These are notes on the sermon, Jesus Saves, Heals and Renews, preached by Pastor Joseph Prince on Sunday, 27 February 2022, 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.
Pastor Prince starts the service by sharing God’s desire for us to “prosper and be in health.”
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
— 3 John 1:2 KJV
“And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous (‘tsalach’) man;”
— Genesis 39:2a KJV
“Prosperous” — The Hebrew translation for this word is “tsalach.” Joseph prospered because the Lord was with him. Prosperity here does not refer to material wealth but refers to prosperity (thriving, flourishing) in all aspects of Joseph’s being—spirit, soul, and body. The Lord wants us to experience this same prosperity that Joseph experienced.
The same word “tsalach” is also used in Psalm 1:
“ . . . he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (‘tsalach’).”
— Psalm 1:2–3 KJV
“planted by the rivers of water” — When we meditate on God’s Word, He will make sure to take you and plant you by rivers (plural) of water, so that if one river runs low, there will be other rivers of supply that still flow to water you and nourish you.
“his leaf also shall not wither” — This is a picture of our health. When we meditate on God’s Word, we will be strong and healthy.
These are God’s promises to us. We can trust in Him because His Word is truth.
“Sanctify (set apart) them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
— John 17:17 KJV
The way God sanctifies us (sets us apart) from the world’s uncleanness, sickness, and darkness is by His Word. When we receive God’s Word, we are separated from things that afflict the world. This is how we can be in the world and not of the world (John 17:16).
“. . . we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. . . . Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
—1 Thessalonians 4:15, 17 NKJV
“alive and remain” — It is one thing to be alive because we are young but another thing to remain alive. Remaining alive denotes having the power to stay alive. This shows us that there is a group of people in the end times who have received a revelation from the Lord that gives them the power to stay alive—unaffected by sickness, ailments, or age-related conditions—until Jesus returns.
Pastor Prince shares about the abundance of God’s Word in the early Church (Acts 12:24) and how the people were full of revelations. He explains how during the dark ages, the Church was separated from God’s Word and common men could not have access to the Scriptures. This was the case until God raised ministers like Martin Luther and Tyndale to make the Scriptures available and accessible once again to believers. It is because of men of faith like them that we have access to the Bible today!
If you are a believer who is facing persecution because of your faith, know that the Lord is with you and prioritize reading the Word of God. Pastor Prince recounts a story of a group of persecuted Christians who only had one page of the Bible and how God gave them revelations after revelations from the same portion of Scripture for one whole year! The Word of God can keep speaking to us. If we approach God with a teachable heart, He will uncover the Scriptures to us and give us seeing eyes and a hearing heart.
Pastor Prince shares how today’s message that will uncover biblical keys on how to live long while staying strong, healthy, and young is not just for people who are advanced in age, but also for those who are currently still young in age or at their prime. It is important for us to receive these truths on divine health, strength, and renewed youth right now so that we can lay hold of them and walk in God’s promise of health and long life as we grow older.
For those who are questioning whether it is better to be with the Lord than to live long on earth, know that God has given you a calling and an assignment for your time here on earth. The apostle Paul had the power to choose between life and death (Phil. 1:23–24), and he chose not to be with the Lord until he had accomplished his assignment.
The purpose of having a long life is to be a blessing to the people around you, to minister to them with the gifts God has placed in you, to bring people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The older you are, the more the Lord has placed in you to impart to the generations after you (just like Moses imparted to the Joshua generation).
Pastor Prince addresses a common misunderstanding people have about this verse:
“Precious (costly) in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.”
— Psalm 116:15 KJV
“Precious” — This word means “costly.” So this verse does not mean that the Lord delights in the death of His saints, but it means that it is costly to Him (He feels a sense of loss) when His people depart before their time because all that He has given to them is lost with their death.
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom . . . embrace her”
— Proverbs 4:7–8 KJV
“Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honour”
— Proverbs 3:16 KJV
The wisdom of God is personified as a woman. When we embrace (desire and seek) God’s wisdom, she embraces us with her two hands—her left hand bringing us riches and honor and her right hand bringing us length of days.
Solomon only received riches and honor but not length of days. This is because he did not have an intercessor or a mediator between him and God.
Job was also someone who needed a mediator between him and God.
“If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together.”
— Job 9:33 NLT
What Job and Solomon did not have, we have today. Jesus is our intercessor! And because of His finished work, we can receive what Solomon did not—the blessing of length of days.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”
— Ephesians 6:1–3 NKJV
It is clear that the Scriptures count long life as a blessing. It is one of God’s promises to us! Just like how Moses lived till a hundred and twenty without sickness and disease (Deut. 34:7), God wants us to live a long and healthy life.
Pastor Prince addresses the misconception that everyone has a divinely appointed time to die based on this verse:
“And as it is appointed for men to die once,”
— Hebrews 9:27a NKJV
This verse does not mean that there is an appointed time for us to die at a certain age. This verse is talking about how all men will die once. However, there will be a generation that will remain alive until the rapture—where we will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air and our bodies will be transformed into a glorious, incorruptible body like Jesus’ body.
Instead of adopting a passive attitude towards receiving God’s blessings (e.g. “if it happens then it happens”), let’s actively believe God’s promises and listen to messages that will edify us and bring life to us. When we listen to God’s Word, He gives us the faith to believe in Him and His promises.
“Surely He has borne our griefs (diseases)
And carried our sorrows (pains);”
—Isaiah 53:4a NKJV
“. . . and with his stripes we are healed.”
—Isaiah 53:5 KJV
At the cross, Jesus bore our diseases and carried our pains.
Pastor Prince explains the five types of offerings in the book of Leviticus: the burnt offering, sin offering, trespass offering, peace offering, and the meal offering. The meal offering is the only offering where blood is not shed; it involves fine flour which speaks of Jesus’ perfect life on earth. The other four offerings represent Jesus’ finished work at the cross.
In ancient practice, an animal would be offered. The sacrificial animal would not be tortured before their death but would be killed swiftly and in a humane manner. However, Jesus was scourged before He hung on the cross. He went through this additional torture so that He could take our pains and diseases in His own body. With His stripes, we are healed!
Healing and health are God’s portion for us. He wants us free from sickness and disease. Whenever we partake of the holy Communion, we are to discern the bread—a picture of the physical body of Christ broken for us at the cross—and receive our healing and wholeness.
If you are experiencing a delay in the manifestation of your healing, be encouraged. God has not left you out or forgotten about you. While it might seem like things are not getting better, your healing is on the way. The delay will result in you becoming a trophy of His grace, testifying of God’s goodness in the area of healing. God has honored you with a testimony or a ministry where you will be able to encourage others going through what you are going through.
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”
— Matthew 9:35 NKJV
Everywhere Jesus went, He preached the gospel and healed all who were sick.
“so that they brought the sick out into the streets . . . that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.”
— Acts 5:15 NKJV
“the shadow of Peter” — Those whom Peter’s shadow fell on were healed. The healing power came from the Lord. God will do signs and wonders to show that His will for His people is for them to be healed, whole, and strong.
Pastor Prince addresses the misconception that God has only promised us a lifespan of 70–80 years:
“The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.”
— Psalm 90:10–11 NKJV
Pastor Prince explains the context of this psalm written by Moses—it was written when the children of Israel were in the wilderness and under God’s wrath. But today, we are not under God’s wrath but under God’s favor.
“For this is like the waters of Noah to Me;
For as I have sworn
That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth,
So have I sworn
That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.”
— Isaiah 54:9 NKJV
Because of the finished work of Christ, God has sworn that He will no longer be angry with us. While God does correct us in daily life, He does it through His Word or frustrating circumstances that help us see we need to change certain choices/things. But God will never use sickness, disease, tragedies, or accidents to correct us.
“With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation (‘Yeshua’—Jesus).”
—Psalm 91:16 NKJV
God wants to bless you with a long life so that you can see Yeshua (Jesus) more and more.
We see this in the life of Simeon, an elderly man who witnessed Mary and Joseph dedicating Jesus at the temple:
“. . . there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon . . . waiting for the Consolation of Israel . . . And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”
— Luke 2:25–26 NKJV
“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace . . .
For my eyes have seen Your salvation (‘Yeshua’—Jesus)”
— Luke 2:29–30 NKJV
Simeon waited for Jesus to appear because the Holy Spirit showed him that he would not see death until he saw Jesus. Likewise, there will be a generation of believers who will not see death until the second coming of Christ.
—
Moving on from Psalm 90 (describing how people under God’s wrath had lifespans of 70–80 years), let’s look at Psalm 91 (describing those of us who are saved by Jesus’ finished work and under God’s favor):
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (‘Shaddai’).”
— Psalm 91:1 NKJV
“secret place of the Most High” — This secret place is our Lord Jesus Himself! As believers, we are hidden in Christ, seated at the Father’s right hand.
“under the shadow of the Almighty (‘Shaddai’)” — This refers to God’s protection, a promise to all believers in Christ.
“With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”
— Psalm 91:16 NKJV
“With long life I will satisfy him” — Unlike Psalm 90, Psalm 91 contains the promise of long life till our personal satisfaction.
—
Now let’s move on to Psalm 92, which describes the quality of life God wants us to have.
“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him
— Psalm 92:12–15 NKJV
“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree” — The palm tree is an evergreen tree that produces an abundance of fruits. This speaks of flourishing and fruitfulness even in old age.
Pastor Prince shares the Biblical principle of how things happen first in the natural, followed by the spiritual. What we see happening to/in natural Israel (the land and/or its people), we will also see happening to spiritual Israel (the Church) in due time.
In recent years, there was a great discovery made by a group of Israeli scientists who cultivated 2,000-year-old date palm seeds taken from Masada and Qumram. Amazingly, the seeds sprouted, thrived, and grew into two palm trees, male and female! Since the male tree could not bear fruit, the scientists then pollinated the flowers from the female tree and they bore much fruit.
Interestingly, the male tree was named Methuselah, while the female tree was named Hannah. Methuselah was the oldest man recorded in the Bible (representing longevity), while the name Hannah means “grace.” There can’t be fruitfulness without grace. Grace always brings fruitfulness!
What we see here with the resurrection of these 2,000-year-old Judean palm trees is what we will see in our lives—renewal and fruitfulness, even in our old age.
“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him
— Psalm 92:12–15 NKJV
“palm tree . . . cedar in Lebanon” — A palm tree can grow on barren soil by growing its roots deep. That’s how it can still receive water from deep underground even when the surface soil is parched. On the other hand, cedar trees grow in mountainous areas where the weather can be harsh. So they embed their roots in rocks so as not to be shaken or blown away. These trees are pictures of us as believers, rooting ourselves in Christ.
Perhaps you feel like your environment (where you live or the circumstances you’re in) is not conducive to living a healthy life. But know that God’s blessing on you can still cause you to flourish like the palm tree and cedar in harsh conditions—you can trust the Lord to keep you green (young), strong, and healthy!
Cedar trees are also known for being extremely durable and pest-resistant. They also live for thousands of years.
Cedarwood was used to build the temple of God:
“The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open flowers. All was cedar; there was no stone to be seen.”
— 1 Kings 6:18 NKJV
“Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit . . .”
— 1 Corinthians 6:19 ASV
Our bodies, being the temple of the Holy Spirit, will be like cedar—incorruptible, resilient, and not easily destroyed!
Jesus Himself is likened to a cedar:
“his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.”
— Song of Solomon 5:15b KJV
“. . . with all the frankincense. And the priest shall burn it as a memorial . . . a sweet aroma to the LORD.”
— Leviticus 2:2 NKJV
Just like a cedar, Jesus is excellent, beautiful, and fragrant. Even under pressure, only good comes out of Him. The more we behold Jesus, the more the Holy Spirit transforms us into His image, from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18).
“Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.”
— Psalm 92:13 NKJV
“planted in the house” — God wants us to be planted in a local church. Local churches are the practical expression of the universal church, where we get to experience the benefits of personally being in a community of believers (e.g. with pastors and leaders). Local churches are also important as God gives specific messages/words in season to different churches (we see this in the book of Revelation).
“flourish in the courts” — The courts speak of what is outside the church. When you’re planted in the house of God, you will flourish in the world (e.g. in your job). This verse also refers to flourishing in your health and having longevity.
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
— Matthew 16:25 NKJV
All this strength God gives us is to serve Him. It is not to use on worldly pursuits that won’t satisfy (e.g. chasing after material wealth or status). When we spend the days of our lives serving the Lord, we will thrive. Whatever we give up for the Lord, we will receive a hundredfold in this life (Mark 10:30)!
“They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh (fat) and flourishing (‘raanan’ – green),
To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him”
— Psalm 92:14–15 NKJV
“fresh and flourishing” — The word “fresh” in the Hebrew means “fat” or “well-nourished.” And the word “flourishing” in the Hebrew is “raanan,” which means “green”—a picture of vitality and life. This is your portion!
The Lord has a word of encouragement from the life of David for those who feel limited by their old age.
David is a type of Jesus. When we look at the good characteristics and moments in his life, we can see that they are pictures of Jesus. For example, when David was in the wilderness, there were men who were distressed, in debt, and discontented who gathered to him (1 Sam. 22:2) and after being with David, they became mighty men. In the same way, Jesus calls those of us who are weary to Himself and He gives us rest (Matt. 11:28), and we become mighty.
The story of David and Barzillai
“And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went across the Jordan with the king, to escort him across the Jordan. Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man. And the king said to Barzillai, “Come across with me, and I will provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem.
But Barzillai said to the king, “How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am today eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king? Your servant will go a little way across the Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward? Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.”
— 2 Samuel 19:31–37 NKJV
“How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am today eighty years old.” — Barzillai was a great man who loved and took care of David, and David wanted to reward him by providing for him. But Barzillai had a long list of disqualifications for himself tied to his old age.
In contrast, look at how 85-year-old Caleb spoke about himself:
“And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”
— Joshua 14:10–12 NKJV
Barzillai did not want to cross over the Jordan River because he was afraid of being a burden to David. Some of us think this way about the Lord—that we are burdening Him when we bring our prayers to Him. But this is the furthest from the truth! The Bible says the Lord loves to hear our voice and see our face (Song of Sol. 2:14 NKJV).
“. . . Cross the Jordan River with me, live with me in Jerusalem, and I'll provide for you there.”
— 2 Samuel 19:33 ISV
“Cross the Jordan River with me” — Barzillai refused to cross over the Jordan River with David. Even though he loved David, he loved David from a distance. Somewhere along the way, he settled for a life without being close to David. This is a picture of how some Christians today are not willing to see themselves in Christ, to live in the heavenly places at the Father’s right hand (Eph. 1:20). They do not, or feel they cannot believe that as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17).
Pastor Prince encourages us to go all the way for God like the mighty men of David, and not give excuses based on our age. Stop complaining about your age and saying things like, “In the natural, I am XX age and everything is getting from bad to worse . . . my hearing, my eyesight, etc.” This is not your portion! The Lord is inviting you to “cross over the Jordan River” to be where He is. His presence is where the greatest blessings are.
“Cross the Jordan River” — The Jordan River is a picture of the self, and crossing over is a picture of dying to self. This means to decide to put aside what is natural (e.g. what the world says we should accept as “normal” when it comes to aging), and decide to believe the promises of health and strength in God’s Word. Believe that as Christ is, so are we in this world.
Barzillai did not want to follow David over the Jordan River, but instead sent his son, Chimham, to cross over the Jordan with David. David provided for Chimham and even gave him a house in Bethlehem. This house was likely the house David had grown up in as a young boy and also likely the house that became the inn that Mary and Joseph came to. This is what Barzillai lost out on when he did not cross over the Jordan.
“and whoever loses his [lower] life on My account will find it [the higher life]”
— Matthew 10:39b AMPC
When we lose our life for Jesus, we will find it and receive far better—we receive His higher life.
The greatest good you can do for God, the greatest way to please Him, is to have faith. Take that step to dare to believe what His promises in His Word about health, strength, and longevity!
Pastor Prince ends the service by praying for people with these health conditions:
“Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus Christ, Your Son Himself, died for me on that cross. He carried all my sins, all my diseases, and all my pains and died in my place on that cross. On the third day, You raised Him from the dead and I thank You that today, He is alive at Your right hand. And I thank You that I rose with Him. Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior. Thank You, Father. All my sins are forgiven, I'm a brand new creation in Christ and I'll flourish like the palm tree, grow like the cedars of Lebanon. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
“This coming week, the Lord bless you and your families. The Lord keep you and everyone in your family from all evil, from all harm, from all danger, from the power of the evil one. The Lord make His face shine on you and be favorable to you. The Lord lift up His countenance on you and your family and grant to you and yours His shalom wholeness, well-being, and peace. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
God’s will is for you to live every day of your life healthy, strong, full of vitality, and continually seeing fruitfulness—no matter your age or life season.
Perhaps you find this difficult to believe because your experience has told you otherwise. Or maybe you have come to accept that you are past your prime and your best days are behind you.
But today, will you choose to “cross over the Jordan” (2 Sam. 19:33)—put aside your natural way of thinking and reasoning, put aside your experiences, put aside what you are seeing around you and what others are saying—and believe what God says in His Word?
Beloved, dare to believe Him. Believe Psalm 91 that says He will satisfy you with long life and continually show you Jesus—His beauty, His goodness, and His grace. Believe Psalm 92 that shows you faith pictures of yourself being fruitful, flourishing, well-nourished, young, strong, healthy, resilient, and full of utility. Believe 1 John 4:17 that declares that as Christ is right now in heaven, so are you in this world!
Our Lord Jesus has gone all the way at the cross to take your pains and diseases, to give you the blessings of healing, health, and renewal. That’s why now you can go all the way, past your natural limitations and disqualifications, to believe Him and His Word.
This week, if you want faith to be imparted to your heart, listen to messages that speak of Jesus and all He has accomplished for you at the cross. You can listen to this message again. You can also take these promises of health, strength, renewed youth, and longevity and write/draw them out in a place where you will see them often.
Friend, put your trust in the Lord, His finished work, and His Word. You will find yourself walking closely with Him and enjoying His best blessings!
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 2022
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!
