the grace to play instruments and you play it. Well, I tell you something, those who utilize the gifts for the glory of God, you know what God does? God rewards you. So we already receive blessings by grace. Amen. But reward is also by grace. Why? Because if you think about him rewarding you for what you do, some people say, how is that grace? No. What you do well is because the grace was first given to you. If you learn to use the grace God gives you, God rewards you for giving. God rewards you for using the grace he first gave you.
Rewards for Using God's Grace
Let me explain again. He gives you the grace, right? You use the grace for him. Amen. Sometimes it costs time also because you are using the grace. God is giving this grace and someone say, Hey, let's go play golf on Sunday morning and all that on Sundays my day with the Lord. Amen. I'm going to use whatever grace God has given me on that day. And God sees you that the grace that he gave you is not in vain. There's a verse like that. The grace on me was not in vain. Paul says, amen. Amen. Now, but when you use the grace God gives you, God rewards you for first using the grace that he gave you. No wonder those in heaven when they receive the crowns, they must have used some grace for such a thing that God gave them crowns that will last forever. By the way, it means rule. They have a certain rule. By the way, just let you know in heaven we're not floating along just in thing. They're Are universes for us to have dominion over. Do you know that? And that depends on how faithful you are down here. That's not salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith. But even your position in heaven next time, whatever you're doing and all that depends on your works, I will say that way. Your accomplishment, but your accomplishments dependent on the grace he gives you, whether you use it or not.
You see, if I was sitting down here as a 12-year-old boy or a 15-year-old boy last time and I see someone like me standing up here, I'll tell myself, there's no way I can do that. Please don't bring me up there. Please. I beg you. I'll give you all the money in my wallet. Whatever. I have never ask me to go up there because nothing frightens me like public speaking or even standing in the class until God gave me the grace. And by the way, grace doesn't mean God gives you grace. They ask grace he gives you from birth. But there are grace that are imputed. There are grace that are given. Amen. So that boy, 15-year-old boy Sta rings, stuttering. There came a time God gave him the grace. When the grace came, all of a sudden he was able to stand. Yeah, the feelings are still there, nervous and all that. But the grace is there when he speaks. Right? The words flow. God gave him the words and then let on got him more grace to reach more people. And by the way, you can write books, but nobody wants to read. You can have podcasts, but no one wants to hear, right? So for some reason, for some reason, by the grace of God, sometime I wake up, honestly, God is my witness. Even recently, I still think what are they going there for to church? And I'm supposed to speak on that day in the natural. I feel like I'm still the same old person you see in and off my stuff. You understand? You understand? Amen.
But I know that when I stand here, God gives me words, even prophetically that he knows that you need. Amen. Praise God. And that's even worse if I was 15 years old. No grace, not looking at someone who is a public speaker, but they don't have to be anointed but through as someone who has to be anointed to serve God because he needs to accomplish supernatural transformation, supernatural healing, supernatural things or whatever it is, they'll make me even more nervous. So whatever area you have, amen. Even counting money after the service to make sure everything is accurate to the ministry of the house and that we are above board. Amen. Amen. Everything is accountable. The person who is gifted don't just come money and really I wish I'm playing golf. They enjoy. And then when they find, find something, don't tell you the missing dollar. I call it the missing dollar doesn't tell you they will work hard. They'll spend hours that day and then they finally tellies. Oh, worship fills their heart. Amen. Their feet. You look carefully here, it's elevated above the ground. Amen. That thrills them like you were in Liverpool scores and they will score tonight. Praise God. And then you feel elevated, right? The same feeling. But we can't understand, say, well finding a million dollar, you look so worshipful and praising God, okay? Different strokes for different folks. All of us have a gift and we use our gift. It gives us fulfillment and joy. Amen. It's part of grace.
Grace in Work and Service
I heard a very wealthy businessman ask a question recently, probably one of the wealthiest. He's a Christian, a Christian businessman in Singapore, and he was asked this question, if you operate by grace as a Christian businessman, and he's the owner of a large conglomerate here in Singapore, and he was asked, everyone knows he's a Christian, doesn't know him. He was asked the question, since you're a Christian, you do everything by grace, how do you reward people? He says, we give them a chance. Even those we cannot perform, we give them one year. Wow, that's a long time. Very, very merciful. In some churches, even one year don't last. You let 'em go early. But actually to me, for a businessman who is a Christian, how do you evaluate your employees? It is by grace. Everybody get promoted and by grace everybody get the same amount of bonus at the energy of the year, right? But still by grace, because we still have to operate by grace. How I look at your works, I know your works as your boss. I know your works. I look at your works, I look at the result. I don't have to see whether you're using your grace or not. I don't have to because if you use your grace, that'll be fruit. There'll be works, there'll be harvest. If you are operating by grace, there'll be love, joy, peace. Even the attitude in which you're doing it, the spirit of excellence is there that the Bible says Daniel in the Bible was preferred above every other governor in the land because in him was found an excellent spirit. How can I tell what gave you the excellent spirit? It's by grace.
See, so that the employee did not let the grace of God in vain to be on her to do something. I dona, I want to spend time, but I feel I can do it. The grace is there for me to do it by Dona. I don't want see you anyway as a boss. I don't look at your dawn, Dawn, I look at your result at the last course of that year or whatever course of the particular year. I look at your fruit, at your harvest. That's how I look because you cannot tell me you're using the grace. If I don't see the result, how can I use the grace of God? And it's a grace gift and there's no result. It's from heaven, not this grace gift. So the result is as good as some products. You see, oh, where's this from? Wow. Then you say, made in. I don't say the name. Some people personally don't want to say where it's made so that people appreciate it's the same thing. But when they hear the name, the value drops. Your grace gift is made in heaven. Come on. Whether there's a gift, even a grace gift to make money, not just a grace gift, to pastor, a grace gift, to evangelize a grace gift, to teach a grace gift, to lead worship, to play instruments. Amen. A great gift to encourage people. That's amazing gift by the way. Like the son of Barnabas. Any gift you have has this label made in heaven. Amen. It is all the fingerprints and the abilities and the energizing of heaven itself. Amen. Amen. Can have a good amen.
Judgment Seat of Christ – Rewards Await
So that's why in the book of Revelation, when Jesus comes to assess the church, he says, I know your works. I know your works. I know your works. I know your works. He looks at the final result. Are you using grace? Are you using grace? No. Your works. For example, he says, I know your works, your labor and your patience, work labor, patience. But in Thessalonians he says, both says, I thank God for you, for your work of faith, labor of love, patience of hope. So what was missing in the church that Jesus corrected in revelation, they have work, they have labor, they have hope, but they don't have labor of love, work of faith and patience of hope. They don't have love, joy, peace. They don't have faith, hope, love. Can you see that? Amen. But how can you tell it's not present because other works. Amen. A happy employee usually produce solid results. Amen. A grumpy employee produce grumpy results.
Well, pastor Prince, you don't understand. I've been telling God I want to work in a church. So you're not faithful down there. You want to work in the church. I'm telling you, this church don't work in this church. This church go by. I know your works, right? I'm no more model, but I teach the principal to whoever. I mean, I teach the princip. They're all listening right now. So they don't know. Now they know. Do you know something? You think that what you're doing now, I'm just punching some data in and I'm just doing this. I'm just marketing. I'm just doing. I feel like there's no divine purpose. God, I'm ready for your full-time call. Well, he call people who are busy catching fish. He call people who are busy tending sheep. He calls people who are busy in Texas. His name is Matthew. He calls busy people. I don't find him calling people. Were not doing anything. Even Elijah, when the call came for him to find a successor, he called Elisha who was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen. Amen. Geo passed by the fishermen. Follow me. They left everything. They were busy when he called them. You see that?
But pastor, my job has no purpose and I don't look forward because it doesn't give me the trio because you don't have a revelation. The revelation is this. Listen carefully, Joseph work to make Pharaoh wealthy. Is that true? It's true. Who was the direct beneficiary of Joseph's work and wisdom in Egypt? Pharaoh. Pharaoh became so wealthy. Everyone in the known world then and the whole world was under famine. And because there's bread in Egypt, because of the wisdom of Joseph, Joseph didn't run away from Pharaoh and start a company called Joseph Incorporated. Josephs and Bruce father, Jacob and Joseph, he didn't start a company. He was faithful from the time he was a slave. And God, him favor after favor after favor, after favor after favor. But his revelation is my job. What's your job, Joseph? My job, and I believe this is what God wants me to do, is to serve this Pharaoh. But Joseph, this Pharaoh is not a believer. He worships her. No, God put him right now where my life is now. He's my boss. Okay? I won't accept his religion. I know who is my God. But if I talk about religion just to him now, without him seeing the result of God in my life, he won't listen to me. So my job as an employee here is to make him rich.
And how he made him rich to the point the boss says, you know what? I'm going to promote you. You, I'm going to promote you. I'm telling you, you are the man, man. You are the man. I'm telling you. Yeah, you are the man. You are the man. You are the man. Sorry guys. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Pharaoh might be like that, huh? Who knows? Come here Joseph. I had this dream. So the world can have dreams. Only godsons and daughters will have the ability to interpret the challenges and the difficulties of the world. They know the why behind the what. You can have a private jet plane. It can crash without God's grace and blessing. You can have big house. Many beds cannot sleep. Oh, by the way, sleeping pill knock you out. They don't give you deep sleep. They don't give that kind of refreshing sleep. I'm saying that you can have a big family, amen. Big house, but no home, no love. So money doesn't buy. Okay? Money is a tool. Remember that God brought them out of Egypt, gave them golden silver, and there was none feeble among them. Or the golden silver for is for his tabernacle. They're going to use the golden silver to build the tabernacle. Of course, there's also leftovers for them, but they gave it for, they knew their first purpose. God makes you rich that you might use your riches as service. Love people, use money, never use people because you love money. That's why. Amen. Amen.
Final Invitation and Closing Prayer
Let's long you make money a servant. Don't worry. I really believe God is restoring this truth in the last days. And some Christian will say, hell, well of gospel or not. Don't worry about that. Amen. On the other hand, poverty is definitely not holy. Then it'll make no sense. When God says to the tune of Israel, do you know why you clothe yourself? You're not warm, you eat, you're not full. You get celery. You put it into a bag full of holes because my house lies waste book of Haggai, chapter one. Amen. Amen. So it's the blessing of the Lord. We need amen. And God rewards you for giving, for using the grace he first gave you. Isn't he good?
One day we'll stand before the judgment seat of Christ, not for salvation. No, everyone will be saved. In fact, just let you know something, okay? When you stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and I'll close with this, I didn't realize I talked so long already, or a boy, 15 years old, stammering ting and all that. Okay? So in closing, Do you know when you're standing at the judgment seat of Christ? Have you ever thought of this? The judgment seat of Christ is not about your salvation that is secured already. The judgment seat of Christ is about whether you used the grace and the gift that he gave you and he'll reward you or you'll suffer loss. That's all that do you know that we stand before Jesus at the bema seat of Christ. In fact should be called the bema seat of Christ as it is in the Greek. Because even those days when Paul was preaching, there was a bema seat that he stood before it. The bema seat. When you stand down there, do you know that every believer is standing there in their glorified body? Do you know when the judgment seat of Christ will happen after we are raptured, after we get our bodies? You're standing there in your glorified body looking at the things that you did. So it's not a matter of salvation. Amen? Praise the Lord. Amen.
I believe those of you who know that God spoke to you just now, okay, I got 15 verses. I stand by that. I use other verses that came up from my spirit. Anyway, it was meant to be because God wants you to hear this. Okay? Alright. Every head bowed, every eye closed. If you have never made this wonderful, Jesus, you have never put your trust in him. You have never met him, your Lord, your savior friend. You didn't come here by chance. Think of it. You could have been a lot of places. You said, my friend invited me here. Yeah, but why did your friend invite you? How come you got to know that friend? Oh, not many years ago. Yeah. Who do you think brought you all together? It's for the sole purpose that you might hear the good news of Jesus Christ, how Christ died for your sins on the cross. And Fran on the cross. Not only he bore your sins in his body, but in his body, he bore your diseases, your sicknesses and your pains, and with his stripes, you are healed.
You said, pastor, I want to believe on Jesus Christ and I want to declare Him as my Savior and Lord, and pray this prayer with me right now. Say, heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of your son, my Lord Jesus Christ, who died on that cross bearing all my sins, all my diseases, all my judgment and my condemnation in my place. Thank you, Father. You raised him from the dead as a declaration that all my sins have been put away, that I'm accepted in Christ Jesus forevermore, favored in him forevermore. Jesus Christ. Is my Lord in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. If you pray the prayer, my friend, you are now a child of the living God. You're a brand new creation. All things have passed away. All things have become new.
Stand to your feet. Father, I thank you for everyone under the sound of my voice, but you are the shepherd, Lord Jesus, and we are but your flock under your hands, your hand of grace, and you know what's going to happen, Lord, this coming week, even before the week has happened to us. Lord, go ahead of us Lord and make all the crooked places straight. Give us Lord, deliver us Lord from evil days. Lord, I pray, Lord, that you'll preserve and protect every one of us and our families from harm and danger, from all the power of the evil one in the name of Jesus. Father, help us Lord, by your grace, Lord, to live lives throughout this week that will glorify Christ. That even as we have seen how a young boy of 12 years old glorified God and many were astounded at his wisdom, we pray, father, that this week will have the same impact, Lord, on our colleagues, our friends, our fellow students, wherever we are, Lord, there will be a blessing to them, father that will share. Lord, if you give us the opportunity, Lord, at every moment to talk about Jesus. Thank you, father. In Jesus' name we pray and all the people said, amen.