Joseph Prince - Set Apart To Be Kings And Priests
Our God is a good God, amen. I want to read to you a testimony, very precious testimony. I just saw it only yesterday when the office sent this to me. It's a precious young man from Indonesia and he shares, "For ten years from 1998, I was addicted to a highly addictive drug known as ice or crystal methamphetamine. In 2008, I came to accept Christ through a friend and was baptized. I desired to know Christ on a deeper level and as I focused on learning about him from the Bible and books, many good things began to happen in my life. Besides restoration in my family life and financials, I found myself free from my drug addiction as well".
Now, how many of you, you find that, you know, for a while, your walk with God, you know, is fine. You accepted Christ. Things, you know, things are happening for you, amen. Everything seems to be prosperous and then the devil comes, he attacks. Just let you know that this young man is just like any other young man, amen? Just because you are born again, doesn't mean you will not be tempted. So, he says, "In September 2013, I attended a friend's birthday party. Many friends were using drugs at the party and I eventually succumb to using the drug again. This time the desire was stronger and I consumed the drug daily. I committed to stopping my addiction and to getting right with God but could not".
Now, that's the thing about people who are smoking or any other kind of addiction, they always say that can but the more they try, they see that they cannot. "In the beginning, nothing seemed to improve, but I continued to confess God's power over my addiction. Then one day I heard Pastor Prince quoting Isaiah 60, verse 1, 'Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you,' in his sermon titled Stepping Into God's Greater Glory. Pastor Prince said it was a year of God's greater glory and whatever we wanted from God he would do it for us. I cried to God and prayed. Instantly, I felt a warm sensation in my heart.
The next day, I woke up without any desire to take the drug. I realized my addiction was gone. God has changed me. I removed all my drugs from my secret hiding place and flushed them down the toilet. Since April 2014, I have not had any desire to take drugs again even though people have offered these drugs to me for free. I have rejected their offer and prayed that they too would be set free from their addictions. Thank you so much, Pastor Prince. Your teaching that's established on the foundation that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus is the key to the success I have seen in my life today. I pray that God will send more pastors like yourself to Indonesia to preach the gospel of grace".
Praise God, praise God, praise God, praise God. I was telling my pastors just last week that looking around the world and all the young people that God is raising. Why, why is God raising so many young people all over the world, why? Because the Bible says, "No man knows the hour nor the day that his Son is returning," amen. When he returns, hallelujah, praise God, everything will be new. You will never have to go to a hospital ever again. You will never ever die. You will never ever feel grief, or pain, or sorrow, and there'll be no more tears ever again. I said, ever again, which is a long time. You will have a brand-new body, hallelujah, amen.
The Bible says, "The lion will lie down with the lamb and the little boy will play with the leopard, and little children will play near the holes where the snakes are. Nothing will hurt in all my holy mountain," the Bible says. Even nature is reversed and everything is changed, and there'll be nothing that hurt or destroy, the Bible tells us. And we are looking forward when the reign of Jesus comes on earth where all these things will be made possible during the millennia rule of Christ for 1,000 years on earth, amen. And the Bible says that will happen at the end, seven years. And before the seven years happened, the Book of Revelation tells us that the Lord Jesus is coming for us and this is called the Rapture. The Rapture is not the second coming of Christ.
Sometimes it is put together like the same event, it is not. The Rapture will happen before the seven years of tribulation and the great tribulation is three-and-a-half years in the middle of the tribulation, this great tribulation. Then we have at the end when Jesus comes to rescue Israel, Israel will be literally surrounded. Well, everything is pointing to... people say, "Pastor Prince, all these things we have heard before. You know, the people of old or Christians of old, they always talk about Jesus coming but Jesus didn't return". But they, when they preached that, listen, when they preached that in the 1800s, Israel is not back as a nation. When they preached that, all right, all the people, the Jewish people, have not returned to their lands. When they preached that, the world wars have not happened. The diverse earthquakes in many places have not happened. The only generation that has seen all this happen is our generation. This generation will not pass.
Are you listening, people, amen? Because the Bible says there'll be mockers coming in the last days and they will say, "Where is the sign of his coming? Since our fathers slept, everything has gone on as normal, since our fathers died, you know, everything is normal, you know? And the Bible says these people are called mockers". "But behold this," God says, "know this, a thousand years with the Lord is like one day". God does not assess time the way we do, amen? A thousand years, nobody even lasts that long now. A thousand years with the Lord is like one day and that's why the Bible say, "After two days, Jesus turned the water into wine at a wedding".
So, after 2,000 years, after Jesus came the first coming, after 2,000 years we'll have a wedding in heaven and celebration. Can I have a good amen, people? That's why Numbers in the New Testament plays a major role. Praise the Lord, amen? Lazarus was raised after being dead four days. Have you noticed that? Four thousand years. What happened 4,000 years? From Adam to Abraham 2,000 years. Abraham to Jesus, 4,000 years from Adam. From Jesus to us, 2,000 years. So, altogether from Adam to us, 6,000 years. God did everything in six days. God rested on the seventh and the Bible says in the Book of Revelation, there'll be a rule of Jesus Christ on earth where he rules for 1,000 years, the seventh day, the day of rest. And then after that, okay, the devil will be released for a while, all right, and then he will cause war and God will take him and throw him into the lake of fire.
In fact, that verse is very short. Release, taken, cause problem, thrown in lake of fire, all right? And there's a reason why he was released also. And then the Bible says, we will reign with God forever and ever. Time is short. In the upper room where we should be living, the Christian life, the Christian Constitution is in the upper room. Why is it upper room? It's a picture of heavenly truths and that's where he gives us the new commandment which is, "Loving one another as I have loved you". It's not the old covenant commandment. To love God with all your heart and then to love one another as yourself. This is loving one another as Christ has loved us. It's a new commandment and then the Holy Spirit is promised, and he will abide with us for how long? Forever, amen? Then he talks about abiding in him, in the vine, a life of rest, a life of dependence. Come on, all these are truths of the upper room.
Then he says, "Let not your heart be troubled". He says, "I go away but when I go away, I'll prepare your mansion. When I go away, I will come again". To rescue Israel? No, the first coming. I'll come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also. And hence, the first four chapters of the Book of Revelation talks about the church, all right, and the seven churches and after that you find in chapter 4, chapter 5, where's the church? They have received their crowns, the 24 elders representing the 12 saints of the Old Testament and the 12 saints of the typical number. Doesn't mean they're only 12. It's a typical number, representation. The Book of Revelation is symbolical, okay?
So, you have 24 elders wearing crowns. They have received their crowns. We're already in heaven. We have stood at the judgment seat of Christ. So, henceforth whatever happens after chapter 5 onwards, chapter 6 onwards rather, all right, it's all gonna happen on earth without us. The saints that you read later on will be saved on earth during the time of the Antichrist by the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. Imagine, 144,000 Jewish evangelists. "Pastor Prince, give you a little bit of Hebrew, they give you the full Hebrew". But many people read that and they think that that's us there and, you know, the saints will be killed. They use the word "saints". No, these are Jewish saints and that's why Matthew 24 is talking to the Jewish saints at that time. It's not talking to the church. The church is a mystery that God gave Paul, amen. Praise the Lord.
Revelations chapter 1, are y'all ready? All right now, child of God, God's plan and purpose for you is this, Revelations chapter 1, verse 4, it tells you this, "John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you". Grace is always the first word of God and the last word. The entire Bible ends with grace. You know how the Old Testament ends in Malachi? "Curse. Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse". The closing word of the entire book of the Old Testament is "curse," amen? The closing statement of the entire New Testament is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with you. Isn't that wonderful? No wonder God himself is reviving or restoring this gospel grace revolution all over the world, amen?
Praise God, it's not something started by Pastor Prince. In fact, the tide is so strong that all over the world now people are picking it up, amen? There are still some naysayers but usually they are the ones who want to control people and the best thing a pastor can do, step aside for the bridegroom, all right? Once the bride is ready, step aside for the bridegroom. You and the bridegroom, all right? And you better step aside or the bridegroom will make you step aside and when he does that, you won't like it, amen? And that's why at any church in the Book of Revelation, like, for example, Jesus says of the church that, "Repent, change your mind about this, lest I come and remove your candlestick". That is not remove your salvation.
Some people read that as, no, no, friend, Jesus says, "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish". What part about never you don't understand? If he didn't give us eternal life, we can lose our eternal life the next sin, the next day, next month, next year, then he should not call it eternal life. No, he says, "I give them eternal life," John chapter 10, "and they shall never perish". But the church, which is a lampstand, he tells the pastor of the church, "If you don't repent, you don't change your mind about this, about Jesus being the center, about returning to your first love, I will remove your church". That only means your church will shut down. Your church will lose influence. Your church will lose the leverage that God has given and the power of God. And most importantly, the impact that you will otherwise have. God says, "I'll remove that".
What happened to the people? The people go to another church where the lampstand is burning and the light is pointing to Jesus. Can I have a good amen, people? So, here it says, "Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come". Very beautiful description of God the Father. Do you know that Yahweh, the name Yahweh is made up of a [speaking Hebrew] which three words of expression of Hebrew which means, who was, who is, who is to come? You put them together become Yahweh. It is from three expressions, the God who was, who is, who is to come. That why the Bible says in Hebrews writing to the Hebrews who understand Hebrew. The writer says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday who was, today, who is, and forevermore, who is to come".
Jesus is also Yahweh because they are three in one. There are no three Gods. Triune God, three in one. Can I have a good amen? So, look at this, who was, who is, and who is to come. "And from the seven Spirits who are before His throne," who is that? The Holy Spirit. If you want to see what the spirits are, it's an expression of the Holy Spirit. You can find this in Isaiah 11, spirit of wisdom and understanding like the menorah, the spirit of counsel, and the spirit of might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, amen, and the spirit of the Lord. These are the seven expressions of the Holy Spirit. He's perfect, isn't he? Then, we have the Son, the Son of God. Next verse, "And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead".
The firstborn is an expression doesn't mean that he was born again, it means that his position, if you understand all the terms and all the pictures and symbols in the Book of Revelation, somewhere in the Bible it is also interpreted. It is also there so however other place in the Bible use that term, whether it's the firstborn, or a picture, or a symbol, you must use that for interpreting the Bible. Bible interpret Bible. You don't quote something from a movie. You don't quote something from Shakespeare. You know, Bible quote Bible, understand? Firstborn means the one that receives the double portion, amen? He's a son, Jesus is Son of God, you're also a son God.
I heard someone on television said that, "you and I, we're just as equally sons of God", all right, but the way it was expressed is that we're on equal terms with Jesus. Let me tell you this, he has the position. In all things, God wants him to have the preeminence. It's one thing for him to lower himself, all right, and be our friend, and be our brother, all right? And once in a while like I said, it's good for you to use the term, "The Lord Jesus," amen? He's the firstborn and I'm happy to give him that place. I don't think you and I can handle it. Aren't you glad he's the firstborn from the dead? "And the ruler over the kings of the earth". He's the ruler over the kings of the earth.
Now, you'll be surprised, the kings of the earth here in the natural you might think the kings, the kings that are in existence, but actually it is referring to you and I. God's priority is always that which is moral and spiritual, not that which is natural and physical, okay? And here he says he's the ruler over the kings of the earth. To him, I love this, who loved us. Hey, he loves you. The number-one thing, the number-one thing the devil wants to remove from your life is the sense that you are beloved. And that why when Jesus was baptized at the river Jordan, the Father opened the heavens to him. I love that expression. And the Father says, "You are my beloved Son. In you I'm well pleased. You are my beloved Son". Almost immediately after that, he went into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. The devil's common temptation was, what? The phrase, "If you be the Son of God, if you be the Son of God".
I've never heard anyone preach this. Years ago, one day I was reading that and the Holy Spirit opened the scale and I opened my eyes and caused the scales to drop. And I saw thing I never saw before, the devil left out one word, "beloved" because it is counterproductive for him to remind Jesus or to remind you while he's tempting you that you are beloved. So, the devil always wants to remove the belovedness, you know, and to convince people that God doesn't love them or because you sinned or you have failed, you don't have it all together, that God doesn't love you. No, friend, I'm here to announce to you loud and clear that God loves you and you are the object of his divine affections, amen? His eye is on the sparrow, like the song say, but I'm telling you this, if his eye is on the sparrow and Jesus says, "Not a bird fall without your Father's knowledge. How much more you"?
He numbered the hairs on your head. Even no number, also he knows. I love my son, but I've never numbered the hairs on his head. And boy, his hair is growing a lot. One thing he hates a lot is haircut. He will scream, he will roll on the floor. He will not want a haircut. So, I just decided, you know, a few days ago tell my wife, "Cut his hair when he's sleeping". So, if you see my son with all kinds of hair, all right, please forgive us. It's father's fault, amen? It's World War III when it comes to cutting hair. He hates it. And God, see, for us, God cares for us so much that there's no detail in your life that is unimportant to him. Everything is weighty, everything is important, everything has his attention. He says this that, "not one hair on your head will fall about your Father's knowledge".
Another place, "Your hairs are all numbered," amen? Showing details. I love my son, but I don't count his hair, amen? You've been married for what, 30 years? You never count your wife's hair but your wife say, "I know his hair". God cares for you. God loves you. Can I have a good amen? All right, and he loved us. He washed us from our sins in his own blood. Hallelujah, you are washed by his blood, his own blood. I love this word "own," his own blood. The Bible says when he carried our sins, all right, and he carried our diseases, the phrase is used, "himself took," not an angel, not anyone else. "Himself took". I love it. Peter looking back at the event Peter says, "Who his own self bore our sins". You understand how affectionate, how warm, how personal that is? "Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree".
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout. The Lord himself will descend for the Rapture and we'll all be transformed, the Lord himself. The Son of God himself who loved me, who gave himself for my sins, hmm? Here it says, "Washed us from our sins in his own blood". Are you washed? And that's the reason why those who don't want this washing, they gotta stand before God with all their stains and blemishes and all their sins before a holy God, a thrice holy God, and they have to answer. And God will say, "What's the reason"? Nobody will stand there by their works and God says, "Welcome, you're the only one that achieved perfection". No, we all need washing, amen. I said, we all need washing. And how many of you think that when Jesus washes, he does a good job? Not like your eight-year-old or seven-year-old when he wash his ears? How many think that when Jesus washed you, he does a good job? Who washed, you wash yourself? No. He who loved us and washed us, he washed us from our sins in his own blood. If he washes, he'll say, "Washed, yo, You are washed". And has made us, what? Kings and priests.
This is the thing I want to focus on, kings and priests. So, he's the Prince of the kings of the earth. He's the ruler of the kings of the earth, amen? The ruler of the kings in the earth, that phrase in verse 5 is in the Old King James the Prince over the kings of the earth, amen. Peter preached in the Book of Acts, and Peter to Israel. "God has made him prince and savior, God has made him prince and savior. I love the expression. God has made us, what? "Kings and priests to His God and Father to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever". The Book of Revelation is a book that when you read it, you are blessed. It's the only book that we are blessed in reading any book of the Bible, but it's the only book that tells you manifestly, expressly that if you read this book, you are blessed.
So, I'm gonna let you read the book real fast, not the entire 22 chapters, but look at verse 1. "This book is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him". Let me tell you this, friend, is not the revelation of the Antichrist. It's not a revelation of the dragon. It's not the revelation of the mark of the beast. It's not the revelation of 666. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ. So, whatever you read inside here is not about Satan, it's not about his gang, about the seven-headed monster, all right, it is Jesus Christ. "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants, things which must shortly take place. And he sent and signified by His angel to his servant John".
There are few numbers that are godly numbers, which is seven, for example, is usually is divine but can be used for evil like the seven heads of the dragon, all right, but seven is number of perfection. Three is the number of manifestation. On the third day, the dry land appear, appeared, manifests. This was the third time Jesus showed himself to the disciples after he rose from the dead, John 21. All right, this is the third time Jesus showed himself so number three is the number of manifestation. The day of resurrection is on the third day, Jesus manifests out of the grave, hmm. Let's look at sevens and threes. By the way the number seven, the word "seven" is used more than fifty times in the Book of Revelation alone.
And the number three, look up here. You love numbers? All right, don't go and play the numbers, okay? It's not for playing. But you like numbers? I'm gonna show you the perfection of this book. Follow me here, all right? God sent and signified this revelation. Notice the word "signified" from the word first four letters, sign-ified, sign-ified means what? The Book of Revelation is a book of symbols and signs, but some make it totally symbol, which means there's no future, there's no Antichrist. No, there is an Antichrist and the symbols must be translated from the other symbols in the other books of the Bible. Bible must interpret Bible. Are you with me so far?
All right, so God sent it and signified, sign-ified it by his angel to his servant John. Three things John did, who bore witness to the Word of God, one. And to the testimony of Jesus Christ, two. You don't just preach the Word of God, the Word of God, the Word God, you gotta testify of Jesus Christ who is the sum total of what the Word is all about as demonstrated by himself on the road of Emmaus. And then to all things that he saw, three. Can you see the three? So, the purpose for God showing the revelation of Jesus Christ to John on the island of Patmos. They throw him on the island of Patmos to make him suffer but there heaven came down and glory filled his soul, amen. That little cave that he was in became a palace. I gotta tell you something, wherever Jesus is, that's heaven, amen? And God used him, gave him the Book of Revelation. He was an elderly man now and he has these three reasons, for these three reasons, bore witness to the Word of God, testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that he saw.
Next, blessed is he who reads. I told you that, right, just now? Specifically for the Book of Revelation. "Blessed is he who reads," one. "And those who hear the words of these prophecy," two. "And keep those things which are written in it," three. "For the time is near". Next verse, "John through the seven churches which are in Asia," referring to God the Father. Now, "Grace to you and peace from Him who is," one. "Who was," two. "Who is to come," three. And then he mentioned the Holy Spirit, seven spirits which are before his throne. Now, he should mention Jesus Christ, don't you think so? He's the second person of the Godhead but there's a reason why here the Holy Spirit comes second and Jesus comes third because the manifestation of Jesus Christ. This book is about the manifestation of Jesus Christ, the number three, the third position is the manifestation. And the next verse, you're the triune God here and from Jesus Christ, see that?
So, you have God the Father, the Holy Spirit, seven spirits, and you have Jesus. All right, let's look at Jesus, again, the faithful witness, one. The firstborn from the dead, two. The ruler of the kings of the earth, three, hmm? Isn't it amazing, huh, all the threes stem on God's divine book? And I'm just giving you a sampler. All right, what did he do to us? "To him who loved us," one. "And washed us from our sins in his own blood," two. "And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father," three. No wonder we say to him be glory in the church forever and ever and ever. Amen, amen, amen. Hallelujah, hallelujah. You can trust God to bring order, prosperity, blessings. I'm not referring to a financial prosperity here. I'm referring to prosperity spiritually in every area of your life. Can I have a good amen?
Now, we go to this verse again. God, verse 6, "God has made us kings and priests to His God and Father". We are kings and priests. In other words, put it together sometimes they say royal priesthood, royal priesthood. I want to say real quick about priesthood. Why was there a need for priesthood? You see, in ancient Israel, God wanted the entire nation to be a priest. I said, God wanted the entire nation to be priests and God wanted a kingdom of priests. Let me prove that to you. God brought them out of Egypt, amen? Even though they were murmurs, complainers, God brought them out by his grace. God opened up the Red Sea by his grace. God gave them water that was bitter. God turned it into sweet by his grace. God brought them manna from heaven by his grace.
Even all at every stage they were complaining and murmuring which is sin, yet God did not respond. It seems like God did not respond to man. It wasn't a question. Grace is not a question about what man is, it's a question about who God is. And that's why law tells man what man ought to be. It does not tell man what man is. Doesn't tell, the law doesn't tell man what man is, doesn't tell who God is. It tells man what man ought to be, all right? Jesus came and tell man what he is, he's a sinner. Then Jesus tell man what God is, God is a Savior of sinners, mmm. That's why we cannot look at the law and get revelation that will set us free, only to Christ, amen?
So, the Bible tells us that when God brought them all the way, God rained manna, they complained again. After for a while, they were thirsty. They forgot the incident God gave them sweet waters from the bitter waters of Marah, they forgot that incident. Only a matter of days, they're complaining about no water again and God brought water from the flinty rock and water gushed out like rivers, the Bible says, in the desert, hmm? Then God brought them to a place called Rephidim and the enemy's attacked. God gave them the victory a real cool way. You know, as long as Moses's hands was up, there was victory. Moses's hands came down, there was defeat. Moses's hands was held up by Aaron and Hur.
Last week at the book signing, I had Aaron and Hur as well, Pastor Daniel and Pastor Lawrence. It's amazing. God loved them all the way. Their murmuring never stopped him from pouring out his grace. It was under Abrahamic covenant. It was under Sinaitic Covenant. It was not law, it was based on grace. And then at the foot of Mount Sinai, God gave them an offer. At that time, they were under the covenant of grace and God says, "Obey this covenant". How you obey this covenant of grace? Believe God. Trust in him, amen. Believe in his grace. Can I have a good amen? Then this is what God said at the foot of Mount Sinai. "Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself.'"
This expression "eagles' wings" means by grace. God brought them from Egypt all the way to the foot of Mount Sinai, all the way on eagles' wings. When you're on eagles' wing, you don't run, you don't walk, you fly. It's like going from here to America. You don't have take boat, you don't have to take land transport, amen, you fly. You rest and you fly. So, it's a picture of grace. Literally, God brought them, this period is a period of pure grace. So, if eagles' wings means grace, when God renews your youth like the eagles', what does it mean? You gotta understand grace or else you cannot be renewed, all right? So, here it says, "I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself". Verse 5, are y'all learning? Is this blessing you? Amen.
"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant". Thus far what covenant is it? Covenant of Abraham. It's an unconditional covenant and God told them to stay there. "Then you shall be a special treasure to Me. If you continue in grace, you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests". What's a kingdom of priests? Never was there on earth priests who are kings and kings who are priests until Melchizedek came, our Lord Jesus to meet Abraham. And now, there's a kingdom of priest, that means everyone is a king and a priest. God says, "You'll be a kingdom of priests, kings, priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel". Because of time, I'll just tell you what happened. Moses came down with those words and they said this "Whatever God can tell us, whatever God can command us, we can do it".
Moses went back up and told God what the people said. God changed his tone. Y'all know the story, right? God says, "Tell the people don't come near". He never had that attitude. In fact, he was near to them. In a pillar of cloud by day, in a pillar of fire by night, he led them. He was so close. The thrice holy God was so near to them and they didn't perish. And yet now he says, "Tell them don't come near". Next chapter, this is Exodus 19. Next chapter, Exodus 20 for the first time you have the Ten Commandments given because the people got proud. "You know, God, don't just bless us because of your goodness. Don't just bless us because of your grace. Yeah, you brought us out here because of your goodness. You brought us through the Red Sea because of your grace but, God, deal with us also based on our faithfulness. We can keep all your law". And God changed his tone. "If you want me to assess you based on your obedience, then based on my holiness, don't come near, lest you die". And then God gave them big ten.
Now, y'all know I preached a lot on this already so I'm not gonna spend time here. I'm gonna focus on the fact about the heart's desire of God. If we can know what's God's heart, God's desire, God's heart's desire, really the greatest thing in his heart, what is it? What does God want his people to be? I've shown you Jesus, Jesus loved us. He washed us. For what purpose? To make us kings and priests. So, you find that every time Israel, God wanted the entire nation of Israel to become priests, but you know what happened? They built the golden calf. So much for wanting to keep all of God's law, all that God says we can do it. The next thing you see is golden calf. God used the tribe of Levi to destroy 3,000 people, all right? On that day, the day of Pentecost, the first Pentecost, 3,000 people died and God used the tribe of Levi and God says, "You know what? The tribe of Levi, you'll be priests unto me from now on". God wanted the whole nation to be priests, but the nation failed so God says, "I'll take the tribe of Levi". It's an Israel within an Israel, you understand?
Now, Lawrence come here and bro. Yeah, someone. This is higher, one step higher. This is God. I like to show God with muscles. This is you and I, okay? All right, a priest holds God's hand. He holds man's hands, all right, and a priest things them together, that means there's been an offense. Now, if you read the New Testament, there are words used in the Greek that tells you that the reconciliation, all right, between God and man is actually not on God's part. It's to reconcile. You now who through wicked works, yet now has he reconciled, he reconciled you to himself. It wasn't that God needed to be reconciled, man needed to be reconciled. Man have hard thoughts towards God. Man resents God. Man blames God, instead of himself, all right? God, of course, God's holiness is offended by man's sin, okay? But God's heart is for man, amen? God does not have to run to man, man has to run to God.
So, this reconciliation, yet you need a priest to tell man what God is like so that is a priesthood ministry, to tell man what God is like, to go to God and pray for man, to intercede to God, to ask God for wisdom to deal with man. That's what you are doing with your colleagues, that's what you are doing with your family members. You are called to be priests. But in Israel, even in old times, in Israel, not all Israel function as priests. God's desire is that the entire nation become priests, but God had to find an Israel within an Israel. So likewise, the body of Christ, everybody is priests, but not everybody is functioning as a priest and they are wondering how come some blessings don't manifest in their lives, how come the, you know, because God takes care of priests. Are you listening?
So, your part, of course, you cannot do this without the blood. It's in virtue of the blood that you can be a priest. Who's blood is it? The blood of Jesus. All right, thanks guys. All right, so the thing is this, God wants you to be priests and a lot of bad things happen in the Old Testament to Israel whenever they neglect the priests, they neglect the Levites. David is a fine example, even God's man after God's own heart, David followed the style of the Philistines in the way he carried the ark of the covenant, amen? The ark is supposed to be carried, how? On the shoulders of the priests, the Levites. But what happened was David followed the style of the Philistines who put it on a bullock cart. They learned it from India. Literally, the ark cannot be put on a bullock cart. It should be on the shoulders of the priest and because of that, a man called Uzzah stretched his hand and he died, amen, because the ox stumbled. But David spent three months searching his Bible. He learned the way it should be carried.
So, bad things happen when priests are not functioning. Are you listening, people? The very last chapter, the very last book of the entire Old Testament is Malachi. Malachi is all about the sons of Levi. It's all about priesthood and God is saying, "Because the tithes are not coming, my priests are going out there to work. They are working in the field and all that because the tithes are not coming in". And God is saying, "No wonder you people are experiencing the curse". By the way, he did not say, "I curse you". He says, "You are cursed. You are experiencing the curse".
Now people, the whole thing is about God wants priests to function and whatever it takes for priesthood to function. And please, I'm gonna say it right now, I'm not talking about priest craft, you know, what's witchcraft, right? There's also a priest craft. Priest craft means, "I am the priest here. You're lay people". Clergy and laity which means, all right, there's a class of people who are closer to God, okay, and you are laity. They do the praying for you. You come to them, amen. You let them pray for you. You don't want to touch God, you don't want to pray to God, amen? After all, you have a sin consciousness, right? So, you should not be coming to God, amen. These people are holy.
Let me tell you this, I respect elders, overseers, pastors, I'm a pastor myself. I'm an overseer. I'm an old elder, all right, but I'm here to tell you, people, we are meant to be pushing you upwards underneath you. We are not meant to be above you, okay? Now, how come you're above there? So, visual, convenience, practicality, all right, so everyone can see it, amen, you understand? Convenience, practicality. I'm just here to tell you that there's no such thing as clergy and laity. We are all priests. You understand? There are those who are functioning full time and the Bible says honor them very highly, yes, but they don't do your praying for you. You have as much influence with God as they do, amen. You are just as anointed before God as they are. All right, because of time, come on, people. Don't distract me.
Okay, so that's God's plan and purpose. Every time the plan is not done, even the last book Malachi, it's all about the priests and how when the priesthood is neglected, when people don't function as a priest, there is financial reversal, there is a problems in the crop, in their business. There's problem at home. And the Bible says, and I'll purify the sons of Levi in the Book of Malachi. So, the Book of Malachi is all about return to functioning as a priest, amen? "But Pastor Prince, I don't want to wear white". That's why the devil has put this on your mind that to be a priest, all right, you gotta be extra holy, extra this. And you see the holiness that God talks about is a holiness that's approachable.
How many believe Jesus is holy? Hey, perfectly holy? But you know what's the word holy? You go to Greek, you go to Greece today and they tell you, "All right, don't mix these cookies together. This is more savory. This is sweet, all right? So, you must eat them separately. Don't eat them together". And when they say the word "separately," they use the word hagiasmos. Say, "What's that"? Hagiasmos. So, hagiasmos is separation. Hagios is holy. The word "holy" means separate. For example, if I come to your house, there are some things that are so precious, there are diamonds that you will never show me, that you keep it in a special safe, right? And you'll never let me know the combination, why? Because it's so precious. It is to you separated because of its quality. So, in a world where everything is common, why it is diamonds stands out? Because the whole world is full of stones and pebbles.
So, when you're a diamond, diamond separates itself by its shine. When God says, "be holy," what God is saying is that don't be common. I'm coming to that now, all right? I'm getting ahead of myself but God is saying don't be common. People lose their temple just like that, don't be common. Be uncommon, amen. People don't forgive and forget. Well, you'll be uncommon. You'll forgive and let go, amen? And the world does not give anything for nothing. Well, you be uncommon. You be a blessing, amen? The world love people who are attractive and reward people who are beautiful. You'll be uncommon. You'll pay attention on people that are not nice, you know, not pretty. Sometimes they are down there asking for money. You don't know why that are asking for money for.
One time, you know, a lady asked me for money recently, very recently, and I was about to drive off. And I looked at her and I gave her money before some time ago and she came from afar and I looked at her and I say, "Oh Lord, deliver me from this". 'Cause I know if she sees me, it remind her that what I did last time. And true enough, she saw me, she made a beeline. She's about in her 60s or 70s, late 60s or early 70s, quite elderly. And I'm praying for deliverance. And the Lord says, "Son, I did not bless you so you pray prayers like this". I was ashamed of myself and I was hoping that she will look at me. Then she looked at me and I tell her. She doesn't speak English so I said, I hope she doesn't think I'm kissing her, all right? Not for smoking. He said, "Okay, she might be lying, whatever it is, but you know what? That $10 will never, if it's lost, it's lost. Doesn't matter". Let me be a fool then, okay? But it might mean a lot to her. I rather make a mistake in being generous than making a mistake in being stingy.
So, I want you to know something, people? All right, people like this are most likely superficially you look at them, they're unattractive. People that need our love, many of them are unattractive but Jesus says, "What grace have you, what thank have you when you greet those who greet you and you love those who are lovely? Jesus said that in the Sermon on the Mount. Are you a priest? Come on, people. All right, not just that. The Bible says you are also a prince. You are kings, you are supposed to be regal. In other words, the holiness of the pharisees is hard. It's abrasive. It is holier than thou, "Don't come near me". But Jesus's holiness is such that the Bible says the common people hear him gladly. He was able to be with them and not be contaminated by them. In fact, they were touched by his healing. They got what he got, what he has. But what he is, he never got what they were. He was a blessing moving among the curse. And everywhere he went, it's like a movie, you know, the back all starts growing flowers and a garden, an orchard and all that, and in front is all desert, cracked, baked, dry desert and wherever he goes. That's our Lord Jesus and we take our princeliness from him.
Now from now on, I'm gonna use the word "princely" a lot, instead of princessly. Okay, y'all understand ladies, all right, you understand, right? "And no, no, I want to say princessly also at the same time". Came to the wrong church, girl, all right? Got some weird people who want to change the Bible when God says he, they say, "Pastor, it's she". I'm not politically correct, all right, I'm going by the Bible. And this dream that God has now been fulfilling 1 Peter 2. "You are a chosen generation". Now this is for, written to believers. "You are a chosen generation". The word "chosen" handpicked, amen? A royal priesthood, not only a priest like the Levite who is not royal, we are royal priesthood.
So, when Jesus was functioning as a priest, yet there was something regal about him. And I'll tell you this regality, this royalty is not based on the clothing you wear, is not on the crown that is on your head, is not based on conferral or appointment. It's not official. It is not ecclesiastical. It is not an appointment, okay? It is something that is moral and spiritual. We take our character from our Lord Jesus. He was normal among normal people, yet supernatural, yet they felt that they were in the presence of a prince. If you have to depend on clothing, on the wealth and the trappings of your jewelry and all that to prove that you're someone, then you are very poor indeed, amen. You're a poor man with plenty of money, but Jesus dressed, I believe, people.
I know there are people who say that his clothes was without seam and all that kind of thing. No matter what it was, it was not the standard of comfortable clothes that the Pharisees would have. In fact, Jesus one time told the people but John the Baptist, all right, those who wear comfortable clothing are in the palaces. Do you think he'd wear comfortable clothing and then he says, he will say, "Look at you". No, he was dressed like the people were addressed, all right? Today we put on a tie or jacket, or whatever, go to work because people are dressed like that, amen? You go with them, when I go to the market, I don't dress like that. And one lady saw me last time, I used to wear tie a lot and she says, "Pastor Prince, you don't wear your suit today". I was at the market, at the market in Bedok and she asked me, "How come you're not wearing"? I say, "Normally I'd wear, lah, but usually today I don't wear. Normally I wear three-piece one," I said. I was just joking with her but, you know?
Jesus was among the people and holiness was flowing out of him. It was a holiness that says, "Come near, amen, I love you". And yet, the prostitute cannot defile him. The leper could not contaminate him. They were changed. They were transformed in his presence but that's what the Lord wants you to become, the royal priesthood. Jesus is in every inch a king. He was born from the priestly line. He was from David, David's two sons Nathan and Solomon. From Solomon came his stepfather Jacob. Sorry, Jacob brought forth Joseph, Joseph. His grandfather was Jacob, Joseph. And then here from the line of Nathan David son's came Mary. So, she has double claim to the throne, and yet, he moved among the people like a common man, but everything he touched, every word he spoke was uncommon. God wants you to be uncommon. When your friends are sleeping around, you don't. You are uncommon, that's what holy means. Holy is not this thing you gotta have, you know, dressing that is so tight, you know, or bun, you know, no makeup so tight you blink, the whole bun shakes like an earthquake.
What's the point? No makeup, you know, tight bun but you can sit in the kitchen, lick a spoon inside the living room, means your tongue is that long. Every time you come together with your friends, "I don't know why this sister, you know, her makeup so thick. It's horrible, you know"? I don't understand, how come, you know, criticizing people all the time? You can never be wrong, there's always others. There's always others. God wants you uncommon. Now I bring you to this now, all right, let's go to Numbers, Numbers 7, "And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it," That's the word, sanctify, which is holy, set, set it apart, all right? Precious things are set apart. "And all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them; That the princes of Israel". Say, "princes". "Heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered".
This is the longest chapter in the entire book of Numbers, the longest chapter. And if you read that chapter, it's nothing more than, who gave what, which Prince gave what, what, what? The other prince from the tribe of Issachar get this, this, this. The tribe of Asher get this, this, this, this. The prince of the tribe of Zebulun get this, this, this, this. It's the least of the giving of the princes. So, what can we learn? Why did God give so much space to the giving of the princes of the tribes? Number one, they are princes. God is telling you that he wants his people princely. You must be someone who stands out. God wants you to be regal in your family, regal in your workplace, regal. God has called us to walk the high calling. Ephesians chapter 4, " I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling".
You are called to be a king priest, amen. You're a king priest, walk according to the call. Don't let God find an Israel within the Israel to enjoy those blessings, amen? In Numbers 7 it says clearly, "These are the princes that brought the offerings". They were the ones. No one told them to bring, amen? They were the ones that brought. Verse 3, "And they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered wagons". Keep that in mind, six covered wagons, twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle". You know what's a wagon, right? A wagon is a means of transport, a mode of transport, okay? And they brought oxen. They were generous. In fact, nothing in the law tell them to give all these things, nothing. I'll tell you why.
Next verse you see, the Lord spoke to Moses. Moses went to God. Moses says, "God, there's nothing in the law that says give cars, and give oxen for the sacrifice. What do I do? They are giving all these things". And God says, "Take it of them". So, the Lord had to speak to Moses, you see that? 'Cause there's no precedence. What I'm trying to say is that people who are princely, number one, they are generous. They are not petty. They're not mean. Ladies who are petty, who are mean does not look like a princess, amen? But when people make fun of your people or people, you know, criticize you or whatever, you rise above it. You still maintain your smile. You forgive them in your heart and you keep on living. That is a princess. In the natural, we expect princes to conduct themself with dignity and decorum, amen? We don't like to lose our respect for them, amen. We don't like to lose our respect for a prince. It's like, "Oh man," you know, others can say that, you can't, amen, because you're a prince.
Now, God doesn't want to be burdening you, but God wants you to know that you really are a prince. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. Don't be petty. Don't be small. Don't find fault with everything. Be generous. Princeliness is generosity, dignity, nobility, largeness of heart. These princes, they gave generously, so much so that Moses had no precedent. Moses said, "God, what should I do"? God says, "Take it from them". God says, "Take it from them that they, these things, these blessings may be to do the service of the tabernacle, of the congregation, and thou shall give them unto the Levites, the priests, to every man according to his service. And Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites".
If you are functioning as a priest, God will make sure that for you to travel from here to there will not be a trouble. I'm not just referring to a car. There's enough prosperity messages out there already. I'm talking about how God will facilitate everything you do. Your ministry will have a facilitation to it. There'll be things that you do and God prospers it. And also it will be lightening your burdens because a wagon will carry burdens you cannot carry. God will make sure you're functioning as a priest, that your burdens will be lighter. He will supply you but only if you're functioning in Levitical priesthood, which is, who got the blessings? Moses took the wagons and the oxen, gave them to Levites because God says, "You shall give them to the Levites". And there was no such precedence. And the princes did not do according to the law. There was no law for this, they did it out of their hearts.
Another thing about princeliness. You don't just do the bare minimum. You do things even it's not required to. You ask yourself, "What else can I do"? That's princeliness. A long time ago, true story... by the way, I love going to gardens and all that. I know it's not very macho, but I love looking at beautiful flowers, okay? And even when I was alone. I was alone in London after my preaching last two months, I walked to Hyde Park, and I went to this royal garden. This still have a royal garden, unfortunately it wasn't a season for the full bloom but I could see some of the flowers that were still in bloom and all that.
And I remember years ago going in there with my wife and it's in full bloom. I love the gardens, the royal gardens, amen? And I was there and it reminded me again about how King Solomon planted a royal garden, and you find a lot of depiction of it in the Song of Songs. And I was reminded of a true story. This probably happened in the very early 1900s or late 1800s in the royal family of England. A man's wife was dying, and she loved a certain type of flowers. But the common people do not have this flowers blooming in their backyard, only the royal garden has it. So, he went and with boldness, he went to the sentry there and he asked permission whether he could buy a particular flower for his wife. The man says, "Go away, this is the royal garden". He went away, came back again. Really he loved his wife, and he was willing, he was a poor man, but he was willing to give up anything just to get the flowers for his wife before she goes on.
Somehow, someone else heard about it and the news went all the way to the queen. This is not the Queen Elizabeth, all right? This was the then Queen. And one day she said, "When the guy comes again, call me". So, the guy came, she met the man, the man told her the story, and said, "Please, I'm not asking for a handout, all right? I have reserved some money and I'm willing to pay, even it costs more to sell off my other things. I want my wife to hold these flowers before she pass on. She loves these flowers". And the Queen says, "I cannot sell it to you". The man was so brokenhearted he looked down said, "I'm willing to buy it". Says, "No, I cannot sell it to you, you understand? As the Queen, I cannot sell but," she smiled, "I can give it to you," all right?
So, we have this bartering system, all right? "You smile first, then I smile at you. You forgive me first, then I forgive you". What thank, what grace do you have? So, what I'm trying to tell you is that people that need your forgiveness are people who are not attractive. They're ugly, in your own mind at least, you know? They are people that don't, "They don't deserve my forgiveness". Freeze that for a while, forgiveness, deserve. You're talking like a Philistine. You don't even understand the word "forgiveness". It's from the word, "give," forgive. You give, all right? A gift is a gift, it's not a payment. Someone don't have to perform and run around the ring of Rosie before they can qualify for your forgiveness. You forgive them and more than anything else, you for me for your own sake.
I just happened to see, you know, sometimes when I'm sitting down relaxing in my toilet. I have a special chair, it's not very comfortable but I do relax there. And sometimes I will just browse through my YouTube, all right? And I just so happened to see this long life, very interesting. They recommend me to look at this particular lady live to about 104 years old, 112. I saw two of them but one of them and she says this, "You know, a secret". She was still lucid, you know? She was able to express and say that, "It's most important," she said, "that you forgive people, forgive them, forgive them. I've got people who are already dead,' she said. "They are dead. I'm still alive. Forgive them, don't hold grudge," she says, "don't hold grudge". And the final secret she says, "It's the grace of God," she said. "It's the grace of God".
They wanted what sort of food so they can eat the same food. At least the reporter sound like, "You know, what do you eat, what do you eat"? You know, but she wasn't focused on that. I know that a lot of people focus on the Okinawan diet and all that kind of thing, but I'm telling you, people, it is really the grace of God, amen? And I just want you to know that this is God's heart's desire that his people function in a regal way, yet a priest. When I say regal, I don't mean, you know, "Y'all don't come near me, ah. I'm a princess". Was Jesus humble? Yes, yet it wasn't humility that is servile. When he was humble, he wasn't servile like he rubbed his nose in the mud. He was never servile.
In fact, there's nothing more servile than being stripped in front of a whole garrison of army, being spat on, have the crown of thorns pressed on your head, and then people laughing at you, put a mock reed in your hand. But before that, they used the reed to knock that crown of thorns even deeper into his head. And then the back was bleeding from the scourging already. Bones are exposed. They put the silk robe, the gorgeous scarlet robe over him, stuck to his skin, and then ripped it off after for a while. Laugh, spat on him, beat him. The prophecy says, "I gave my back to the smiters. They plowed my back like a farrow in a field". And if that is not enough, they put the crown, they put a cross, which is not smooth. It's not shellacked nicely. It was jagged, and they plunge, no wonder he fell, no wonder. The wonder is that he could even carry some part of it. And the nails that they put in his hands were not silver nails. They were not stainless steel. They were rusty nails. They were big, they were huge, and the thrones were huge.
But put all the physical sufferings aside, in the midst of this when he came out and Pilate thought, "If I scourge him really bad blood everywhere, bones exposed, the people will probably let him go". He brought Jesus out. And the Bible says the moment Pilate saw Jesus, Pilate himself was afraid of him. He told the people, "Ecce homo," in Latin, "Behold the man". There was such a dignity. Who can be dignified after such gruesome brutality? Who could maintain his dignity? But the prince from which we draw our character from, he is, amen? Spent three-and-a-half years day in, day out, day in, day out, day in, day out, day in, day out, you see everything in the natural there is to see, all right, with the Lord Jesus, yet even Peter, James, and John at the end of three-and-a-half years, they were afraid to ask him a question.
They said that no one is a hero to his valet. You know what it means? Your assistant, you're not a hero to your assistant because your assistant see everything about you. But even for our Lord Jesus, he was close to them for three-and-a-half years. They slept together, they traversed the towns together and the cities. They never lost that awesome reverence and respect for him. They sent priests, the priests sent soldiers to arrest Jesus. The temple had soldiers as well. The soldiers came back empty handed. They asked, "Why did you come back empty handed"? They said, "Never man spake like this man". God wants you to be like him. And what made these princes come to the forefront? What made them appear to us? What made their princeliness manifest? It was this, drop down to verse 10, "And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar".
Say, "altar". "in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar. And the Lord said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar". I wanna tell you something, people. The altar, the altar, the altar, princes have an amazing value for the altar. The altar in the Old Testament is the place where you put the offering, where you put the burnt sacrifice, amen, is a picture of the cross of Jesus Christ. People who are princely, men and women who are princely, are people that have a value of the work of Jesus Christ. That's why I cannot go under the law, why? I have too much of a value of the work of Christ. I cannot go back under the law. Paul was princely. He says, "God forbid I should glory but in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ".
People, if you value the cross, if everything hinges on the cross, Paul says, "I want to know nothing among you, except Jesus Christ and him crucified," amen? The cross, the cross, the cross, and today we have a Christless Christianity and we have a crossless Christianity. And no wonder there's a lot of strife, lot of bitterness, a lot of resentment and not a lot of supply, and they are wondering how come our church is able to build this huge place, probably the most expensive, if you call it a church, which technically it's not but now it is. Now, present tense, now in this hour even because of all of you, amen? The supply is there. God will supply. God will provide you wagons, whatever you need to function as a king and a priest.
And if you have a value for the altar, you value the cross, God says in the very first chapter of Leviticus, there are three types of burnt offering animals. The first one is big, bullock. It was huge. You know when you cut the neck of a bullock, you know how much blood there is? No bull, a lot of blood. I'm telling you a lot of blood, okay? Second category is from the flock. sheep or goat, second category, all right? Third one is either dove or pigeons, okay, fowl. So, you have the herd, the bullock, you have the flock, sheep or oxen... I'm sorry, sheep are goat. Then you have the dove or... so notice, big, medium-sized, small. And the Bible says, who brings the small ones? Those who are poor. In fact, there's another provision, not in the first chapter of Leviticus, that says if one cannot even provide the bird, he can bring a flower because even a flower reminds God of, "I am the bread of life, his Son,"okay? So, the poor bring that.
Today what does that mean? That means if you are poor, you know how you become poor in your revelation? You don't value Jesus, you don't value. All you think about Jesus he's a means to an end. He's a means to an end. I use him for my blessings. I use him. You gotta see him as how wonderful he is, the altogether lovely one, whereas the one that brings the bullock, only the rich can bring the bullock in ancient Israel. So literally physically rich but the truth is this, what makes you spiritually wealthy today? A big bullock-sized revelation of Jesus and that's what I pray for all of you, that all of you have a bullock-sized, "New Creation church talks about nothing but Jesus and the cross. They even have a video animation on it, so embarrassing, you know"? I'm glad I'm part of this church, aren't you, amen? God wants you princely, he doesn't want you petty. Petty people, I'm not beyond that.
You know when I see myself getting petty, you know, I scold myself verbally, you know, I thank God if something bad happens, I just thank God for his discipline, you know, that day because I've been petty and God will not let me be petty. You know what's petty? Little small people. Small, small things, you know, they get petty. It's not fun to be with you. "You still want to go for holiday"? "I think I'll be having a holiday exactly the same week you are going". Nobody wants to be with you. How long are you gonna live your life on earth, you know, being petty, forgetting the big picture, being together, having fun, living in the present? Because princes are generous, they are big hearted, they are noble, they are dignified.
How about you, are you cracking jokes that are dirty all the time? Then people hear that you attend New Creation Church, they think that we're all the same. You have let the Lord down. The Lord cannot be brought down, but you have let the Lord down in your testimony. You're not princely. "Does that mean I can't joke"? You can joke but make sure your joke is not like dirty jokes, ribaldry, you know, low jesting. You can have a sense of humor. I believe the Lord has a sense of humor. Those of you who judge others, all right, walking around with a telephone pole in your eye. No, he didn't say telephone pole. They don't have telephone. He said a big block of wood.
Can you imagine a guy walking around. "Brother, can I help you? The speck in your eye, I see a speck in your eye. Can I help you"? And he has this big pole jutting out. I'm sure the people on the Sermon on the Mount, they laughed, but the Pharisees did not laugh. So, look around, see who are not laughing. He told the Pharisees one time, "You strain at a gnat, G-N-A-T, it's like a small fly, a small insect. You strain at a gnat because Pharisees are very careful. Before they drink their water, must make sure there's no fly. It defaults their holiness. So they strain at a gnat. They put a strainer over it before they drink, all right, and then when they drink, they remove the strainer. Jesus says, "You strain at a gnat and you swallow a camel". I love that. He told the Pharisees, I'm sure the Pharisees looked at him.
Can you imagine, a camel? Majoring on the minors, amen? How did you like the sermon today? "Oh, I just didn't like the fact that he make a joke about that". Could that be something else that you like? No, no, you brought the disposition here. Anyway, I tell you what, the Lord Jesus is someone joyful. When the Bible says the joy of the Lord, have you stopped to think it's not your joy, it's the joy of the Lord, that it's your strength? We always say, "The joy of the Lord is your strength," means, "Have joy you, have joy, you have joy". You missed it. It's the joy of the Lord that is our strength. And you read the Bible, what does he rejoice in? The Lord your God rejoices over you. If you know that he rejoice over you, you will have strength if you know you are God's beloved. And learn to laugh, learn to live. If people tell you, "I'm sorry, we made a mistake," the waitress made a mistake, your guys, I must train your people carefully. "You know, petty, petty, petty. Y'all come here, you know". We've all done that. "We deserve for royal treatment, after all, we paid $10.50 for this steak".
I'll close with this, by the way, verse 12, the last line. "He that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah". Just let you know that Judah always leads the way. Jesus's tribe, Jesus is one of the tribe of Judah. Judah always leads the way. Praise always leads the way. When the enemy comes against them, you know which tribe goes first? Judah, Judah goes first, and Judah means what? Praise, not complain, hmm, not complain. By the way, I studied the Hebrew word for complain. The Hebrew word for complain is called aluwn, aluwn. Aluwn means this also in Hebrew, it means, spend the night. Whenever you find spend the night, complain. Another meaning of aluwn is spend the night. That means when you complain, you know what? You will stay in that situation, spend the night, enjoy an overnight stay. In other words, when you complain, you stay in the same position. When you praise, amen, God will take you out of that position. So complain, the problem will stay at least overnight. Praise, amen?
So, Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah was the first one to go in. Just let you know, Nahshon has a son called, nothing fishy, ah, Salmon, Salmon, okay, Salmon, Salmon. Salmon, when they attacked Jericho and they shouted and the walls of Jericho fell, there was one wall that did not fall, the one belonging to Rahab the prostitute because she put a trust in the red scarlet. Just let you know that the son of this prince, who is also a prince himself, married that prostitute, okay? They both had a son. One more step down. Their son's name, the grandson of Nahshon is Boaz who married Ruth, great grandparents of David and that's why their names even Salmon, all the way Nahshon all the way in Matthew chapter 1, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, it is there, hallelujah. Give the Lord a shout. Praise God, amen.
I read some Jewish writings that when they went into the Red Sea, does not tell you who went in first, but the Jewish writings, very interesting, Jewish writings mentioned Nahshon from Judah went in with his horse and the waters did not part until the water was at the horse's bridle, nearly drowning. Bang, it opened up. It was Nahshon that went in first, amen. Beautiful, ah? Praise God. Princely, dignified, remember again, princely is not matter of appearance, or formality, or you know, we have princes today in the world. God is not talking about that. God it talking about something moral, something spiritual. When people are with you, they feel something heavenly about you, amen? "No pastor, I just want to be common that anybody else. I want to blend in. I want their approval". Then go ahead. Stones are dime a dozen, to be holy is to be a diamond, amen, that you stand out.
So what when the world says, "Ah, you're still a virgin". All right, you say, "You mean you're not"? Okay, yeah, be dignified, be dignified. Don't feel like when you walk into a... my friend, I don't know what possessed him. He told me to go somewhere when I was in the Navy. We were at Phuket many years ago, quite a few years ago. And he told the tuk-tuk man to bring me somewhere. He spoke the language and all that and know what they're talking about. And lo and behold, I came to this beach and they didn't wear clothes. And I had my Navy uniform on, and I was so embarrassed. I was a Christian then. Honestly, people, I wasn't oogling, I was embarrassed. I walk around and he was laughing and laughing. He walked with me by the beach and I don't know where else to go. I don't even know how to go back. It was my first time in Phuket. And he was laughing and laughing, everywhere man and women and all that. I'm telling you it was a nudist beach.
Now a question? Why should I be embarrassed when everything is common now and that place, it's common to be undressed doesn't make it right. I should be walking like a prince and seeing all these things, they should be embarrassed. In fact, I have no doubt that woman caught in adultery, that woman that wept at Jesus's feet, they all felt embarrassed to be in his presence and yet, there was attractive power drawing them, eyes that burn at sin, but eyes that radiate with love for the sinner beckoning him, beckoning her. The lion and the lamb, God wants us to be like that. God wants you to take your priesthood and your Melchizedek, your royalty or regality from him, amen? And some thing's, don't be petty, rise above it. Before your responses says no, just rise above it, amen? Rise above it, amen? Rise above it. Just like someone say something, you know, rise above it, okay? Give him praise, church, hallelujah. Hallelujah, come on, come on, uncommon people. Come on, special people of God, royal priesthood, chosen generation. Thank you, Lord. Every head bowed, every eye closed all across this place.
♪ Come and praise him royal priesthood ♪
♪ Come and worship holy nation ♪
♪ Worship Jesus our redeemer ♪
♪ He is precious King of glory ♪
♪ Come and praise him royal priesthood ♪
♪ Come and worship holy nation ♪
♪ Worship Jesus our redeemer ♪
♪ He is precious King of glory ♪
All across this place and everywhere that's watching this now, everyone that's watching in Grace Revolution Church in Dallas, and all those watching by way of television, I'm here to proclaim to you the God of heaven and earth loves you, and he has a plan for your life, an original plan that he has never deviated from, a plan to make you a king and a priest, a priest that is so close to him, a king that will speak and people are set free. Demons run in terror, sickness bow, words that are not common, a people that is uncommon, that's the dream he has for you. The world may see your uncommonness and say, "Why are you so different"? That's the dream the Father has for you but the rest of you who have never put your trust in Christ, I want to invite you right now to put your trust in the one who gave his life for you on that cross, satisfying all of the claims of God's holiness and righteousness from our lives. His blood has fully met all that claim on your behalf. He died your death, was punished with your sins, punished for your sins, and rose from the dead without your sins, proclaiming that the work is finished, it's complete, it's done.
All you gotta do is just put your trust in Christ today. Pray this prayer with me right now. Say, "Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I believe that he died on that cross for my sins, was punished in my place, and rose again from the dead to proclaim I'm justified in him. Thank you, Father. My sins are forgiven. I'm highly favored and greatly blessed. Thank you for loving me. In the name of Jesus," and all the people said, amen, amen, amen. Praise the Lord, hallelujah.
Stand to your feet, church. Never take God's protection for granted. In a world that is increasing becoming more and more dangerous, it seems like even modern technology is failing more and more than we expect. We cannot put our trust in the professionalism and artistic abilities of any human being. Our trust for our protection and our family is in the Lord, amen? So even for this week, let's acknowledge him. The Bible says, "Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will direct your paths".
This coming week, Father in heaven, we acknowledge you. We acknowledge you are our refuge, and our fortress, our dwelling place. We dwell in you, Lord, the secret place of the Most High far above all the powers of darkness. And Father, I pray for every family under the sound of my voice, every family represented here. Father, I ask in the name of the Lord Jesus you'll protect them throughout this week, Father. Keep them from all harm, from all dangers, from tragedies, from all sickness, from all the harmful effects of the haze, Father, from all disease-bearing parasite and mosquitoes, Father, protect them, I pray. Protect their loved ones, and place them at the right place at the right time and cause them to enjoy your free favors, Father. Throughout this week, let them be conscious of your love for them.
Father in heaven, as we have heard today, Father, we want to be functioning priests and kings that are regal, Father, that the world will be impacted with Christ, that they'll sense Christ, Father, when we are around him and even before we speak, Father. We ask, Father, for this that every man and woman under the sound of my voice from this day forth as they step into a room, as the step anywhere, Lord, the people will feel like regality, Lord, and God's presence is contained in this person. Father, mark them, every family, for your divine protection and your richest blessings. In Jesus name, and all the people said, amen, amen, amen. God bless you. See you again, church.