These are notes on the sermon, Live Out Your High Calling, preached by Pastor Joseph Prince on Sunday, 28 July 2019, at The Star Performing Arts Centre, Singapore. We hope these sermon notes will be an encouragement to you!
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In today’s sermon, Pastor Prince talks about the importance of identity.
We need to know who we are in Christ for us to live a Christ-like life.
Our actions stem from our identity. They stem from how we see ourselves.
The world is focused on outward actions. They look at what you’re not doing enough of, or they look at what you’re doing wrong.
But what you do on the outside is far less important than who you are on the inside.
For example, you can do something generous but with a stingy spirit.
The spirit you carry when you do things is so important.
For the child of God, the Bible says, “You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Rom. 8:15).
The spirit of fear in this verse is referring to slavish fear that God’s people had when they were under the law. Today, we no longer have this slavish fear.
The fear of God that God desires for us to have is a reverent awe towards Him and His wondrous, gracious works. It is not this slavish fear. Jesus came and gave us His place of sonship so that today, we can be sons and daughters of God and we don’t have to cower in fear before the Father.
Pastor Prince encourages us to be expectant as we hear the Word being preached. Expect God’s healing for your body, expect Him to set your mind free from thoughts of depression, expect restoration of mental poise, peace, and shalom wholeness for your body—including renewal of youth!
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
— Romans 1:16 NKJV
“salvation” — This is the Greek word “sōtēria,” which means “wholeness” in every sense of the word.
Pastor Prince prays for people who have fears of having Alzheimer’s and dementia and people who fear they are losing their mental faculties, especially in the area of their memory.
Pastor also leads the congregation to pray over themselves for complete restoration of all their mental faculties.
Be ready to receive what God has for you as the Word is preached!
“And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
— Revelations 1:5–6 NKJV
“ruler” — In the King James Version, it is translated as “prince of the kings of the world.”
Jesus is both prince and king. As prince, there is someone He submits to—His Father in heaven. As king, He is sovereign (see Matt. 28:18).
“To Him who loved us” — The King of kings love you.
Think of the closest person in your life—the person who knows the most about you and still accepts you. Yet even this person may not know every single thing about you, e.g. your private thoughts and emotions, who you are when no one is around.
But there is One who knows everything and sees everything about you and still loves you through and through. That’s why He should be the One you always go to and talk freely with.
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The world asks, “Why must God punish sin? Why should hell be such a terrible place? Why is God so mean?”
In doing so, they are putting themselves in the place of authority as a judge. Yet they speak as though there are no natural consequences for our actions, e.g. there are consequences for committing a mistake against your children, spouse, and your boss. Likewise, there are consequences for sinning against God. And sinning against Almighty God is much more dire than sinning against another human being.
We deserved severe punishment for sinning against God, yet in all of God’s grace and love toward us, He sent His Son to die for our sins. He didn’t just send an angel; He chose to send His one and only beloved Son to die for us.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8 NKJV
You are loved. Only when you recognize that you’re a sinner can you see Jesus as your Savior.
The ones who drew healing, deliverance, and blessings from Jesus were the ones who were most pleasing to Him. The ones who chose to lean on their own strength and righteousness were the ones who could not receive from Him, and they were also the ones who grieved Him the most.
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“And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
— Revelations 1:5–6 NKJV
“washed us from our sins in His own blood” — When Jesus is the One who washes your sins, you can be sure that you are washed whiter than snow.
“made us kings and priests to His God and Father” — Because of Jesus, we have been made kings and priests to God, the Father. We have been made kings and priests to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and not for boasting in ourselves. This is something not commonly shared.
The function of a priest is to praise God.
A priest comes to God with praise and worship and with gifts that exude a sweet smelling aroma to Him (see Phil. 4:16–18).
But the greatest gift that we can bring to God is the gift of His Son, our perfect sacrifice. Every time we remember His finished work and we praise Him, we are exuding the perfume of Christ to the Father. By doing so, you are functioning as a priest!
In the Old Testament, the priests never had heart attacks (unless they were stricken by God for committing a sin). They were always strong, healthy, and lived long.
There’s something about praising God that enhances your health. Research has suggested that people who go to church live longer (article link). Because you came to church today, life has been added to you!
Today, priests are not a special elite group. We are all priests to God. We may have different functions in the body of Christ, but we are all priests unto God.
And we are all kings as well.
The function of a king is to carry out his assignment from God.
It is similar to the function of a prophet in that sense.
“Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And who may say to him, 'What are you doing?'"
— Ecclesiastes 8:4 NKJV
A king speaks and what he says goes. His words carry power.
In the beginning, Adam had that authoritative power over the animals. He spoke and the animals obeyed him. But when he sinned, Adam lost the authority and glory that God had given to him.
That’s really what sin is—coming short of the glory of God (see Rom. 3:23).
You were created to display the perfect glory of God, just like Jesus did in His time on earth. Everything Jesus did and said displayed the beauty of God’s glory and moral excellencies.
For example, when Jesus corrected His followers, He did so with grace and loveliness.
This is how He corrected John the Baptist for doubting His identity as the Messiah (see Matt. 11:2–3):
“Jesus answered and said to [John’s disciples], “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
— Matthew 11:4–6 NKJV
“blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” — He didn’t rebuke John harshly or shame him in front of his disciples. He simply sent John this graciously veiled message to tell him that He IS the Messiah.
“The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them” — Here, Jesus reveals that the cure to unbelief is to tell people what He has done in your life. What about the moments when we ourselves doubt what we believe? Likewise, we should hear and recount the goodness of God in our lives.
This is how Jesus often corrected His disciples in love and grace:
He didn’t rebuke them harshly for their lack of belief; He just said, “O you of little faith.” (see Matt. 8:26). This rebuke is filled with love and compassion.
Love is the hand that gives, and faith is the hand that takes. When Jesus corrected His disciples by saying, “O you of little faith,” He was actually saying, “Why do you take so little from Me when I have so much to give?”
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
— 1 Peter 2:9 NKJV
“chosen generation” — When you believe in Christ, you are a chosen generation. Specially chosen. God didn’t just end up with you. He chose you.
“royal priesthood” — This is a priesthood that is kingly and has a mint and bearing of royalty. This is unlike the priesthood of the Old Testament. Under the Levitical law, the priests and kings were clearly demarcated except for a few exceptions, e.g. Melchizedek, who was a king priest (see Gen. 14:18).
While there are some exceptions throughout the Old Testament, a king cannot become a priest.
In 2 Chronicles 26:16–21, we see King Uzziah who overstepped his boundaries as king when he tried to fill the function of a priest. He insisted on entering the Holy of Holies to offer incense to God—something only the priest of his time could do. In doing so, he was struck with leprosy and remained a leper for the rest of his life. In the Old Testament, there was a clear distinction between king and priest because God wanted to protect the glory of His Son who would be the King Priest as prophet Zechariah prophesied:
“Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord.
He shall bear the glory,
And shall sit and rule on His throne;
So He shall be a priest on His throne,
And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”
— Zechariah 6:13 NKJV
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
— 1 Peter 2:9 NKJV
So, why did God make you a royal priesthood and a holy nation? It is to proclaim the praises of Him.
The word “praises” does not refer just to worship, but it is the Greek word “aretē,” which means “moral excellence.”
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”
— 1 Peter 2:9 NASB
“so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him” — Our kingly function is to proclaim the excellencies of Him.
While our priestly function is to praise Him, our kingly function is to be morally excellent.
We are called to proclaim His excellencies in our daily lives—in our marriage, businesses, and daily affairs.
God’s morality is unlike the world’s morality. His moral excellence isn’t just about what we do on the outside, but who we are on the inside.
Moral excellence goes beyond ethics and abiding by the law. The law cannot change man’s heart. Moral excellence isn’t just about doing something because the law says so.
When God gave the Ten Commandments, God knew that man could not uphold them.
His desire for us actually goes beyond the law.
Beyond not committing adultery, God’s desire is that you love your spouse.
Beyond not stealing, God desires is that you are generous to the people around you.
This can only happen by grace—inward transformation.
Moral excellence involves humility
While Jesus is morally excellent, He isn’t haughty and dismissive. He does not exude an air of loftiness.
It is a moral excellence that involves humility; it is not a holier-than-thou attitude that lords over others.
Jesus could have chosen anywhere to be born but He chose to be born in a manger (a feeding trough for animals, the most lowly place of all) and raised in Nazareth (a stopover town for travellers where vices and sin reigned).
Jesus did not act like a patron who dispensed blessings from a distance. He always came close to the sinner, close to the sick person, and made them whole.
When Jesus healed the leper, He came close and touched Him.
Jesus did not come to be a benefactor, He came to be your loving Savior.
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The Holy Spirit gave us the secret to true humility in this passage of Scripture:
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”
— John 13:3–5 NKJV
None of the disciples wanted to wash each other’s feet, only Jesus did. Why?
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper…” — It is because Jesus knew who He was and whose He was that He could humble Himself to stoop down and wash His disciples’ feet.
Only the insecure are proud. Those who know who they are and what God has given them can afford to be humble.
Our flesh always wants to take credit and get the glory for something. But we need to recognize that Jesus has already done everything for us, and all we need to do is believe.
God wants His people princely. You are already a king and a priest in Christ. You’re not acting like a king priest to become one, you’re acting like a king priest because you are one.
Princes are not petty people. They are not contemptible. We lose respect for princes in society who act like that. We expect a prince to be generous and regal in his bearing.
A prince’s identity can be seen in his attitude. A prince goes the extra mile; he doesn’t do just what he’s expected to do.
Today, we need to catch a revelation of who we are in Christ. When we know who we are, we will display the Lord’s moral excellencies effortlessly.
Ephesians 4:1 reads, “Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,” but before we are able to walk, we have to learn how to sit and how to rest (in Jesus’ finished work that has made us king priests).
How well you walk depends on how well you rest. Rest in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t try to do before you catch a revelation of who you are.
Rest in what Jesus Christ has done for you and out of that rest, you will be Spirit-directed to live the life God has called you to live.
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”
— 1 John 4:17 NKJV
As Jesus is, so are you in this world. As He is princely, so are you in this world. As He is healthy, so are you in this world.
Over the years, we have received many testimonies of people who have held fast to this truth and received not just healing for their bodies but also freedom from addictions.
It is not a magical statement to recite but it is a truth that you declare: “As Christ is, so am I in this world.”
As you behold the glory of Jesus, the Holy Spirit transforms you into His image effortlessly (2 Cor. 3:18). It’s not about what you strive to do and who you strive to become, but it is about knowing who you already are in Jesus Christ.
It matters greatly whose image you behold and who you associate yourself with. We see this in the story of King Jehoshaphat.
In the Old Testament, King Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, was regarded as a good king. On the other hand, King Ahab, the king of Israel, was regarded as a wicked king. Yet there came a time when Jehoshaphat identified himself with Ahab.
“So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war.””
— 2 Chronicles 18:3 NKJV
“I am as you are” — Jehoshaphat identified himself with Ahab and in doing so, identified himself with Ahab’s fate. When you identify yourself with someone, you will enjoy or suffer the fate of that person.
“So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they surrounded him to attack; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him.”
— 2 Chronicles 18:31 NKJV
Against better judgment, Jehoshaphat went to fight a war that he should not have. He went in the array of a king and the enemies thought he was Ahab, the king of Israel, and they sought to kill him.
But when Jehoshaphat cried out to the Lord, God delivered him from the enemies. It wasn’t his fight to begin with but God delivered him anyway—that is the mercy of God.
Don’t confuse God’s mercy in saving you from a problem you got yourself into as His approval to continue in it.
If you’re a businessman, Pastor Prince encourages you to conduct your business with moral excellence, to be honest and transparent in your dealings. You are called for higher things, you don’t have to resort to the means of the world to be successful.
The world wants you to remain at their level but God wants you to live above it, to live the high life as the prince and princess God has called you to be!
When you correct your children, the best way to do so is to assure and affirm them of their identity as princes and princesses in Christ.
We see the importance of knowing our identity in this story of Gideon as well:
“And [Gideon] said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” So they answered, “As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king.” Then he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.””
— Judges 8:18–19 NKJV
Zebah and Zalmunna were two evil kings attacking Gideon and the people of Israel. From their reply to Gideon, we can see that Gideon’s brothers looked just like him.
“As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king.” Then he said, “They were my brothers” — Family members resemble one another. You resemble the son of a king because Jesus is your brother and your Savior. When you were born again, you became a member of His flesh and His bones.
As Jesus is excellent as the cedars of Lebanon, so are you! (See Song of Solomon 5:15)
Recognize the divine resemblance and light that is on you. There’s something about you that sets you apart from the rest of the world. There’s a light upon you that people can see, and you carry an air of royalty wherever you go.
“Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince.”
— Proverbs 17:7 NKJV
The world says there’s nothing wrong with lying but we don’t expect a prince to lie. When you recognize that you already are a prince, you will act like one.
It all begins with knowing who you are in Christ today. As you rest in this identity, you will also be able to proclaim the moral excellencies of God through your life.
“The Lord bless you this coming week and the Lord keep you. May the Lord keep you from all the dengue mosquitoes, and the Lord keep you from every infection and from every disease. And from all evil for you and your loved ones, and from all the powers of darkness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord lifts up His countenance on you, smile on you and grant to you and your loved ones His wonderful favor and His amazing peace and His great shalom health and wholeness and well-being in Jesus name, and all the people said, Amen.”
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 2019
These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.
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