Joseph Prince - Jesus Is Really That Good
I want to share with you a few of my concerns. We are continuing our teaching from last week, all right? I want to continue from there. Remember how King Shishak, the king of Egypt, came into Israel during the time of King Rehoboam, Solomon's son and what did he do? He took away all the treasures of the temple and particularly he took away the shields of gold, shields of gold that Solomon built, okay? And the Bible tells us that King Rehoboam, after Shishak removed the golden shields, he replaced the golden shields with bronze shields. Think about it, bronze, if polished really good, looks like gold, all right? So, he was more concerned about appearances but the substance was missing.
And my concern is that when I look around me, and I've traveled wide. I've been to major conferences and that's the grace of God. I've spoken in some of them and I'm here to tell that you one of my biggest concerns right now is that the gospel that Charles Spurgeon preached, the gospel that D.L. Moody preached, the Gospel that the Apostle Paul was given 2,000 years ago, is now being removed. Slowly, but cunningly, the devil has removed the gospel. We saw last week in Jude how there'll be certain man creeping into the church unawares by stealth and they will transpose the grace of God. The word "turn the grace of God into licentiousness", all right, we did an in-depth study of the word "turn". It is the Greek word metatifamy. Metatifamy means to substitute one for the other.
In other words, they remove grace and guess what happens when you remove grace. Licentiousness takes its place because grace is the only antidote against licentiousness, amen. So, there are voices that say, "If you preach grace, you are giving people license". Read your Bible, all right? When grace is transposed, when grace is replaced, what do you have in its place? Licentiousness, amen? My concern is that in those days, back in those days, for example, Spurgeon, Moody, Wesley, they will use phrases like, "justification by faith, justified by faith". Today we call it righteousness because the word, "righteousness, justified, just" is all from the same Greek word, all right, dikaioo, which is righteous, righteousness, all right? But back then they call it justification by faith. And today, you find that people are saying things, they are removing the golden shield. They are saying that justification by faith is not so it's important.
All right, it's important, yeah, for you to be safe but after that, you need to be justified by works. Are you listening? So, they are mixing the gospel and we saw last week how dangerous that is. This is my biggest concern because I hear and I watch a lot of sermons and I'm very concerned that slowly but surely, this is happening. And if you ask me the question why, why is God doing these things for us, putting us in this position to have influence and a voice? Years ago, I was reading the parable of the sower and the seed. It appears in Matthew, Mark and Luke, the four types of soil. And the Bible says the same seed fell on different types of soil and have different, different harvest, right? But at the end of this parable, Jesus said, "No man lights a candle and put it under a bed. No man lights a candle and put it under a bushel, but puts it on a candlestick so that everyone can see the light".
I used to not understand why this candle thing appears after the parable of the sower but now I fully understand it. What Jesus is saying is that once he lights your candle, he gives you revelation. He lights your inner man with revelation. You know what it's gonna do? He won't hide you. He won't put you under a bed. He won't put you under a bushel. He will put you on the church, on a platform where all the world can hear the message and the revelation that he has given you. It is not because of you. It is because of the Word and the revelation and the light he has given you. Can I have a good amen, church? So, God is now putting us in the platforms so doesn't matter who come against grace, who comes against this and all that because we know that, you know, if God gives people influence, what can we say? But if their words fall to the ground and our words stick, we rest our case, all right? And the thing is that God is putting us on a platform where the gospel of grace is going to all the four corners of the earth.
People in Russia are responding, people in South Africa is responding, people in America is responding. South America is responding as well in a powerful way. And I'm here to tell you, church, the church of Jesus Christ is alive and well and God is restoring the gospel in these Last Days. Are you listening? You see, if I can say it like this, you know, you all know how I like to show the law of first mention of any subject and the first mention of Satan, the first mention from his mouth, the first temptation in the Garden of Eden, the very first time, he tempted Eve with these words in Genesis 3. "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden"'"?
Look at the audacity of the devil, and this is the very first, the first of the first temptation. Now, don't talk about eating from the tree first, all right? The very first temptation is the audacity of the devil to imply that God is stingy, God is not a God as good as you think he is. People, deep down in their hearts, they think there's a catch. God is not as good as, you know, people make him out to be, all right? There is a catch to it. But don't forget, in the previous chapter, chapter 2, God actually said, the very first thing God told man is, "Of every tree of the garden, you may freely eat", all right?
I want to keep your thoughts on that. Not only God says you can eat, say, "Freely". Wow. Say, "Freely". Freely. The very first thing God told man wasn't a prohibition. Later on God said, "Don't eat from that one tree", amen? That tree is not good for you, but think - look at the alternative. God actually told man the very first thing wasn't a prohibition, it was actually a command. By the way, the word "may" is not in the original Hebrew. It is the word some translations put down, you shall freely eat of every tree, and Adam and Eve were the only ones. We are talking about an oversupply, folks. We are talking about overabundance for one couple. Not only that, God says you can freely eat of every tree and then the audacity of the devil.
God is so generous and the devil comes to Eve who wasn't formed yet when God told man that so it's the man's responsibility to tell the woman. Obviously, Adam misrepresented what God said. All he did was prohibition, prohibition. When all the while, God's first statement to man ever recorded was, "Hey, eat freely, not only eat, I want you to eat freely of everything in the garden that I have already supplied". So, it's always the devil comes to you and make God appear like he's not generous. Thank God, God changed all that.
You know, the devil always, when it comes to you, he's trying to tell you, "You know, that prayer alone is not enough, right? You know if you don't fend for yourself, nobody is gonna fend for you, right? You know something, right? What this person has done to you, you better fight back, right? You better speak up, you better fight or else nothing will happen, you know right? You know that if you don't do nothing, nothing will happen. You know what the Bible says, right? God help those who help themselves, right? You know the chapter and verse for that"? Nonsense. It's not even in the Bible. So the thing is this, the devil will always make God appear stingy.
Remember when David sinned against God by committing adultery with another man's wife and then had her husband killed? Eh. I mean that is adding sin to sin, isn't it? What did God say to David? This is what God said to David, you can check in your Bible. God said to David, "David, I gave you your master's wives. I gave you". All right, in other words those people like Nabal, Nabal died. I'm talking about legally, all right? Then his wife became Abigail became the wife of David. And God says, "I gave you all the wives that you have. I gave you". And then God said this, amazing, "And it's not enough, I would have given you more". Have you read that?
Now some of you are rejoicing right now and you are, I'm just telling you, all right, this is true in the Old Testament, but you know how it's true for us? If you're not happy with your married life in whichever area you're not happy, okay, why don't you ask God for more in your married life? Today, more doesn't mean more women, all right, just let you know. I just want to show you that God's heart is amazing. "Now, pastor, I don't think"... Did you ask God? "Pastor, but I tried my best". I didn't say that. I said, did you ask God? Prayer is not found in the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments presupposes man's strength. Prayer is amazing. Prayer is actually grace in action.
If you believe you cannot and God can, what do you do? You ask him. If you believe that your children, the more you try and try and try, the more you scold and nag and nag, nothing happens, all right, haven't you come to the place where, you know, in everything else your human efforts and striving brings frustration? Why don't you ask God? The one who has all power, the one who has all influence, the one who knows your children's heart more than your child knows his own heart, why don't you ask him? Because asking is a dependence, an act of dependence. If you look at your Lord Jesus in the book where he's portrayed as man, more often than any other, the gospel of Luke, you will find more often than any other gospel, Jesus praying because as a man, that's your posture. The proper posture for a man is dependent on God.
So, he's always praying. He's praying so much that in between prayers, miracles happen. So the disciples came to him one day and says, "Lord, teach us to pray", and they realized that that was the source of his power, yet he is God in human flesh. But he operated as a man dependent on God, his Father. Isn't it amazing? So, the thing is that you look at other people and they're blessed and you say, "Well, why did God bless them"? Did you ask? "No, I don't think God will give this kind of thing". Did you ask? "You know, Pastor Prince, my marital intimacy is no more on fire", all right? Did you ask God? "I think I asked, maybe I did ask him".
Maybe, you do not know you asked God or not? All right, if you ask someone important, you know. You ask God... "But I think I asked God". Ask God to touch your marital life. He's a good God. If something is not enough, ask him. He told David, "I would have given you more. Why did you kill her husband? Why did you commit adultery"? It's an act. Committing adultery is an act you don't trust God to supply. Stealing is an act you don't trust God to supply. Envying other people is an inward act of saying, all right, "God blesses and God is good to some people, but he's not good to me". Church, grace is this, God is not good to us because we are good. God is good to us because he is good.
Some people think, "If I'm good, then God will be good to me". So, Johnny be good. No, the thing is this, God is good to us because he is good. When we are bad, God is good. And when we realize that God is good to us, even when we are bad, God's goodness makes us good. It's God's goodness that leads us to repentance. Can I have a good amen, church?
A prophet was dying, his name was Elisha and he has done so many miracles, double that of his master Elijah. And the time came for Elisha to pass on to be with the Lord and the last gesture he did on his death bed was to call for the king of Israel. And the king of Israel came, Joash. And he told Joash, "Joash, take these arrows". So, Joash took the arrows in his hands and he says, "God will anoint you to defeat the Syrians". And he says, "Take these arrows", a few arrows in his hand, "all right, you will conquer and defeat the Syrians. Now, smite these arrows on the ground". The prophets are very classy, the way they do things. "Take this arrow, smite it on the ground, all right"?
In fact, before that he says, "Put your hands on the bow", and the king put his hand on the bow and the prophet put his hands on the king's hands and say, "Shoot". Then he shoot, "Behold, the arrow of the Lord's deliverance". Wow, style oh, my Lord, I mean, you know? Then after that he says, "Take the arrows", and he took the arrows and then he says, "Hit the ground with the arrows". You know what the king of Israel did? He hit three times, then he stopped. And the prophet was angry. He said, "Why do you hit it three times? You should have struck it, five, six times. Now you will only have three victories over Syria".
So, in other words, we limit God. God wants us to take freely. He is a big God. He's a generous God. He's a good God. And the devil's device before he gets you to sin is always, "Are you sure God provide for you or not"? God will do it for Pastor Prince. God will do it for other people, will God do it for you? "You know what? You gotta embezzle, you gotta steal a bit. Nobody will know. You gotta help yourself". People, before they sin, before they commit adultery, the devil always puts a doubt. "He will always be the same, your husband, he will never change. Your wife, ask God for what"? He will tell you that. God says, "If you asked me, I would have given you more".
"Pastor Prince, how will he give me more in my marital life"? Just ask first, don't ask me to explain, okay? Amen? But he will. He can turn the water into wine. He did it at a wedding and he can do it again, amen? If you don't like the level of your relationship, then ask God, ask God to bring it to a new level. But for goodness sake, don't find another woman. I tell you once you find another woman, terrible, you know? You don't think that nobody knows, ah. Sometimes the whole world will know afterwards, all right? So, so instead of that, ask God and God transform your woman, ask God. Can I have a good amen?
God always over answers us. You know when Solomon, just to encourage you, Solomon asked God for, he built God a house, a temple. You know, David wanted to build God a house but God says, "There's too much blood on your hands, David. Your son, whose name is peace, Solomon, Shlomo, he's gonna build me a house". So, Solomon built God a house and at the dedication of the house, Solomon prayed this prayer. He prayed for two things, basically. It's a long prayer but basically he says, "God, hear, hear, hear from heaven". In other words, he asked God for open ears towards this house. Anyone that comes to this house and pray, open your ears, you know? And till today, the remnant, the remaining wall of Herod, that wall was built all the way down from the time of Solomon, all right? Herod just built on it.
So, the wall down there, that's why they have Jewish people go to the wall. They're not praying to the wall, all right? It's just a reminder of the prayer of Solomon. Anyone that comes here and pray, hear from heaven. Now, we don't have to. We can pray everywhere lifting holy hands because our access is the name of Jesus, all right? But we understand what they are doing, all right? But the thing is that he asked God for open ears and open eyes. Look up here. "That your eyes may be open", he told God at the dedication, "towards this temple". Say, "Your eyes open", all right? And towards the place. "That you may hear". Say, "You may hear. And may you hear". Say, "Hear". So, he asked God for open eyes and open ears. So, at the end of the prayer, we do not know when.
One of the nights when Solomon was sleeping during the still hours of the night, God appeared to him the second time and this is what God answered him. Look at this, "That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. And the Lord said to him: 'I have heard your prayer'", open ear, "'and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name'", open eyes, open ears. His name will be there. "And My eyes", open eyes, "and My heart will be there". Actually he only asked God for open eyes and open ears. God gave him open eyes, open ears. "My name will be there. My heart will be there". I'm telling you, God is a God who over answers your prayer, but pray. For goodness sake, pray throughout the whole day.
If you understand this truth of grace, you will always be asking. You will always be asking and asking. Your asking is actually a life of grace. You are actually living grace because grace is your efforts come to nothing. Many of us, we don't believe what Jesus said when he says, "Without me, you can do no thing". We think that without me, what he meant was you can't do the big things. You can't do the miracle things. You can't do the healing the sick things. We think that way but Jesus said, "Without me, you can do nothing". So, you know what? That behooves us to pray. That behooves us always. In a given day, for example, you know some people are so angry when you pray that God will protect you and your family.
"Well, well, you know, if you look at the Bible, there are people who suffer". I do not know about those people. I know me and I know my God. And for all you know, those people live without Jesus being the high priest at that time. They live before Jesus. All I can say is that I'm gonna ask God for me and my family. Why are you so jealous and angry when I ask God about me and my family? Why not you join me and ask for you and your family? Why fight for people asking God for good things? We don't have enough people praying and then when people are praying, religious people are not happy. Are you hearing? Solomon asked God only for open ears, open eyes. God gave him the heart, the name and open eyes, open ears. He always over answers our prayer. He's a good God.
"So, Pastor Prince, what were you saying about the righteousness by faith"? Well, the thing is this, the gospel of grace... when you say gospel, what does it mean? Good news. Good news. Do you know that people are going to hell because they reject good news? It's like this, when they see how good God is, they say, "No, no, I don't need that. I can supply for myself". It's like the ant trying to cross ECP, our main highway in Singapore. And you look at the ant, you know, and there an overhead, all right? You can just easily help the ant but the ant says, "No, no, watch me, watch me. I'm gonna try. I can do this. I can do this in one day. I can do it in one minute". Poor ant. What does it profit the ant? He gains the ECP, but he loses his soul, all right? It's like that. And even this picture is inferior comparing man to God, you know? But if the ant will just rest on my finger even, does it mean the ant is putting effort to carry my finger? No way. The ant is resting. Whose finger is it? It's my finger. Actually, I'm not even exerting much strength because it's an ant. Are you listening, people?
God is a good God. When God supplies, remember the story of the people, the 5,000 men, not counting women and children, who were there? They were hungry. With five loaves and two fish, Jesus supplied them. But the Bible says a very interesting phrase you find in John's gospel. In fact, all the four accounts have this miracle which means this miracle is very significant. In John's account he says he gave them as much as they would. I kind of wish that you would underline that in your Bible. He gave them as much as they would. There goes the religious idea, you can only receive as much as God wills. That wasn't the reality of what happened that day. The supply of the loaves and fishes was given as much as they would. If they are hungry, they keep on taking. If they are hungry, they keep on taking. The moment they are full, they say enough, the supply stop, as far as they are concerned, amen?
Now, if there were some Singaporeans there, the supply will keep on going, I know that. All right, but the thing is that when the supply ended, even when the supply ended, what was left over? Twelve baskets full or we can say 12 baskets that were full of bread, full. God is not stingy. The devil always come to you and make God appear stingy, make God appear like hard. Are you listening, people? So, Paul pronounced a double curse, we saw last week. Look at Galatians 1 once again. "I marvel that you are so soon removed". That's my concern right now for Christian, I should say for the gospel around the world. We are hearing another gospel and the funny thing is that when people hear the true gospel, you know what they say? "Oh, this is dangerous". It is amazing that when God restores the true gospel and it sounds really good news, people say, "It's too good to be true. God can't be that good". When God told Israel, "I bring you to a land", all right, "where you will live in houses you did not build". Hey, Singaporeans. "You will eat from vineyards you did not plant. You will drink from wells you did not dig".
So, the land flowing is not the land that has honey and milk. The land flowing, idea of abundance. "The land is flowing with milk and honey, and I bring you to this land and you have to do nothing. Trust me to drive out all the inhabitants", amen, amen? God allowed big giants there because big giants build big houses. Big giants dig deep wells. Big giants work very hard, but the land is God's, and God says, "Okay, leave". They leave behind everything for you to walk into and enjoy. And you know what? The 12 spies were sent by Israel to observe the land, and they came back and ten of them says in essence, "God can't be that good". The land is beautiful, yes, truly. You see the cluster of grapes? They had to have two men carry on a pole a cluster of grapes. That has now become the picture of the Israeli tourism, of two men carrying a cluster of grapes in the center on a pole. Pole, grapes, "I am the vine".
He was crucified between two to give life and abundance to all of us, amen? And it was a sign to them that God says, "I am good, and this is a foretaste. These are the first fruits of my goodness. There's plenty more in the land". You know what they said to God? "No, no, God, we will not go in". In essence, "We do not think that you will give it to us. We don't think you are that good. We don't think you are that strong to win over the giants. We don't think that you are that able". God was sad. Only two of them says, "The land is a good land, let us go up at once and possess it", Joshua and Caleb. You know what the rest says? "Stone them. They are preaching too much grace. They are deceiving the people. They want the people destroyed. Kill Joshua and Caleb". By the way, Joshua and Caleb are the only ones who made it. The rest all died in the wilderness. You know what they died of? They cannot believe God is that good.
One of the greatest preachers that God is raising in these last days is a dear friend of mine called Joel Osteen. And I do not know of anyone who has an impact on unbelievers as Joel Osteen is. To me, he's a modern-day Billy Graham. But some people are not happy, you know, with his style of preaching. They're not happy with the content, you know? He's only preaching, "God is good. He loves you". He's always building people up. He's always talking about God's goodness. Don't forget. God's goodness leads people to repentance. But some preachers, I mean when I see the things that they write about him or I hear about things, I don't purposely look at all those things but it just jumps out at you, the number of people who are theologians and so-called self-appointed theologians who try to be smart, but with all their theology, with all their dry theology, how many souls have they saved?
Joel may not have that much theology as they do, but what he knows, he's faithful to, and when he preaches, people get saved. There was a lady celebrity in Holland, and this came from my friend in Holland who doesn't listen to preachers and all that. When she heard Joel Osteen preach on TV, she said this to her friends, very famous actress in Holland. She says that if this is the kind of God that this man is portraying, it's the kind of God that he says he is, I want him. Joel is doing that. You know and people, "He's gotta be more forceful". No, when you meet Joel... I've gone to Joel's house, and I fellowship with Joel and Joel is the same. He's gentle. He's a very gentle person.
Now, what do you think is spirituality? You who try to cast stones and you who try to make yourself as a great theologian, all right? And you feel like his theology doesn't measure up. How many souls have you saved lately? Another thing is this, his Night of Hope is getting a lot of people saved. Literally, thousands upon thousands are saved, all right, plus all those watching. At the end he says, "We never like to close our broadcast without giving you a chance to receive Jesus", and literally thousands upon thousands are being saved. And you, with your correct theology, how many are saved? And do you know how God defines spirituality?
Galatians 6:1, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass", any sin, "you who are spiritual", Ah-ha. You know who are the spiritual ones? Restore, spiritual people restore. They don't condemn. How do they restore? In a spirit of gentleness, in a spirit of Joel Osteen. Gentleness. And don't underestimate gentleness. David said to God, "Your gentleness has made me great". The Bible says, "A soft tongue breaks the bone". Hmm, don't despise God's gentleness. Let me tell you this, people who are spiritual are gentle. The more God has touched you, the more you see about God, all right, the more gentle you are. And you know something? People who are spiritual, according to this verse, restore. So, why is it that there's not much restoration going on? There's much condemning, much criticizing. People are not spiritual, including those theologians who criticize Joel. We are not spiritual. We can have degrees to our names. Mmm, moving right along.
So, people are going to hell because they can't believe that somebody has done all the work. You know, imagine, I can understand, you know, I can understand if you say, "You must climb Kilimanjaro. After Kilimanjaro, you must climb Mount Everest. After you climb Mount Everest, the last one will be, then you can go to heaven. You must climb Mount Fiji. After that when you come down, you get a certificate from heaven, all right, says that you'll be saved. When you die, you go to heaven". I can understand when people say, "Wah, very hard". You know what I think? Many people will prefer that because they get to do something they can be proud of. But when somebody does all the work, you must know this, you will never be happy in your heart, you will never have rest in your conscience if you don't understand this. Understand this, all the divine requirements that God has for man has all been divinely answered through Christ. All the divine requirements God has for man, has all been divinely answered by Christ, hallelujah. Good news. You are saved by resting in what has been done.
So, in essence, do you understand when I say people are going to hell because they cannot believe God is that good? The work is really finished. The devil has been defeated. They cannot believe that. And sometimes we are so hard, you know? It's like when your doctor says, "Come back next Wednesday, all right, at 7 a.m. You gotta come earlier because for testing and all that, all right, and we'll see what we can do". Cannot even guarantee an accurate diagnosis. You know what you do? Six a.m. you're awake. You bathe and get yourself ready. You don't want to stand in line. You want to make sure that your doctor is not distracted by other patients and you are there. And doctor says, "You know what? Before I tell you anything else, go downstairs and take a blood test".
And you faithfully go. You don't even know that they, the real doctor, was knocked unconscious and another person is impersonating. You don't ask him for identification. You see all that words down there look important, you just believe, isn't it? But when God speaks and God tells you the work is finished and, "I love you", we gotta say, "God, you know me, I need a sign". God spoke. We need a sign, you know? "Send a bird to my door early in the morning. You know, send a bird to my window and let the bird sing, or let the word, the bird sing, you know, a Taylor Swift song. You know, do something supernatural so that I know you are talking to me". How that grieves God, isn't it?
Somebody you don't even know look important tell you take blood. Take blood out of your body, you know? And you let the guy take your blood. How much you don't even know? The nurse down there, "I'll take your blood now, huh"? You don't even know how much they want to take. You don't know also. You just give. You never say, "I didn't see you take it out from the sterile covering. Are you sure this has not been used"? There are a lot of things that can go wrong, folks, with men. The amazing thing with God, nothing can go wrong. And we ask from man, we ask from men all the time, we look to man all the time, therefore we are disappointed all the time. God is a good God.
So, the Bible says in Galatians 1, if you preach another gospel, "I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ into another gospel, into another message". You see the grace of Christ? God called you into the grace of Christ, into another gospel. You are removed from the grace of Christ into another gospel. I said you are removed from the grace of Christ to another gospel. What is another gospel? Anything that's not the grace of Christ.
Today, people think that those who are preaching grace is preaching a new message, when actually it is the old message. Anything that's not the grace of Christ is another gospel. And what happens when you preach another gospel? "Which is not another", there is no other good news, "but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed". I repeat, he repeat again in verse 9. "As we said before, so I say again, if anyone preach any other gospel unto you than what you have received, let him be accursed". Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.
And last week I told y'all to ask God, "Why, why, why would Paul, the apostle of grace, so much love and so much grace in him, you know, why would he pronounce a double anathema on anyone who preached any other gospel"? And God says, "Because I love the flock. I love the church. I love the church my Son died for, and I will not allow false preachers who preach another gospel to succeed". So when this curse comes on them, they are immobilized, their resources stop. Sometimes their health fail, why? Because God doesn't love them, the point is that if they insist on preaching another gospel, God loves the flock. You don't play around with these things.
Recently I saw on television, all right, someone saying this, "The gospel that you heard, that saved you, is not the gospel that will carry you through". I said, "What"? He says, "It's the gospel of the kingdom". Now, there's something popular coming out now, it's called the Gospel of the kingdom, which means the Gospel that Paul preached, the gospel of grace, is not the gospel that's, you know, it's not a gospel actually, God had in mind. It's a gospel that saved you initially, but it's not enough to bring you through. You need the gospel of the kingdom of God. Now there are two Gospels. Now, I'm gonna tell you something that God just revealed this.
One day I was reading this and God just showed it to me, how deceptive this thing can be and it's taken from the verse we quote last week. In Acts 20, "But none of these things move me". Paul says, Paul is talking to the Ephesus leaders just before he departed by boat, all right? "Nor do I count my life dear to myself", Paul said to them. "I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God". The gospel is the gospel of the grace of God. Now watch this, then he says, "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more".
So, the gospel of the grace of God and preaching the kingdom of God is the same. It's the same gospel. That's why when Paul preached the gospel, sometimes he says, "The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness". The gospel of grace reveals God's gift of righteousness. The first thing about the kingdom of God is not physical. It is not food and drink. It is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. So, now we have people saying, "Gospel of grace, okay, that's fine to save you, but it's not enough. You need the gospel of the kingdom". So, they have perverted the whole thing into another gospel. So, you might not have heard about this, but I'm just telling you this, because I'm preaching internationally as well.
All right, don't be deceived. Paul says any other gospel, that's not the gospel of the grace of Christ, all right, the Bible says it's another gospel. Are you with me? By the same token, if I preach the gospel of grace, guess what. Instead of being under double curse, I'll be under double blessing. Oh, my mama didn't raise no fool, you know? I don't care what people say about me, I rather be under the double blessing than the double curse. Okay, let me just bring this to a close. If you look at what really makes Jesus displeased, all right, angry, you'd be surprised. In the Bible, if I ask you, "Quote me an incident where it says Jesus is angry".
Most people will say, "When he overturned the moneychangers' table at the temple, and he drove them out". Yes, I would think he was angry. You would think he was angry, but the Holy Spirit never recorded he was angry. It is not there. It never says he was angry and overturned the moneychangers' table. There's no record documented. All right, we all assume. We read into the story he's angry, and probably he is, probably he's not, but it's not recorded for us. And what is recorded is for us to study. What is not recorded, we cannot argue from silence. So, what is recorded? What was he angry with? Look at Mark 3, "He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath".
They watched him to see, they never doubted he could heal. They watched to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath. How narrow can you get and still see through the keyhole? Actually you must be very narrow to see through the keyhole. And some people are so narrow, so that they might accuse him. They are doing the work of the devil. "So Jesus said to the man who had the withered hand, 'Step forward'". I love Jesus, all right? Not doing it in the corner. "'Step forward' Then He said to them, 'Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?' But they kept silent". Next, "When He had looked around at them with anger". That's the only place, only place in the gospels, I challenge you to look it up. It's the only place in the gospels that says Jesus is angry documented. The Greek word orge, all right? Anger.
Now this word is used, orge is used for the wrath of God, for anger of man, but I'm talking about Jesus in the gospels. There's no record he's angry. Now, we assume he's angry when he says, "You hypocrites". He's angry when he overturned the... Now, I believe he was angry, but it's not recorded. So, when it's recorded, God expects us to study. You know what the Holy Spirit is telling us? Study on what he's angry at. He's angry at the lack of grace. I said he's angry at the lack of grace. You know, hey, would have thought, you know what's the best time for Jesus to be angry? When the woman committed adultery and she was in front of Jesus. Jesus should have said, "How can you commit adultery? This is horrible". And Jesus was angry at her. "Before I can forgive you, I must be angry first". It's not even documented.
That would be a fine time for Jesus to show his anger and please many people. But isn't that amazing? Now, God is against adultery. It shows a lack of trust, like I said. God is against stealing, it shows a lack of trust. God is against envying. You don't have to be jealous of anyone, because jealousy is predicated on the belief that because that person has this now, I have less. It is predicated on the belief in lack. If you believe God is plentiful and has more than enough, God can bless everyone with more than enough on this planet earth and have so much more for billions and billions of planets and still have plenty left over. You will not be jealous. In fact, you will ask God, okay?
So, the only place he's angry is angry at the lack of grace. Wow, he's the same yesterday, come one, today and forever. What made him angry then documented for us is what he's angry at today, when people lack grace. Now watch this, "Being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' And the man stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and", celebrated. No, "Immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him". Wow, one of his own church members got saved, got healed, and he went out want to destroy Jesus. It's amazing, you know? They never doubt he can heal. What is wrong, man? People's hearts can be so hard. "I don't care. Just because it's grace, I reject it". So, here he's grieved at the hardness of their heart.
What grieves Jesus? Because Christians like to use the word, "Oh, my spirit feel grieved. The Holy Spirit in me feel grieved". And usually, you know, charismatics especially are notorious for saying, "Oh, I feel grieved", for something they don't approve of. They don't like a leader who just came in. They'll say, "I don't know why but when I look at him, I just feel grieved. I think the Holy Spirit is grieved". No, you are jealous. Or a lady comes in and her make-up is extra thick and you say, "I don't know, something about this lady, I don't know what is it. You know, I think the Holy Spirit just, I feel grieved". No, you're just plain jealous because she's more beautiful. None of us, "You know, I'm jealous, Jesus help me. You know, you got so much goodness, change me. I don't like to be like this. It shows my heart is very small. So Jesus, I'm jealous. I'm just pure jealous, envious. Change me".
I think the Lord would love that. We all don't. We cover it with spiritual religious tones. "I just feel grieved". What grieves the Holy Spirit? Ephesians, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit". Isn't it interesting, the word "grieve" here is the word "lupeo" in the Greek, grieve, literally grieve, lupeo. Go back to Jesus again. "Being grieved by the hardness of their heart" is sullupeo. Now, sull is an addition with, it's a conjunction with. Sullupeo, that means grieve with. All right, that's all, that's all it means. And the place that says Jesus was grieved is the same word used when the Holy Spirit is grieved. So, what grieved Jesus grieves the Holy Spirit. They are one, you know, they are one, amen. And the thing is this, the Holy Spirit and Jesus is grieved at the same thing, what is it? Lack of grace.
Go back to the Holy Spirit portion in Ephesians. "And do not grieve". See, it starts with a conjunction, "and". That means "and" is what? You must read the preceding verse. So, let's read the preceding verse. "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers". When you talk, you must talk in a way it imparts unearned favor, unmerited favor. And then the Holy Spirit is glad. But when you say things to people, only what they deserve. You tell them, "I gave them a good scolding, man, he deserves it", the Holy Spirit is grieved. But there's a place sometimes, you know, you gotta use some words.
Some men of God used words in the Bible, even the Apostle Paul but I'm telling you, they're using it in a way that tears the veneer of self-righteousness. Always self-righteousness, they use strong words. Even Jesus never, never called the prostitutes the tax collectors, the social outcasts. He never calls them, "You brood of vipers, woe to you", never. But to the Pharisees, yes, to tear that strong veneer, that covering, that cloak of self-righteousness. We gotta change our minds about the way New Covenant works. What does it grieve? You see, your words must impart, what? Unmerited favor. "Pastor Prince, I would never say that to my husband". No, speak words of kindnesses to your husband. "No, until he does this, until he drop that bad habit, I will never say that to him". You know what? You don't understand grace.
"I will never say that to my wife, until my house is clean, then I'll say, 'I love you'". Can you be a bit more romantic? "Well, nowadays, she ignores my needs". Why don't you just give her unmerited favor in your words? Because that's what grace is, it is unearned, unmerited favor. You say things, "I would never say that to my husband. I know other people's husbands, you know, I can see that. I can understand why the wife say those kind of things and all that. They have very loving husbands, but my husband you don't know my husband". You don't know my God. You don't know how my God can transform your husband. Your husband is bigger than my God, ah? You think of your husband's weakness too much and you think of my God's ability and grace too little, that's why we don't ask. No, no point asking, lah. Fine, God is not short on ends to help across the other side. Find your merry way. Trust me, God won't fall off the throne because you don't want his help. He's been around long before you were there. Amen, people?
Let me close. So, isn't it amazing that we take that verse out of context. You see, what I'm teaching is in context. Those who take the verse out of context can say anything the Holy Spirit is grieved at. And the last verse before we close. Let's go right to what displeases Jesus. The only place, the only place that is documented, he was displeased, not only displeased, much displeased, Jesus. Would you like to see what displeases Jesus so much? Would you like to see? And it's the only place in the four gospels where the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, where it says he's much displeased. Would you like to find out what is it? The word "displeased" is a strong word.
Would you like to know what he's displeased at? Must be an adulterous woman. Maybe it's a prostitute. What do you think? Someone is chewing gum while he's preaching, would it be that? What do you suppose? Come on, venture a guess. What do you think Jesus is must displeased. Not just displeased, much displeased? What do you think? Would you like to see it? And I'll close with this, okay? "They brought little children to Jesus, that He might touch them". Say, "Touch". All the parents wants is that "Jesus touch my baby", touch. Because they saw that one touch can heal the sick, one touch can cleanse the leper, one touch can open the eyes of the blind. All they want is a touch. What do the parents want? A touch, all right? "But the disciples rebuked those who brought them". Wah, rebuked those parents.
And the word "rebuke" here is the word severely rebuke. "Don't disturb Jesus. He's got more important things to do like healing the sick". Very severe, severe rebuke. "When Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased". My Old King James says, "much displeased". Greatly displeased and the word there "displeased" is the word "aganakteo". Agar is from agan. Nakteo. Agan means much. Nakteo displease. So, it's much displeased, very displeased, greatly displeased. And do you know something? It is the only place that's recorded in the life of our Lord Jesus where he's greatly displeased or displeased. It's the only place. I'm sure that we can read his displeasure in many other things, yes, and he was displeased but it's not recorded. But the only place where it's recorded is for us to study.
When the Holy Spirit records something, it is for us to study and here you find he's greatly displeased at what? The lack of grace, towards who? Children. Wow. Right now the children's church teachers are teaching. They need to hear this sermon, amen? They need to be encouraged how Jesus feels about their ministry, how Jesus feels about our little children. "And Jesus said to them, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it'". Now look, verse 13 says what? Go back to the verse 13. The parent just want Jesus to touch them. Look at what Jesus did. Drop down. "And Jesus took them up", the children, the babies, "took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them".
If I do a movie, I'll do a movie of this scene in the first part, all right, and all the children will become a series. We'll follow their lives, you know, of the touch and then how their lives become, even when they go astray because of the touch, they always come back. It'd be a wonderful TV series, isn't it? And always flash back on the touch, all right, but it's not a touch. It says here he took them up in his arms. One word in the Greek, "took them up in his arm" is one word in the Greek. You know what's the word? It's this word "enagkalizomai". He embraced them. The parents asked for a touch. Jesus always over-answers our requests. Look up here, he always exceeds your expectation, always.
So, Jesus always exceeds. The parents just asked Jesus to touch, Jesus embraced. Jesus embraced. This is my Jesus. This is my Lord. I don't know the kind of Lord you believe. A lot of people preach another Jesus but I'm preaching to you the Jesus from the Bible showing you the context. Amen, church? Because 2,000 years ago, this wonderful Jesus stretched his hands on the cross as if to say, "This is how much I love you". I know you lived life growing up, maybe your parents always tell you, "This is not enough. We don't have enough money. We don't have enough this. We don't have enough that". There are also poor people with plenty of money.
Poverty is not a matter of what you have physically, it's a matter of what you are inwardly. There are people who are rich, I've seen them, they don't want to pay for something simple, you know? They will not even give a treat. There are poor people who have plenty of money. God will give you true riches. He will make you truly rich inside out because at the cross, he was totally, totally destitute of any earthly goods. One of the last things he saw at the foot of the cross were soldiers gambling for the only thing he had that I believe his mother made for him. The Bible says it was a seamless robe. I believe it was blue color, all right?
And the last thing he saw was they were gambling for it, fulfilling Scripture in Psalms. "They cast lots for my vestment". It must have been beautiful for soldiers not to rip it apart. They had to gamble to see who will win that. If it's just a cheap kind of thing, they will just throw to one another and I believe his mother made it for him. All right, the last thing he saw, blood covered, you know, and I don't think they even gave him the courtesy of a loin cloth. He was totally naked. That's not the first time he was naked. He was naked at the praetorium. When the soldiers came, they stripped him. Remember that? The Bible says stripped him. He was stripped before hundreds of soldiers who beat him, spat on him, made fun of him, hit him with the reed. And why? Because man sinned against God and man became naked.
And God's gift of love, this God, he's truly a good God. He came. His nakedness was to clothe us with his robe of righteousness. The spit on his face is to clothe us with the glory of God. The crown of thorns is to crown you with the peace that passes understanding. He was naked and destitute so that God will always supply all your needs. He was cut off from God at the cross so that God will never leave you, nor forsake you. And my friend, God is that good. The cross is a testimony to the lie of the devil that began in the garden of Eden that God is holding something back.
"God knows the day you eat of it. See, God is holding things from you. God doesn't want you to have this because he knows that you'll become smart, you'll become this. God is holding out on you. God is holding out on you". It's a lie of the enemy and the cross cancels all that. The cross is a living testimony that God is not holding back. God gave you his very best. He didn't give you Michael the archangel. He didn't give you Gabriel. He gave you his one and only begotten Son, the Son that he loved dearly, the Son that opened up heaven when he came out of the rivers of Jordan.
And the Father says, "This is my beloved Son", and God gave him up for us all. God is a good God. Give him praise, amen. Every head bowed, every eye closed, and I just want to address those of you who have never, never received this goodness of God. Jesus Christ died on that cross for our sins, my friend, for your sins and mine. Have you believed that? Have you received a finished work? To be saved is to believe the gospel, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that there's nothing for you to do but to receive all that Christ has done, to put your trust in Christ and what he has done. Will you do that right now? If that is you, wherever you're watching this right now, pray this prayer from your heart. Pray this prayer from your heart.
Heavenly Father, I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that on that cross, he died for my sins. He was buried but on the third day, Father God, you raised him from the dead. Death is an enemy and you have conquered death in Christ. I proclaim with faith in my heart, Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior, and I receive your love for me. I receive forgiveness of sins. And I believe, God, you are good and your love, your grace, is not just for a moment but forever. In Jesus's name.
And all the people said? Amen, amen, amen. Praise the Lord. Lift your hands all across this place. This week I want you to do a homework. There'll be no exam, okay, but homework. Find yourself at any point if there's a jealous pang or feeling envy, envious about someone, anyone you read about, "Fortune" magazine or whoever you are jealous, if you're jealous and envious, catch yourself and tell yourself, "That is an expression of unbelief". God does not have to bless somebody at your expense, all right? Let that be an alert sign to you. It's a time to ask God and put trust in God, amen? And you know what? Hey, why not you be the one that's envied? Why not you be the one that people are jealous of? And that's the word "bless" in the Bible. To be envied are those people who trust the Lord. Lift your hands.
The Lord bless you this coming week with the blessings of Abraham and the blessings of Deuteronomy 28. The Lord make his face shine on you, preserve you, protect you, protect you and your families throughout this week from every contagion, from every sickness and disease, from every accident, from every harm and danger, and from all the powers of darkness through his own shed blood. The Lord grant you favor, supernatural favor. May you have favor with man. Everywhere you go, may doors that are no good for you be closed and doors that God wants you to walk into be opened wide. The Lord lift up his countenance on every single one of you and grant to you and yours his shalom, well-being, wholeness, and peace. In the name of Yeshua Hamashiach, amen and amen.