Sermon 31/08/2008 - Pastor Lian (NCC)

Pastor Lian has been in NCC for 20 years!!

Joke-

There was this really old obese lady who was so fat she had serious heart problem. One day she had heart attack and brought her to hospital and she died on op table. She came face to face with God and said sheepishly I guess my time is up… and God said no you are still young you are only 50 plus and you are a NCCer - u can live till 120 years. She woke up and told the doctor and told the doc she just want to have something else done. So she had an extreme makeover. It took a few mths and as she stepped out of the hospital, a car knocked her down and she died - God was as surprised to see her as she was to be back there. Just then, the angels sheepishly admitted - they could not recognise her. Lol.

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From young, Pastor Prince has always said - "God said", "God can" - he has always possessed a good opinion of God.

14 years from moving to The Rock location - 2 x 7 (year of double rest - resting on Jesus’s fin work) - we went pass the 100 fold mark.

The sermons preached by Ps Prince today reaches out and has surpassed the 1000 fold mark ...

How?

Trinity Broadcastin Network 90m household (hh)

ABC family 90 m hh - secular channel (owned by Disney)

Daystar 60m hh

Cornerstone 52m hh (household)

Middle East TV reaches Israel and broadcasts from Cyprus - primetime 9pm Mon-Fri

Belive pastor is being raised up along with the ministry - to show that He want to do this hundred fold and thousand fold increase for ALL of us.

Testimony:

This guy came to our church - employed in a company. He sat down and saw Jesus unveiled. Had such a good opinion of God as time passed by. Started his own company soon after that and recently transferred 4 plus million bucks worth of his company shares to One North project!!

What is a good opinion of God?

Heb 11:11 - Sarah judged God faithful

Rom 4:21-22 (NIV) - Abraham blv God could perform what He promised.

Jonathan, son of King Saul, when confronted with Philistines -à see 1 Sam 13:1-2

*3000 in Jon’s army
*30000 chariots and 6000 horsemen and People as many as the sand - Philistines (clearly superior to Jon’s army in numbers - overwhelming disparity

See 1 Sam14:6

And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

Lady who was in abusive marriage - came to see Ps Lian
The lady had to go IMH because she was so jialak and the meds could not help her

Her friend passed her Ps Prince’s CD to her to listen and she started listening to the CD when told her case is so bad they must admin elect shock therapy.

She started listening and found great peace and her opinion of God grew and in 6 mths w.o need for meds, she was discharged. - completely cured!!!!!

It is possible to see Jesus and still not have a good opinion - not automatic faith.

Jn 1:29, 33-34 à John the Bap said behold lamb of God and pointed to Christ and said Jesus baptizes with the HS.

John later doubted Jesus -

Ps Mark joke - told during corp devotions-

4 mothers (very boastful) gathered one day

M1: U know my son is a bishop and every time that everyone passes by him must bow to him and say o my lordship

M2: My son is the archbishop and every time that everyone passes by him, they must bow and say o my grace

M3: My son is the pope and everyone who passes by him must bow and say o my holiness

M4: (worried , son is loser guy) When people pass by my son, they always say “My God!”

John the Baptist was the one who testified / sompa-ed that Christ is the Son of God and yet later, when his disciples visited him in prison they told him what Jesus is doing, he sent his guys to ask Jesus

“Are you the one or should we expect another?”

Baffling because John the B saw the HS descend and remain on Christ and heard God’s voice audibly declaring Christ is His Son whom He is well pleased… and yet he still was confused!! WHY??

John the B was still ultimately an OT prophet and even tho he saw Christ and was shown many proofs, he still had an Old Covenant (cov) mindset.

It is possible to see Jesus and hear grace messages and still have old cov mindset.

For John the B - he preached judgement : repent and when he described Jesus’s ministry - He shall burn the chaff with unquenchable fire (not like Jesus’s first coming’s ministry)

John the B had prob with Jesus preaching the Good News - see Jesus’s answer to John

John tot Christ was here to judge sinners and not to put an end to sin by being the fulfilment of the law.

This ministry is huge due to the unmerited favour of God - we get what we dun deserve - not becoz of our efforts!

Old cov mindset is prevalent even tho we keep seeing Christ… that is why we must come back and see Christ more and more each time.

God wants us to be so sure that we are no longer under the Old Cov but under the New Cov.

If U are married, U have a Cov - why cov so important? (scenario of guy tired of gal and bye bye to her - jialak right? That's why need the cov to seal it)

God cuts the cov with us because He knows us -- we might change our minds (not Him!)

After Quiet Time, feel like a woman of power for the hour.
But another day maybe not in the mood.

God knows for Him He is sure, but the one that is changing is us.

That is why God says He wanted to make a new cov so we can be sure how He manages us
- our sins and lawless deeds He will remember no more…

Jesus cut the cov with us so we will be sure!

And today, God wants us to know that this is the cov we are under.

The old cov is thou shalt and thou shalt and if thou does not shall and thou shalt what you should not, you will be judged.

When God says be ye perfect as ur heavenly father is perfect - He doesn’t mean try to be perfect, He means u must hit the mark 100% all the time! à if want to be righteous by fulfilling the law (fail one, fail all)

So Ps Lian said she wanted to be under New Cov becoz Old Cov = impossible.

Flesh = fallen nature (essence of flesh - go back to gdn eden - 2 trees … Kg O Gd & Ev - eat le die = self DIY, self -help… works of the flesh, self dependence. = produces sin…

Ps Lian talks abt how she used to think kneel down pray = prayer more powerful. When she get stuff right will start to find fault with others, and when depend on self and do wrong, blames others.

We get angry, bitter, hurt when we depend on ourselves, but what is the most spiritual person on Earth is the one who receives from God. She used to think spiritual man read bible for 10 hrs and pray for 14 hrs - then she found out not true. The most spiritual man depends and receive from God not depend on self.

It is not abt the 10 hrs or 14 hrs - just go to God and receive from Him.

When u rcv from God no need to sin, u can ask God to help U.

When u are jealous of someone, remember God can fill u as much as the other person.

Receive.

The most spiritual man, u will find out, that the more u receive from God, sin has no more consciousness over him.

If u are living in Sin and Sin has dominion over u - see Rom 6:14
If sin has dominion over u = u are not under grace, u are under law.

Oink Oink - When the prodigal is in the pig pen (in law) dun run to him. The law will be the schoolmaster that will bring him to Christ.

We are “metanoya”.

Keep feeding on Jesus and keep seeing Him - keep being in His presence and knowing we are under this new management system called grace, liberates us to reign in Christ…

Pastor Samuel Hari/Hurry? - Msian
His testimony - Pastor of many years but hated his job a lot. Even asked himself why he is a Christian. Fd life so tough and the burden so heavy until one day he heard Ps Prince’s CD… and got hold of D2R and read it cover to cover and discovered he is not under Old Cov but under New Cov in grace - transformed his life.

He today still has challenges but is burden free - he doesn’t carry them, Jesus took them.

His daughter was ill since 6 years old… lactose intolerance - but now free of her illness.

Grace - basis of why we can have a good opinion of God - under a system where u can receive and keep receiving

Christian life from start to end is abt receiving… - Watchman Nee

Grace - not becoz God gone soft but because Jesus paid the full penalty of our sins so that today we can have his blessings under this new cov of grace

When u are under cov of grace see how faith works ie. Is effectual - Gal 5:6

The more we see His love for us, our faith grows… (not abt ur love but His love!)

The degree to which I am conscious God loves me, is the degree my faith is effectual.
If I know God loves me, my faith works.

How does He show forth His perfect love for us - 1 Jn 4:17

- this way, that on the day of judgement (Krisis - Crisis - day of crisis … not God judge u but the day the devil accuses u, God wants u to know His perfect love gives u the ability to rise up above the crisis and say as Jesus is far above this prob, so am I in this world. As Jesus is wisdom Himself so have I in this world, etc

U can say this when u are in crisis - when we make mistakes.

This is the awesome love of God

God knew Peter suffered from guilt from betraying Christ… said this to Peter -
Where sin abounds, grace super abounds…

The heart of God is not I like ppl to sin so I can give them more grace

But His heart is when u sin, "I know u need super abounding (SA) grace & that is why I pour SA-grace on U. When u need it most , when u fail - I know u need more grace. Let me pour this SA grace on U."

It sounds too good to be true but it is ALL true

We need to see the heart of God, see His love everyday…
See the Father’s heart afresh.

Everything Jesus did was to show the heart of God.

The Father ran to the Prod Son - and the Father threw kisses on him and hug him and the robe of righteousness over him (knows he will feel guilty) - the father knows. That is why today we can stand tall not becoz of our gd works but becoz of the the righteousness of Christ - unchanging. Dun have to feel guilty or condemned.

Years ago in the 1970s when Nixon was involved in Watergate scandal or else will be in deep trouble. Shortly after, he fell ill - life threatening… could it be because he felt so lousy, so condemned, such a failture. Lying on hospital bed and was languishing, dying when a nurse came and opened the window and asked him to look 0ut - banner that said GOD LOVES U AND SO DO WE (by Ruth and Billy Graham) - and after that he got better.

God has given us the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and today it is a great insult for us to feel guilty, condemned or lousy.

Father also gave him authority (signet ring).

God has loving kindness not just kindnes. When u go through a Crisis and it is the hottest and u will feel burnt, but that is why He gave us His peace to shod our feet - so when Crisis is at its worse, u walk above it and not singed. U have shoes that protect ur walk everyday!

What an awesome saviour we have!!

And as tho' that is not enuf, He killed the fatted calf so we can celebrate and know Jesus died once and for all of us. That we might not just live but we can celebrate!!!

He has provided for us everything . This is His heart. This is the heart of the Father.

And today if u think ya I know all these but my life is not where it should be - this man of God was sharing this incident of how he went on a hot air balloon and when he got on it, his first time, he was told cannot control the direction of the hot air balloon. So said then I am at the mercy of the wind. But the owner told him can choose altitude even tho cannot steer. Different Altitude will bring to different direction…

The balloon might look like it is floating towards the south, but when we hit this altitude, it will blow north and we will hit our destination

Jus rest and be confident in His love. It might seem like your hot air balloon going towards wrong directn but as u draw close to Him, know Him… God’s strength will come to bring u to His direction.

His Shalom Peace - declare like Sarah… declare like Abraham….

(Love the lyrics to the song after the sermon...

Like the Sun that rises everyday
U are so faithful
Dear Lord U are faithful
Like the ran U bring
And every breath that I breathe
U are so faithful Lord

Like a rose
That comes alive every spring
U are so faithful
Dear Lord U are faithful
Like the life that u give to
Every beat of my heart
U are so faithful Lord

See the cross and the price that u had to pay
I see the blood shed that washed my sins away

In the midst of the storm through the wind and the waVES

U will still be faithful… etc etc (Bob Fitts) )


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(Hope this helps and ministers to you guys out there. =) These were the notes I typed out during sermon. ^.^ )