These are notes on the sermon, How To Be Unshakable In Times Of Crisis, preached by Pastor Joseph Prince on Sunday, 5 April 2020, at The Star Performing Arts Centre, Singapore. We hope these sermon notes will be an encouragement to you!
Be sure to sign up to get updates on the latest sermon notes by Team JP.
Even in times of famine, God always supplies His people with more than enough.
We see this in even in the Old Testament, where Joseph (a type of Jesus in the Old Testament) opened the storehouses to the people during famine, and for Isaac, who sowed in the year of famine and reaped a hundredfold (see Gen. 26:1–12).
Pastor Prince encourages those who are tuning in online but have their own local church: Be faithful to continue supporting your own local church; continue giving to your own local church.
“Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation to come…”
— 1 Timothy 6:18–19 NKJV
This season is an opportunity to lay a good foundation for the times to come. Against the backdrop of the world’s ways collapsing—the ways they deal with finances, raising children, keeping healthy—God is bringing us back to His unshakable ways.
The Bible says that the ways of the world are being shaken so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain, and God wants us to build our lives on His unshakable foundation.
Perhaps you’re thinking that what you’re going through/what the world is going through will go on for a protracted time, and that this is the “new normal.”
But God’s Word shows us without a doubt that this season we’re in with the Coronavirus is not the new normal (where we cannot gather again and cannot be in a crowd).
This is not to say that we should ignore the laws and guidelines implemented by the government and authorities right now. They are watching over our needs and we should abide by what they are saying. We should be observing physical distancing and staying at home.
But we must also know that these times are temporary and they will not be the new normal.
“to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven…”
— Hebrews 12:24–29 NKJV
“the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” — God is talking about the blood of Jesus that speaks of better things. There is a voice in the blood that God hears.
The first mention of “blood” in the Bible (see Gen. 4:10) tells us that blood has a voice. But while the blood of Abel cried for vengeance and judgment, the blood of Jesus cries out for forgiveness; it speaks healing, it speaks blessings and of His provision, it speaks good things.
God took what the world did to Jesus to be the instrument for the forgiveness of our sins and God raised Him from the dead as a proclamation that all our sins have been completely put away.
Don’t refuse the voice that speaks better things, don’t reject the voice of grace. The voice of grace speaks of good things, it speaks of good news!
What we are experiencing in the world today is not the “day of vengeance” as described in Isaiah 61:1–2. How do we know this?
Because in Luke 4:16-20, Jesus was in the synagogue reading the scripture of the day, Isaiah 61, and He purposefully stopped reading at “to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” before He closed the book, even though the verse actually went on to say, "to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God."
Jesus stopped and refrained from talking about the day of vengeance because His first coming was to save. It was not to judge and to bring judgment. He came to love us, and where Jesus has “closed the book,” we need to close the book too. We are still in the time of His first coming. We are not in the days of vengeance.
Jesus did say there will be pestilences and plagues—but the end is not here yet. What we are seeing now are just signs that we are living in the end times.
In this time, don’t refuse the voice of grace. The word of judgment is not the word in season right now. Hear the good news of grace—that is God’s word for you today.
“to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven…”
— Hebrews 12:24–29 NKJV
“who refused Him who spoke on earth” — This is referring to the time when the Ten Commandments were given by Moses to the children of Israel. There was a shaking and many died.
“from Him who speaks from heaven” — This is the voice of grace. The voice of grace says “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28). Grace says, “I died for your sins.” Grace says to you, “I love you.”
See that you keep hearing the voice of grace, which speaks salvation, righteousness, protection, deliverance, provision—good news over your life!
Pastor Prince encourages preachers and pastors everywhere to preach the word of grace in this time, and not to use the fear of judgment to try to produce holiness in their congregation. We are still under the dispensation of grace, we’re not in the day of vengeance yet.
All the things mentioned in days of vengeance in the book of Revelation will happen after we’ve been raptured, caught up in the air with Jesus. We’re looking forward to that!
The fear of the Lord is important but Jesus Himself defined it as worship of the Lord (see Matt. 4:10), not fear of judgment from God.
True holiness is produced when you know that you are loved by God and that God sent His Son to die for your sins, that the work of Christ on the cross is a complete and perfect work, that you are no longer facing wrath because it has been put behind you by Christ. Now you are highly favored in Christ. This security and powerful identity produces true holiness.
For the believer, all wrath has been removed from your future. It’s all been put behind you by the finished work of Jesus.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
— John 5:24 NKJV
“and shall not come into judgment” — There is no judgment in your future. The judgment seat of Christ mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:10 is not about salvation or where your sins will be judged. In fact, the word “judgment” does not appear in the original Greek. The word used is “bema” to describe the seat where rewards are given for what we accomplished on earth. And the Bible tells us that every believer shall receive praise (see 1 Cor. 4:5).
All your sins have been judged at the cross. There is no wrath in your future.
“and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
— 1 Thessalonians 1:10 ESV
“and to wait for his Son from heaven” — This is the true Christian posture. We are not waiting to see the antichrist appear, we’re not focusing on the things that are happening around us right now. It’s okay to read the headline news and be kept abreast of what’s happening, but you don’t need to get into all the details that put fear in your heart. Instead, the Bible tells us to “lift up our heads” and await Jesus’ return.
We’re not looking to the grave, we’re not looking forward to death, we are looking forward to being with Christ.
“Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come” — There will be a wrath to come but it is not for us.
Pastor Prince believes that prophetically we’re in a time where God is shaking these things not for judgment, but for good.
“whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
— Hebrews 12:26–28 NKJV
“but also heaven” — This heaven is not referring to the place where God dwells, but referring to the principalities and powers of darkness that are behind the virus. The Lord is shaking the powers of darkness in this world and He has already won the battle. He is enforcing His victory over the enemy right now!
Even our bodily redemption has been purchased by Jesus at the cross, and that is what we are looking forward to as we see all the signs of the end times happening.
Keep your eyes upwards and on Jesus. See Jesus sovereign, Lord above all. See Him high above the floods and above this crisis, high above the Coronavirus.
For you and your family, as you look at Jesus, far above the storm, you become like the One that you behold.
“the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain” — God is shaking everything that can be shaken, leaving only the things that cannot be shaken. It may feel uncomfortable and inconvenient right now but this shaking is not a bad thing. The things that will stand the test of time and circumstances cannot be removed so that our trust will be placed in the right place—in Jesus, the unshakable One.
Even the economies of the world can be shaken, as we are seeing right now. That is not to say that you cannot be involved in it, especially when the Lord leads you to invest. But don’t put your trust in those things, put your trust in the things that cannot be shaken.
What cannot be shaken? God’s system. God’s grace-based system is unshakable unlike the systems enacted by the world. We see this in God’s ways for our finances, our parenting, and even in our health:
Finances
The economy of the world will fluctuate but God’s system of economy will not. The tithe is part of God’s grace-based system. The tithe is a response made by those who have a revelation of the present day High Priest, Jesus, who receives our tithes Himself (see Heb. 7:8).
The Hebrew word for “tithe” is the word “maaser” and the root word is “aser,” which is the Hebrew word for “rich” or “wealth.” The riches are found in the tithe. Let us not neglect tithing to the Lord even in this time. Pastor Prince encourages those watching to tithe to their own local church.
Parenting
The world has its own methods of bringing up children that sometimes contradict the Bible. But the best way to parent your child is to follow what God says. He has plenty of parenting advice that we can find in the book of Proverbs.
Health
As good as medicine is, it is man-made and can sometimes be accompanied by side-effects. That is not to say that you should not eat the medicine that you’ve been prescribed by your doctor (please take it), but even as you take your medicine, put your trust in the Lord. Trust Him by accessing health His way—by partaking of the Lord’s Supper, the holy Communion. You can partake of it as often as you take your medicine!
This week, on the 8th of April 2020, the Passover observed by Jews all over the world will be happening. This is significant because this is the first time since the very first Passover that happened over 3500 years ago in Egypt that all Jewish people around the world will be in their homes.
“Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails.”
— Exodus 12:8–9 NKJV
“roasted with fire” — Eating the lamb raw is a picture of partaking of the teachings of Jesus and esteeming Him for His morals yet not believing that He is God’s Son sent to pay for the price of our sin. To eat the lamb roasted with fire is to see what Jesus did for you at the cross. See Him bearing your sins, see the judgment that was meant for you falling on Him and now, see Him representing us at the Father’s right hand!
“its head with its legs and its entrails” — There is no insignificant detail in the Bible. Each part of the lamb that is described here points us back to Jesus:
Head of the lamb = Jesus knew no sin
Legs of the lamb = The legs represent action or deeds; Jesus did no sin
Entrails of the lamb = In Him is no sin
Pastor Prince believes that this particular Passover this year is special. He encourages us to gather our families and partake of the holy Communion together as a family, remembering the Lord and His finished work at the cross.
“He also brought them out with silver and gold,
And there was none feeble among His tribes.”
— Psalm 105:37 NKJV
“none feeble” — After the children of Israel partook of the first Passover, out of almost 3 million of them, there was none weak or sick—from the very elderly to the youngest.
“Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”
— Exodus 12:35–36 NKJV
“the Lord had given the people favor” — God watches over His people and He takes care of His own. Even as you look around and see that the things around you and the economy are crumbling, be encouraged knowing that every time there is a famine, God provides for His people. This happened over and over again in the Bible.
Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
— Hebrews 12:27–28 NKJV
“let us have grace” — Don’t reject the voice of grace. In this time, listen to the voice of grace!
“by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” — Reverence and godly fear can only be produced when you have grace. When a child knows he is loved, he can be compelled by love, not fear.
How can the fear of punishment or judgment be removed? By perfect love (see 1 John 4:18 AMP). Perfect love is not about us loving God but about Him loving us. The fear that is referenced in this verse is fear of punishment. We must remove this fear from our hearts. The believer isn’t looking ahead wondering which sin will produce punishment from God—for Jesus has taken all sin and punishment at the cross!
It is this revelation that causes a believer to live holy and break free from the power of sin.
Until you have peace with God, you cannot walk with God. Today, because of what Jesus has done for us at the cross, we have peace with God.
The fear of judgment cannot produce what only the love of Christ can do. True holiness, godly reverence will only be produced when we receive this grace that God has given to us.
When you realize how much God loves you, you become holy and generous without even being conscious of it.
“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 ESV
The love of Christ controls us, not the fear of judgment.
In this time, many are looking for answers and are seeking God out of fear. As the church of Jesus Christ, let’s not feed them teachings of judgment and condemnation. During this time, God wants the world to see Him as a Father who loves them, not a judge that is out to punish them. Let’s reveal God as the loving Father to them.
During this crisis, your heavenly Father wants you to see Him as a God who loves you greatly.
God is saying to you, “Don’t worry about what you shall eat or drink. Your Father clothes the lilies of the field and feeds the birds of the air. Are you not of more value than they? I will provide for you.”
Your Father will provide for you. You don’t have to run around ragged trying to figure out how things will be. We might see the man-made things we used to put our trust in being shaken, but we can be thankful even when they are being shaken because then we’ll know what the truly unshakable things are. The things that cannot be shaken will remain. These are the things that God will build your house and your life on.
Be encouraged in this time knowing that the things that cannot be shaken will remain. You and your family will remain strong, healthy, blessed, and favored—God’s way.
Pastor encourages us to gather our families on Wednesday and observe the Lord’s Supper together.
It’s interesting that the first time the Passover was instituted was also during a plague:
“And the Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.”
— Exodus 11:1–2 NKJV
Notice how when God talked to Moses about the plague, He also talked about silver and gold?
We are in the midst of a plague right now, but we can have hope because the Lord will provide for us. We will not be lacking. The point is not to look for the silver and gold but to keep our eyes on Jesus, look to Him, and He will provide everything we need.
“Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons...”
— Exodus 12:1–4 NKJV
“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you” — April is the month Nissan in the Hebrew calendar. 8th April will be the 14th of Nissan for the Jewish people. The month of Nissan is the day ordained by God to be the new year for the Jewish people.
Let’s believe God that even as we partake of the Lord’s Supper this Wednesday, there is going to be a new beginning in our lives. The virus might not be eradicated immediately but something powerful in the spiritual atmosphere and condition around you will happen when we observe the Lord’s Supper together.
God is not judging you but He is loving you even right now. And He will cause the church to have light in all her dwellings that the world might see this light and come to know Jesus.
“Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb…”
— Exodus 12:3–4 NKJV
“a lamb for a household” — This lamb is a lamb of the first year (see Exod. 12:5). It is an adorable lamb but it is not killed right away, it is only killed on the 14th of Nissan, five days later. This points us back to Jesus. On the 10th of Nissan, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and five days later, He was crucified.
“if the household is too small for the lamb” — The lamb is never too small for the household. The lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, is always greater than Israel’s need. His death was not just for the Jews but for all the Gentile nations as well. When you have Jesus in your life, His supply always super-exceeds your needs. His love for you is a lavish love, it will fill all the empty places in your heart. He is greater than your depression, greater than your problems, and He is greater than this crisis.
We need to hear teaching that glorifies Jesus and makes much of Him!
The Passover was observed at midnight. We are in a midnight season now and that is why it’s called the Lord’s Supper. The Passover is but a shadow of the Lord’s Supper, the holy Communion. If a shadow could supply such robust health to every single one of the people of Israel—even though some of them were old, many of them were worked to the bone as slaves, and probably all of them didn’t have good nutrition or health care—then how much more can the substance, the holy Communion, do for us?
Let us value and eagerly partake of the Lord’s Supper and remember Jesus in this time!
While we might be in a midnight season right now, this will not be the “new normal.” There might be some changes to our original way of life when this crisis ends but the way things are right now with social distancing and other measures—this will not be the new normal. This midnight season will not last forever.
“so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
— Hebrews 9:28 ESV
“not to deal with sin” — This is referring to the Second Coming of Christ, when Jesus comes for us in the rapture, it is not to deal with our sins, it is to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.
Before Jesus comes back, He tells us in Matthew 24:
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
— Matthew 24:36–39 NKJV
This is referring to the rapture, not the end of the seven years of tribulation that is mentioned in the book of Revelation.
“they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” — This passage describes what the state of the world will be when the rapture happens. It describes life going back to normal, with people once again socializing and forgetting all about the virus. This shows us that life will go back to normal, as in before the virus broke out.
When life returns to normal, people will start forgetting the virus and forgetting about the Lord. Let’s not be like these people. Let’s look up and lift up our heads, looking to the Lord who will be coming for us soon.
For those of us who are staying at home with our loved ones during this time, it’s actually a precious time that we will one day look back on and appreciate. Because now, we can see that family is one of the most important and valuable gifts in this life.
Even though we might feel inconvenienced and uncomfortable being at home with our families at times, Pastor Prince encourages us to see it as a blessing even though it might not always seem like it. This is a precious time. A precious time for families to get together and enjoy one another.
Pastor Prince prays a blessing over families: that there will be favor among every member in the family; that the Lord will bring families to a higher level in their relationships with one another; that husbands and wives will turn their hearts back to one another. There shall be light in your dwelling and no plague will come near your family.
For those who are worried about finances and their jobs in this time, Pastor Prince shares a testimony of a member in our church who was already facing unemployment even before the virus escalated. But despite how difficult it is to find a job right now, he actually got the very job that he wanted in the middle of this virus situation.
Pastor Prince then speaks to those who are experiencing depression or depressive thoughts and prays a blessing over them:
“In Jesus' name, I speak shalom to a number of you who are depressed. I say, hush to your emotions in the name of Jesus. The One who calms the storm heals you now, completely heals you. He is the One who said, “Peace, be still.”
In the name of Jesus, the Lord grant you shalom-peace. I speak peace to your emotions. I speak peace to your mind. Father, grant not just peace but great peace as You’ve promised in Your Word, Lord. Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you. Let the great peace, that perfect peace come upon everyone. Lord, for those who are depressed in the name of Jesus, I speak to that depression and I command it to leave in the name of Jesus.”
Pastor Prince encourages us to fill our minds with God's thoughts. Get hold of teachings that point you to Jesus because the Bible says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (see Isa. 26:3).
All of a sudden, you will look for your fear and realize that your fear is gone.
“The Lord bless you this coming week. The Lord bless you with the blessings of father Abraham, the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 even as you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. The Lord keep you and your loved ones safe. The Lord keep you and your families protected and protect you, keep you from the Coronavirus, from every plague, from every sickness, from every disease, from aging prematurely, from death itself.
The Lord keep you in His shalom-peace that guards your hearts and minds from stress, worry, and cares. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face, throughout this week, to shine on you and grant you favor everywhere you go. May you never worry about your physical needs, be it finances or your health, for the Lord supplies you.
First He supplies you with favor, and then the grace of healing. Grace of healing means you don't have to earn that grace, whether it's through exercise or your diet and all that. Observe good diet and exercise please. But grace means “unmerited, unearned favor,” and that is what God is giving you right now. Receive it in Jesus’ name.
Supply for your finances. Receive it. Grace is supply. Law is demand, so receive it. Say, “Father, thank You. I receive it right now in Jesus’ name. And I received it even this week in Jesus' name.”
The Lord lift up His countenance on everyone that's watching this, every family, and grant to you and your loved ones His wonderful, great shalom-peace. In Jesus’ name. Until then, friend, I'm praying for you and I love you. Keep tuning in.”
We hope these sermon notes blessed you! If they did, we encourage you to get the sermon and allow the Lord to speak to you personally as you watch or listen to it.
© Copyright JosephPrince.com 2020
These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.
Sign Up for Latest Sermon Notes Updates
SubscribeTo complete the subscription process, please click on the confirmation link in the email we just sent you.
You're already in our mailing list. Thank You!
