Joseph Prince - The Secret To A Quality Life (Live at Lakewood Church)

TOPICS: Lifestyle

Good morning. Good morning, Lakewood. Praise the Lord. God is good, amen? You may be seated. Thank you so much. I was with your pastor just last week in New York filming in TBN. I had a great time with him. And every time I'm with him, I'm lifted, just being in his presence. I do not know how many of you have the privilege of really spending some time with him, but he's still the same for all these years, like Jesus, huh? Yesterday, today, and forever. Humble, you know, and I gotta strain to hear what he's gotta tell me, and there's nobody in the room. But we are gathered in the name of Jesus, and he is here. And he's not here to be a spectator. He's here to meet your needs, amen. He loves to be a servant.

You know, right after the Ten Commandments was given in the Book of Exodus chapter 20, God lists down for the first time the Ten Commandments. You know what comes immediately after in the next chapter, chapter 21? God says, "Now these are the statutes that you must keep". And the very first thing God talks about is about a Hebrew servant. If a Hebrew servant has served his master for seven years, for six years, in the seventh year, he can go free. But if he has received his wife and his family during his servitude, and he loves his master, he loves his wife, he doesn't want to go out free because they'll be left behind, then he can say, "I want to remain as a bondservant". And the master will pierce his ear.

Now, why did God put this very first thing right after he talks about the Ten Commandments, God gave us this statute in the very next chapter. God had in mind his Son, his beloved Son, the lovely, all beautiful one, our Lord Jesus Christ, that he will come as a man. And you know there's a Scripture, a messianic Psalm that says in the Septuagint it says, "My ear has thou dig". In the King James it says, "A body has thou prepared me". So, he became that servant. Do you know that he said, he said there's the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. And whenever he found someone who would allow him to serve, all the grace and the goodness of his heart comes flowing out. But every time someone tries to serve him, now hear me out, we serve because we have been served.

Do you know that even in glory today, right now at the Father's right hand, he's here by his Holy Spirit and his presence is here. He says, "Where two or three, the smallest plurality, two, there am I in the midst of them". God in all his glory is there. So, even though bodily he's in heaven glorifying, John saw him in the Book of Revelation, and he was girded with a golden girdle. That's the garb of a servant, people. So, even heaven, he serves us still. Now, you might be held back in your, by your religious spirit by that very thought of the Lord serving you. Remember Peter when the Lord washed the disciples' feet? And he said, "Lord, you cannot wash my feet". He says, "If I don't wash you, you have no part with me". He didn't say in me, Peter was in him, but no part with me. "You cannot flow with me if you don't allow me to serve you".

Once he came into the house of two sisters, their brother Lazarus, Mary and Martha, and the Bible says Martha was busy, cumbered about serving in the kitchen preparing food. But her sister Mary sat at Jesus's feet. And then after for a while, Martha came out, you know, with that tone of voice. And she was angry, she was stressed because she has not read "Live The Let-Go Life". And she blamed two persons at one time. "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me alone to serve"? Remember that? She forgot that this one that is in her house took five loaves and two fish, and he multiplied it to feed more than 5,000. There were 5,000 men counted, but women and children probably 10,000. She forgot who he was. And when he comes to your house, you know, the polite, the Eastern culture like even in Singapore when someone comes to your house, you serve. And God is not against you serving, but her spirit was like this.

Jesus looked at her and says, "Martha, Martha. You are careful and troubled about many things". It is not the service, it is the heart. If you are stressed out and you're troubled and you're worried inside, it's because you have not been fed. You have not been served. Sit at his feet. Let him serve you. "Martha, you are troubled about many things, but one thing is needful". Do you really believe that? Of all the things that we have to do in our lives, I mean every day, parenting, you know, deadlines to meet, and making sure that we are keeping up with new knowledge in our workplace, or else be redeployed or retrained. With all these things, all the demands on us, we only have that much time in a day, do we really believe that one thing is needful? And Mary chose that good part which will not be taken away from her.

Now, what did Mary actually do? She just sat like what you're doing right now. I'm standing here preaching my heart out and you are just sitting. You are at rest. You are at rest. And that's where the Christian life begins, sitting down. In the Book of Ephesians, long before you can walk worthy of the Lord, walk like a prince, the princess that you are, you gotta learn to sit. The Christian life begins, salvation begins with you resting in what has been done. Which of the two sisters do you reckon made Jesus feel like God, the God that he is? The sister who saw him outwardly in his tired form in his humanity needing her service? Or the sister whose eyes of faith penetrated through the human guise, through the human veil and saw the inexhaustible supply that was there waiting to be poured out? And how glad the Lord was when he found someone he could pour it to. She chose that good part, that one thing needful, which will not be taken away from her. Can I have a good amen?

It's hard for us to believe that because it's against the grain of religion. Religion say, "you gotta serve God and he's gonna bless you, serve God", but no, we serve God because we've been blessed. We're blessed because we are a blessing. Can have a good amen? See, listen, you know, you give your offerings because you know you are rich. Is it still kosher to say this in America that you are rich in church? All right, are we gonna pander to some hypocrites? They can live in big houses, but you cannot. Let me just tell you this. The Bible says we are rich because you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might be rich. We are rich because of the cross.

Now in the very next chapter, now that you are rich, act like it, sow bountifully. Bring your tithes. Your tithes is not something that you have, but something that God has blessed you with. And you take your 10% and you give it to God to show that he is the source. You don't have to tithe, you don't have to, you get to, okay? Praise the Lord. So, the servant, he remains a servant still because he looks at all of us. At any time when Jesus was walking on this earth, he could go back. He could find his freedom. He could leave all of us in our sin under judgment. But he says, "Father, I love you. I love my wife, the church. And I love my children". And he went to the cross. And forevermore, there is a glorified man representing us at the Father's right hand. He's one of us. As he is, so are we in this world. Can I have a good amen?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus actually shared one truth, but because of our familiarity with that passage, the moment I quote that passage, you will start thinking, "Yeah, I know, I know all about it". Our very familiarity is holding us back from the revelation that God wants us to have. You know what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount? He says, "Therefore, I say to you, take no anxious thought what you shall eat, what you shall drink, nor yet for your body, what you shall put on". And then he said this. Really it's a lot just talking about food and drink and clothing, or do you think he's going for something more? Now, watch this. The next line he says, "Is not the life more than food and the body more than your clothing"?

Now, what does it mean? On one hand it says, is not the life more than food and the body more than clothing? Now, it will be redundant to state the obvious. Is the Lord just referring to natural life being greater than body or that food, and our body being greater than clothing? It's redundant, isn't it? Everyone knows that. He must have been referring to quality life and a quality body. How to have a quality life and a quality body. He gives us the secrets right there. And the secret is only one thing, to do. Actually it's only one thing not to do, is to let go. Again and again the Lord says let go, take no anxious thought about your life, what you shall eat, what you shall drink. Which of you by taking an anxious thought can add to your lifespan? Worrying cannot make you live longer, but it may shorten your life.

Now, we have new studies that talk about stress, chronic stress leading to depression, destructive behaviors, cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, and all kinds. You know, you know it. And life is becoming more and more stressful. It's a frantic pace to modern living. Have you noticed that? It wasn't too long ago I was wishing Joel Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Christmas is coming again. So, it's back up to the attic to take out your decorations. You thought you just put it up there. It felt like only a few months ago. Time is passing really fast. Have you noticed that? And people are no longer like taking time to be polite and to be, you know, just to be, to live life. It's just that go, go, go, go, go. And it's taking a toll on our bodies. And Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, he actually told us, let go of all anxious thought.

"It's very easy for you to say that, Pastor Prince". I didn't say it, the Lord Jesus did. Just let go, let go, let go. "I've got real serious problems to attend to. I've got this to attend to. I've got a boss, a screaming boss that is asking me to meet up this deadline. I've got a wife that doesn't understand what I'm doing. I've got children that are screaming every time I come back. You don't know my problems, Pastor Prince. And I keep on watching the news. The news is always bad". Come to church, it's always good news, especially this preacher here, right? The smiling preacher always gives you good news.

Jesus himself says, in talking about the signs of the times, when people see these things happen and all these signs, nation against nation, rumors of wars and wars, man's hearts will fail them for fear of seeing those things coming to pass. That's literally heart failure, fear, worry, stress, anxiety. And the only thing he tells us, you want God to clothe you, you want God to give you a quality life, quality body, healthy body? Let go, let go. Let go and his supply will flow. We have this idea that when I pray, then God starts supplying. Actually, friends, when Jesus died on the cross and he cried that beautiful one word in Hebrew, kulah, which is finished, all the blessings, the goodness, the favor of God was released, was unleashed upon a lost, crying, sighing world, amen. It has never ceased then. Supply has been coming our way.

"Then pray tell me, if supply is coming my way, Pastor Prince, then how come I don't see it? How come I don't see it manifest in my life"? Because we are constricting the supply by our worry. Let go and his supply will flow. Many years ago, the Lord gave me a vision. Now, I'm very careful about saying a vision because it has been abused so much. But I saw this vision when I was praying. I saw a man standing like under an open heaven, and there were golden pipes coming down to him. Later on, I found out that in Zechariah chapter 4, exactly Zechariah saw golden pipes coming down from the menorah, all right, feeding the menorah rather. And these golden pipes were soft and pliable like your rubber hose, but they're gold, and they'll bring golden oil down to this man.

And one golden pipe would bring financial blessing. Another one would bring wisdom, amen. Another one would bring parenting skills. One would bring peace of mind. One would bring healing and health, and as they came, the golden supply was being supplied all the time. But in the very areas, notice next, the very area that he's worried about, let's say he's worried about his health, I saw this happen, he squeezed that golden supply, that pipe. Now, as far as God is concerned, the supply is still flowing. But where he is concerned on his part, that area has been constricted. Let go, Jesus says, let go and you will see God feed you better than the birds of the air, amen.

I remember when I was in elementary school, my friend and I were pretty mischievous, and we saw this gardener in school. He had a long rubber hose, all right, pretty long, and he was way down there. So, my friends and I were hiding behind the bush. And at the right time, we'll step on the rubber hose. And the poor man will start looking at wondering what's happening. And then when he looks real close, we let go. I've repented, yes. But you know, the supply is always flowing from God. It's not like when you pray, then God starts supplying, amen. Ever since Jesus died, Jesus gave God, if you would, a righteous outlet for all his blessings to come upon sinful men, amen. And the only thing that is holding it back is our worry.

You probably have an experience where you had a pain in your side or whatever, and then for some particular reason, you didn't worry about it. Two, three days later you say, "Hey, wait a minute, a few days ago I had this pain. Where is it now? It's gone". But there were other times you felt a pain, you start pressing, you start wondering, you start looking up your medical encyclopedia. You start looking on the internet. You know, you start looking at all the symptoms, and then the pain became stronger. And for some... have you ever had that experience before? Come on, am I the only one? And perhaps, you know, God is supplying you.

Like I remember when I was a teenager, I never really worried about money. That was because I remember as a college student, I only had this much money allowance to go by. And I remember that I was down to my last $10, and I found out that my older brother had a financial need. So, unbeknownst to him, what I did was that I took my $10, my last $10, and I put it into his wallet. Now, he never knew about it. But you know what happened? That particular day somebody would just bring me out for a meal, things would just happen. And from then on, I realized that I never have to worry about money. So money, one area that I don't worry about is money. And it seems like for that area, supply is flowing, amen.

You know, when it was presented to me as a pastor, because of our growing congregation, to get a bigger place, in Singapore, property is very expensive because land is scarce. And now we have built a building that cost $400 million US, and it's all fully paid. And I'm telling you, when I look back, to God be all the glory, when I look back and I think to myself, how did we do it? Until now, I have no answer. You know, we have Miracle Seed Sundays, a special Sunday, where we raise money for the building. Out of five years, we only had four Miracle Seed Sundays. And one particular year, you know, my leaders was telling me, "Pastor, it's about time for us". And I said, "I don't feel the leading this year". I just don't worry about it, and money came in. To God be the glory.

Now, you might think there were many $1 million gifts. No, there's only one in all that five years, only one check of a million dollars. It's the five loaves and two fish. So, when someone asks me, "How do you do it"? I don't know. I just let go, brother, chill, amen, live the let-go life. So, this book is different from many other books on stress, worry, and anxiety in that many a times they tell you what to do. Breathe harder, breathe deeper, push. You know, they tell you steps and all... Now, I'm not against all that. In fact, there is a place where the Bible talks about deep breathing, and I mentioned that in my book. But God's way is not to do more, but to look at all the knots in your life, find out where the knots are, what you're worried about, and learn to cast your care in that area to the Lord.

Parenting, especially, was the point where I squeezed that golden pipe a lot. You know, I thought I was a cool guy, I was a carefree man, you know? And until I got married, and then the baby came, Jessica came along. Every little sneeze, every little cough, every little, you know, it's like asking Wendy, "Is the room too cold? You know, is she coming down with something? Is she okay"? I know some of you guys are not worried about that, but for some reason, because of my love my for my daughter, you know, you find that the devil knows how to bring worry and care, especially for people that love someone else. It seems hard to let go of worry and anxiety when you love that person. Yet the most responsible thing you can do for that person...

I'm coming to the story. Let me just tell you what happened. And we are going to the doctor, bring Jessica in and out, in and out. And as a little baby, you know, she's getting all kinds of shots and all that. And it seems like the more I worry about her, the more she had all these conditions. And one day I had to go to God, "I need an answer. Lord, speak to me, Lord, what's going on"? And the Lord says, "You know, son, every time you worry about your daughter, it's like having a big button right over her head that the devil can push any time. And when he pushes it, you're preaching for that Sunday is affected. When he pushes it, your relationship with Wendy is affected. So, you're giving a button". Say, "What do I do, Lord"? "Surrender her to me". And when things happen, just say, "I'm not worried about that, it's in the Lord's hands. No, I'm not worried about it. It's in the Lord's hands".

The devil will come to you after you cast your cares. Make it business-like. Make it like a business transaction, mark it down. "Today at 2:35 I knelt down, and I gave God"... Write down, number one, worry, all right, your daughter's name, your son's name, okay, your finance. Whatever it is, write it down and say, "Lord," and crush it in the piece of paper, whatever. "Lord, here you are. I surrender it to you". Remember that time, write it down somewhere. And once you let go, honor him by not taking back in your thought life. What's gonna happen? The devil will come to you and say, "What are you going to do about that"? "Me? Check it with him". "What are you going to do about your daughter? What are you going to do about that deadline? What are you going to do about that payment? What are you, you, you"?

The law focuses on you. "You shall not, you shall not, you shall not". Grace focuses on God. "I will, I will. I will be merciful with their sins, and your sins and iniquities will I remember, will I remember no more". It's all about God and his supply. The devil wants to put a focus on you. The Lord wants your focus on him. So, once you've cast that care to him, don't take it back in your thought life. There'll be a temptation. There'll be a challenge, but don't touch it. Don't take it. Can I have a good amen? And I noticed you got stronger, you got more blessed, amen? So with every new challenge, we find that...

Now, by the way some of you are looking down there, "Pastor Prince, you are just too worried about your daughter". I'm really shook. No, but you might have another area of worry. You might have another area of anxiety that I'm not worried about. Maybe finances to you is something, you know, that you think about often. We all have our cares and our worries in certain areas. But God wants you carefree. "What are you saying, Pastor Prince? It sounds so irresponsible. Let it go and your supply will flow". Yes. Read my lips, "Yes". "That's so irresponsible". You know what is irresponsibility? You trying to do it with your puny hands. You know what's the greatest, responsible and the most powerful thing you can do? Let it go into the hands of God Almighty who move heavens and earth, amen, a God who loves you. That's the most responsible thing you can do. We got to think.

You know, the devil wants to make us feel that we are irresponsible when we are carefree, when we let go, when actually it's the greatest responsibility that you can do. Amen. Then Jesus says, "Look at the birds of the air. They sow not, neither they reap nor gather into barns". Now, I'm not talking about loafers here. He's talking about people who just don't work. And the Bible says, "If any would not work, neither should he eat". He's talking about living a carefree life, a stress-free life. "And look at the birds of the air," he says. God feeds them. Have you noticed? Even walking by the concrete road here in Houston, birds are feeding off the concrete. You can't even see the food, and they are pecking away. Then Jesus looked at all of his people at that time and says, "Are you not of more value than the birds"? And he goes on to say, "And why worry about your clothing"?

Now, is it really clothing he's talking about? No, he's going deeper. Your health. Quality body. Don't forget, it's not the body more than clothing. And he says that, "Look at the lilies of the field. Look at the lilies of the field". This is from Israel. Exactly at the spot where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, and these are the descendants of that lilies. "Look at the lilies of the field, how they grew"? Focus: how. The focus on how they grew. "They toil not". That's for the man folk. "They spin not". Those are for ladies. "And yet, I say unto you that even Solomon," the wealthiest man in history and probably still to date, "in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of this". "In what way? Pray tell me in what way, Lord"?

As I'm meditating on this, I asked the Lord, "Tell me in what way is one tiny lily better clothed than Solomon in all his glory"? And the Lord showed me that Solomon had to get his clothings from the outside in. The lily produces its clothing from the inside out. Which means the lily's clothing is its body. It is its body. Right? If I tell you remove the clothing of the lily, you cannot do that because the lily's clothing is its body. It's its health, and its health springs from within. That's what the Lord is talking about people. Which of you, by taking an anxious thought, can add to your lifespan? The word there in the Greek can be your lifespan, can be your height.

"Pastor Prince, today I'm a seven footer. You should see me back then when I was only four feet. I couldn't grow. Medically impossible. You know how I got to be like this seven footer today? Worrying. Worrying. I took time to worry, man. Every year I worried one feet taller". So Jesus must have a smile on his face. Which of you, by thinking an anxious thought can add one cubit to his stature? "And even this one little lily, Solomon, in all his glory was not arrayed like one of this". "Therefore, if God clothed the lilies of the field," don't forget he's talking about health, healthy body, "if God clothed the lilies of the field," which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven, "how much more will he clothe you? O you of little faith".

Now watch this, if I let go, God will clothe me, amen, with our clothing as well, but I'm talking about health. He will clothe me with health. And I'm better clothed than the lily of the field because the lily is today here and gone tomorrow. Amen. But the lily of the field is better clothed than Solomon in all his glory. So what's the point of having gorgeous clothes to put it on a sick body? It's not the body more than clothing. I want you to sit back and watch this testimony. And this is from a TBN series of a lady who got healed watching my program. Let's have her share in her own words.

Belinda: I went for a regular doctor's checkup after my mammogram because five years earlier, I had an early detected case of breast cancer. During this routine exam, the doctor examining me said she had felt a lump. She then conducted an ultrasound on me, but because the scan wasn't very clear, she requested that I stick around to have another one done by the radiologist. I agreed, but also begin speaking Scriptures over the lump. I refused to give into fear. As I was waiting, I received your daily grace inspiration email entitled "Choose Not To Worry". The devotional encouraged me not to worry and quoted Matthew 6, verse 27. "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature"?

There was also a testimony of a woman in your church who was diagnosed with lumps in her breast after a mammogram, but she believed that she was healed. She even wrote on her medical report that Jesus is her healer. In a subsequent ultrasound scan, the very same day revealed no evidence of any lumps. I almost burst into tears because I knew that it was from me. I began to meditate on the Scripture and several other healing Scriptures. Even though I wanted to call my husband and friends to pray for me, I didn't, because I felt that God was telling me to trust him. An hour later, the radiologist conducted the scan on me twice, but she was unable to find the lump, and I had to point out where it was. However, all said was I can't find anything. There's nothing on the film and I can't find anything.

Yeah, praise the Lord. Isn't the Lord wonderful? Amen. You know, it's fine to confess the Word of God, but you can confess with anxiety. Amen. You can be saying, "By his stripes I'm healed," and you are confessing, saying all the right things but it's a heart of anxiety. Your trouble. You know the Hebrew word for healing is the word rapha. I love to study Hebrew words. And the word rapha is the word for healing. But do you know the etymology, the root word of rapha? You have a word rapha up here. The root word for rapha is the word relax. Raphah. That's the etymology of the word rapha, heal. Jehovah Rapha, relaxed.

The very first thing you have got to do is to let go. Let go. Find where the knots are and cast your cares in that area to the Lord. And then know that it's in the Lord's hands. The most loving one. You know why God says to cast your cares to him? Very beautiful. For he cares for you. Because he cares for you. Because he cares for you. So don't just cast your cares, all right, without understanding he cares for you. He doesn't even want you to worry about the zit on your face. Not even the smallest thing. He wants you carefree because that's the life of faith. Amen. And the devil will try to make you feel guilty, that you are, after you cast your care, what are you going to do about this? How can you just sit down and do nothing? Amen. No. We can still be doing things, but it be directed.

Rest is not inactivity. Rest is spirit-directed activity. What needs to be known will be known. What needs to be revealed, will be revealed. And Jesus end off by saying, "Don't worry about tomorrow. Live one day at a time". The manna comes from heaven one day at a time. And there were children of Israel who tried to store manna. All right, they tried to store manna for one week. It stank. It bred worms. "So give us this day, our"? Monthly bread? "Daily bread". There's only enough grace for one day. Amen. Don't live tomorrow today. Amen. You can plan, but don't plan with anxiety. Amen. There's only grace for the day. When the day comes, you'll find that grace will be there. The grace will be there. Amen. He loves you and he wants to restore everything that you have lost. There's one verse that I want to give you.

Every time I pray about my sessions here in Lakewood, this verse keeps coming up and I believe the Lord wants you to have this verse. Look up here, it says, God wants, Deuteronomy 6, verse 11. God says, "I'll bring you," he's going to bring you, "into houses full of all good things, which you did not fill". So it's going to be by rest, not by your efforts. "And hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant," which you did not fill, which you did not dig, which you did not plant. What is that? Live the let-go life. He's going to present it to you, and it's going to be a gift. And I believe that the days are coming, that literally, this I believe for many of you, literal houses. Amen. Literal wealth. Literally filled with all good things. Amen.

Even our Christian life, we step into this beautiful life not by our efforts, through the work of another. We need to understand people that the Lord wants to serve you. I wonder if you realize how much he wants to give to you. You say, "Pastor Prince, it's more blessed to give than to receive". I know. That is a horizontally. Horizontally, it's more blessed to give than to receive. Vertically with God is more blessed to receive than to give. Because God will always take the place of the greater. The less is blessed by the greater. God always takes the place of the greater. He wants to take the place of the greater. Amen, he's the giver. Those who are loved best will knows that they are loved by God. Those who are loved best, love best. Those who are given to best, give best. Those who allow him to serve them, they serve best. Come on, people. Amen.

You know, even the Lord's indictments, when you think about it, he says, "How much more will God clothe you? O you of little faith". Have you noticed that his favorite correction that he always uses on his disciples is always, "O you of little faith". He never says, "O you of little prayer. O you of little church attendance. O you of little Bible reading. O you of little fasting. I can tell". He never says that, right? It is always, always what? "O you of little faith". We stop the think love is the hand that gives. Faith is the hand that takes. So when he says, "O you of little faith," he's literally saying, "Why do you take so little from me when I am so full? I'm so abundant. Why do you take so little from me? Why do you trust me so little? Why do you take so little"? "Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord". "Why your cup? Bring the entire reservoir". "Lord, fill it up, Lord". And he will still have plenty left over. Amen. "O you of little faith".

So even his corrections become encouragement when you know the heart of Jesus. Allow him to give to you. Allow him, every day say, "Lord, I wonder what you have for me today"? And just take the journey expecting, expecting. Now you won't be lazy Christian, trust me. No one was more busy than our Lord Jesus and yet no one was more relaxed. Three and a half years, he accomplished all of his life work. Three and a half years. And there's a story where, you know, in Mark chapter 4 and 5, if you read the entire thing, it's one narrative. You find him preaching the sewing the seed to the multitudes. And right after that, he went into the boat, and he says to disciples, "Let us go to the other side," and he fell asleep. He had his siesta. Well deserved. He was tired. As a man he was tired. He fell asleep and there was a storm brewing, right, and the storm was hitting them hard. And the disciples woke him up. Notice he didn't wake up because of the storm. He woke up because of the cry of the disciples. Amen.

Jesus walked this earth and he said, "Son of man has nowhere to lay his head". And the word there is kleeno. Foxes have holes and caves to live in, birds of the air have nests. The Son of Man has nowhere to kleeno his head, to rest his head. And the same word, which is seldom used in the New Testament, is used when he hung there on the cross. And the Bible says, "He bowed his head". The word bowed there is kleeno. He rested his head and dismissed his spirit. Now friends, that is power. Most people would die, and their heads would bop down. That is helplessness. Jesus positioned himself for death. He rested himself. He finally found his rest in redeeming us, in loving us, in saving us. And he rested himself, and like the king that he is, he dismissed his spirit.

The Greek there is dismissed his spirit. And we are all saved. When that happened, all the claims of divine justice are fully met by his shed blood. The law has been magnified, God is glorified, and men blessed, saved, healed, delivered. Amen. I wonder if you'll put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ today? The Bible says this life that they talk about, you know you must say, "I'm afraid if I let go nothing will happen". Now it's true for the people of the world, but not for the child of God. Underneath are everlasting arms of God. When you let go, God takes hold.

He told me many years ago, the Holy Spirit says, "When you work, God rests. When you rest, God works". Amen. So friend, salvation, forgiveness of sins is not something you do with your good deeds, and your performance, and your striving. No, salvation is received as a gift through the work of another. Just like God brings us to a land flowing with milk and honey already prepared for us. God wants to bring you to the place of salvation, amen, where it all starts. This carefree, let-go life starts by knowing Jesus as your Savior. If that is you, wherever you are, just pray this prayer with me right now. All across this auditorium and whatever you're watching this, remember rest. Salvation starts by resting upon the work of another. Say this from your heart:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of your Son, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I thank you that on the cross, he bore all my sins, guiding my place and rose again from the dead, having conquered death for me. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Father. All my sins are forgiven. I am greatly blessed, highly favored, deeply loved. Thank you, Father, in Jesus's name.

Amen. And welcome to the abundant life. Welcome to the let-go life. Your sins are all forgiven. You are now a child of God. When you let go, God takes hold, amen. God bless you.