These are notes on the sermon, The Healing Power of a Joyful Heart, preached by Pastor Joseph Prince on Sunday, 6 August 2017, at The Star Performing Arts Centre, Singapore. We hope these sermon notes will be an encouragement to you!
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Pastor Prince begins the service by appreciating doctors for fighting the same enemies as God. Those enemies are diseases and sicknesses, which are very real battles we face today.
When you read about God destroying enemies in the Old Testament, it’s because the enemies did terrible things to God’s people (i.e. killing and abusing them). Today, God is still destroying His people’s enemies, although they might not be physical but spiritual (e.g. diseases and sicknesses).
The way God has taught us to destroy our spiritual enemies is through the perfect sacrifice of our Lord Jesus at the cross. This is why we can boldly declare “by Jesus’ stripes, we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).
Jesus is our perfect sacrificial Lamb. Back in the Old Testament, when animal sacrifices were still being offered unto God, the animals were slaughtered in a humane way (a quick and painless death without shock) before being put on the altar.
Jesus, however, was put through great torture and suffering—He was scourged—before He was placed on the altar of the cross. Why? So that “by His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). He took all that pain and suffering upon Himself to bear all your diseases and sicknesses in His own body.
In the Old Testament, before the animals were put on the altar as a burnt offering, they were first flayed—their fur and skin were removed to expose the inner organs. When Jesus hung on the cross, His entire body was so badly scourged that His skin and flesh had been stripped off Him (Ps. 22:17). This is a picture of Jesus, our sacrificial Lamb, being flayed before being placed on the altar of the cross.
Being fully man, Jesus felt all the pain and tiredness, and He never used His deity to stop the suffering He went through. Being fully God, when Jesus died, He didn’t die spiritually; His soul died and went to Sheol. When Jesus said, “It is finished!” at the cross, it was done. When His soul went to Sheol, it was not to finish the work of redemption but to proclaim the work of redemption!
We look at the Jewish law that describes scourging:
“If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked. And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above those with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.”
— Deuteronomy 25:1–3 KJV
“Forty stripes he may give him” — These verses describe scourging under the Jewish law, which calls for forty stripes with a rod. The Romans, who were ruling over Israel at that time, had a different method of scourging. Instead of a rod, they used their own weapon: the Cat o’ Nine Tails, a 9-tailed whip that had rusty hooks and crushed bone embedded in each tail. These elements would hook on to a person’s flesh and rip it out with every stroke. Though the Romans followed the law of scourging forty times, the nature of the whip caused many stripes on Jesus’ body with just a single stroke.
When Peter saw Jesus getting beaten, he said:
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ('mólóps') ye were healed.”
— 1 Peter 2:24 KJV
“his own self bare our sins in his own body” — Jesus bore our sins in His own body when He died at the cross for us.
“stripes ('mólóps')” — The word “stripes” in this verse is the Greek word “mólóps,” which is singular. It is the only scripture in the Bible that uses this singular form for “stripes.” In other mentions of “stripes,” the plural form is used (e.g. in Isaiah 53:5, the word “chabburah” in Hebrew, which is plural, is used).
The reason the New Testament was written in Greek was due to the influence of Greek culture and language that occurred after Alexander the Great conquered Israel. The ancient Greek language had the most exact and definitive usage for words. For example, in English, we would declare our “love” for an apple, using the same word “love” for our spouse. In Greek, you would say that you “eros” this apple, but “agape” your spouse—which defines the differing depths of love.
In Hebrew, the word “stripes” is the Hebrew word “chabburah,” written in plural form to describe a violent act. So why did Peter use the specific Greek word “mólóps” (singular) to describe Jesus’ stripes? According to Hebrew and Greek scholar T.J. McCrossan, there were so many stripes upon Jesus’ body that there was not a single strip of skin left, and so it was one big laceration on His back. This is why Peter described it in the Greek as one single stripe.
VIDEO: A video illustration demonstrating the forty strokes on Jesus’ back that became one single stripe is screened.
This is what our Lord went through for us so that He could bear all the stripes for our healing.
Pontius Pilate, the man who was overseeing Jesus’ crucifixion, had found no fault with Jesus and thought the people would let Jesus go after seeing Him being scourged. Usually, people were either scourged or crucified—not both. But Jesus went through both. He paid the ultimate price for your healing!
Whatever type of healing you are believing God for, know that He is healing you right now. It’s not because of your good deeds or your good character, but it’s all to do with the stripes that Jesus has borne for you. As a child of God, healing is your portion to receive!
Pastor Prince starts ministering to people with these conditions:
There are many pictures in the Word that help us understand God and our relationship with Him, but one of the most recurring pictures used is that of a Shepherd and sheep. The Lord loves to identify Himself as our Shepherd.
The picture of a shepherd who takes good care of his flock is associated with good leadership (like King David). Good leaders are there to protect, guide, and rescue the flock when one goes astray. This is also a representation of our Lord Jesus.
We see the picture of Jesus as our Shepherd in Isaiah:
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
— Isaiah 53:6 KJV
“All we like sheep have gone astray . . . the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” — We are the picture of sheep who have gone astray, and the stripes that Jesus bore represents the iniquity of us all.
“For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
— 1 Peter 2:25 KJV
“Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” — A shepherd is one who feeds his flock, while a bishop is someone who oversees the flock. Jesus fills both these roles today. It is not our good works that have brought us back, but it is Jesus our Shepherd and Bishop who has saved us when we went astray.
As your Shepherd, He is constantly with you, watching over you and protecting you.
You can cultivate this “sheep” mentality by meditating on Psalm 23, which tells you that the Lord is your Shepherd and describes what He does for you. This is a great psalm to encourage your children to meditate on as well.
The Lord desires for you to flow with Him because joy is the result:
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
— John 15:11 NKJV
“joy” — Here, Jesus was telling His disciples about joy (even though at this time, Judas was about to betray Him). The word “joy” is the Greek word “chara,” and is the root word for grace, “charis.” This shows us that joy and grace are tied up together.
We don’t rejoice because promotion is coming or when something good is happening, but we rejoice because of God’s grace in our lives. Joy will always come because of God’s grace!
“Surely he hath borne our griefs (‘kholee’ — sicknesses), and carried our sorrows (‘makov’ — pains): yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
— Isaiah 53:4 KJV
“Surely” — There is only one mention of “surely” in Isaiah 53, and it is in the context of Jesus bearing our “griefs” (sicknesses) and carrying our “sorrows” (pains). The Lord knew that while most Christians can believe that He bore their sins, many find it difficult to believe He also bore their sicknesses. The word “surely” assures us that He not only bore our sins but also bore all our diseases at the cross.
“griefs” — The Hebrew word for “grief” is “kholee,” which means “sicknesses.”
“sorrows” — The Hebrew word for “sorrows” is “makov,” which means “pains.”
The primary definitions of the Hebrew words “kholee” and “makov” are “sicknesses” and “pains.” The secondary definitions are “griefs” and “sorrows,” which many translators used in Isaiah 53:5.
However, the Young’s Literal Translation uses the primary definitions of the two words:
“Surely our sicknesses he hath borne,
And our pains — he hath carried them,
And we — we have esteemed him plagued, Smitten of God, and afflicted.”
— Isaiah 53:4 YLT
More importantly, let’s let Bible interpret Bible:
“When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
‘He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses.’”
— Matthew 8:16–17 NKJV
“healed all who were sick” — In all accounts where Jesus went, He healed all who came to Him.
“He Himself” — This is a double emphasis that Jesus took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.
“took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” — The word “infirmities” is the Greek word “astheneia,” which means “diseases.” In this passage of Scripture, Matthew is quoting from Isaiah 53:4 and interprets it as “diseases” and “sicknesses.” In this context, Matthew is also talking about physical healing, not spiritual healing.
Even though we are living in a dangerous world, our heavenly Father wants us to live with a sense of security. God wants you to know that you are protected and seated in the secret place of the Most High (Ps. 91:1).
Pastor Prince shares a personal story from a time when Jessica, his daughter, was much younger. They were watching heavy rainfall from their window together. Though they were so close to the rain, they were not caught in the rain. This is a picture of our position in Christ: a place of warmth, love, and security.
This means that while we may see troubles and trials, we will only be “looking” and not “partaking” of those situations (Ps. 91:7).
Especially when bad things happen, see yourself in your heavenly position in Christ—protected, safe, and warm.
Even if you know that retrenchment might hit your company and you feel anxious, or you hear people saying bad things about you on social media, know that you are kept safe and protected as you dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Jesus said, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me” (Rom. 15:3). The Lord even took your reproaches upon Himself so you don’t have to take the sting or shame of them!
You can believe God for the things that Jesus has paid for.
While we know of people who did not receive the healing they were praying for, we cannot let what we see determine our belief of Scripture. Also, we know that these precious people are now with Christ and enjoying heaven. In heaven, there is no more unhappiness, no more lack, and no more disappointment.
The Bible tells us that Jesus has paid for all our diseases and pains, and we cannot compromise on that. Sickness, poverty, disunity—all these earthly ills have been conquered at the cross. The last enemy to be put under Jesus’ feet is death, and when He comes back for us, we will receive a brand-new body. That is the good news!
The Bible gives us insight into what causes us to fall into sickness and disease, and it also gives us insight into what causes us to be full of divine health.
We go back to Isaiah 53:
“Surely he hath borne our griefs (‘kholee’ — sicknesses), and carried our sorrows (‘makov’ — pains): yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
— Isaiah 53:4 KJV
“griefs” — The Hebrew word “kholee” means “sickness” and “grief.” “Kholee” is a noun that is derived from the root word “khalah,” which means “to be worn down in strength.” One way the devil attacks your health is to drop something worrisome or anxious in your heart that grieves you.
This is a nugget of wisdom for counselors, who are continually listening to people talk about their challenges, difficulties, and sinful habits/lifestyles. When you counsel these people, it is important that you keep seeing Jesus and His finished work and not just the person’s problem or sin. When you focus on Jesus, you are feeding on the sin offering and not on the sin itself. This is how counseling becomes a strengthening experience for you, instead of an experience that wears you down and causes you grief.
What about the secret to experiencing divine healing and health?
“. . . with his stripes we are healed.”
— Isaiah 53:5 KJV
“healed” — The word “healed” is the Hebrew word “rapha.” The root word of “rapha” is “raphah,” which means “relax.”
Jesus wants you to be at rest (Matt. 11:28). Rest is empowerment. Rest is replenishment.
Are you doing things that wear you down? When you are worn out, you are more prone to falling sick (Isa. 53:4).
The way to be at rest is to be led by the peace in your heart when handling daily situations and to let that peace direct your actions and decisions (e.g. when it comes to what to handle and what to delegate to others). When you’re worn out, you can’t speak out of revelation. You end up speaking out of your worn-out state. There is always a right time to say something, and you will know what that time is when you are well-rested.
We go back to Isaiah 53:
“ . . . carried our sorrows (‘makov’ — pains) . . .”
— Isaiah 53:4 KJV
“sorrows” — The Hebrew word “makov” means “pains, sorrows.” There are two kinds of sorrows: worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is brought about by circumstances or happenings in life that make you sorrowful, and this kind of sorrow can bring about health problems.
However, godly sorrow is completely different.
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
— 2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV
“salvation” — The word “salvation” here refers to wholeness, health, and healing.
“godly sorrow” — Godly sorrow is not sorrow like the world’s. It is a sorrow that brings about repentance (a change in your mind) that delivers you from the situation you are in. For example, you might be given godly counsel by being told something your flesh does not want to hear, but it causes you to learn and grow in your thinking and character. This godly sorrow brings health!
In Israel, whenever there are celebrations, people wish each other “chag sameach,” which means “be joyful and of good cheer.”
“A merry heart doeth good like medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
— Proverbs 17:22 KJV
“merry heart” — When you have a merry heart, it does good to you like medicine—without any chemically-induced side effects. The word “merry” in Hebrew is “sameach,” which means “rejoicing, happy.” The Lord wants you to have a merry heart that rejoices regardless of what is happening around you. Happiness and joy are different things. You cannot be happy all the time because happiness is determined by what happens to/around you. But joy is independent of circumstance; it is a state you can perpetually be in when you are conscious of the Lord and His grace.
When the Apostle Paul wrote his most joyful letter (the book of Philippians), he was actually writing from prison:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
— Philippians 4:4 NKJV
You can rejoice in the Lord because He is your good Shepherd. Even when things go wrong, you can keep a merry heart. This joy in the Lord will always release healing into your body.
“A merry heart doeth good like medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
— Proverbs 17:22 KJV
“broken spirit” — A broken spirit causes your bones to dry up (e.g. arthritis). Biologically, blood is manufactured in your marrow, and blood needs water. Sorrow in your heart dies up your bones, i.e. it dries up the water that your blood needs to function healthily.
This is not what God wants you to experience. Instead, we can be like Moses:
“Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.”
— Deuteronomy 34:7 NKJV
“natural vigor” — The phrase “natural vigor” here means “moisture” in Hebrew.
The Young’s Literal Translation translates it this way:
“And Moses [is] a son of a hundred and twenty years when he dieth; his eye hath not become dim, nor hath his moisture fled.”
— Deuteronomy 34:7 YLT
“moisture” — The word “moisture” here is not referring to drinking more water. It is referring to the bones drying up. When your spirit is broken, your bones dry up (Prov. 17:22).
When God made man, He made man tripartite: spirit, soul, and body. Everything is interconnected. Whatever happens to one part of you will affect the other parts. That is why sorrow affects your physical health.
Pastor Prince encourages people who are worried that they will develop the disease or condition that their parents had because of genetics. Friend, because of Jesus bearing all sicknesses and diseases at the cross, you can rest assured that disease is not your portion!
Sorrow and pain were written into man’s DNA because of the first Adam’s sin. But we now have the last Adam’s DNA, which means we have health written into our DNA!
Joy is a flag flown high from the castle of our hearts because the King is in residence there!
“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”
— Proverbs 15:13 KJV
“cheerful countenance” — To have a cheerful countenance means to have a cheerful face. A merry heart will always result in smiles, and when you laugh, you will look younger and younger.
“spirit is broken” — When your spirit is broken and you feel dejected, it is due to the sorrow or pain that you hold in your heart.
Pastor Prince shares a time when he felt sorrow in his heart when he heard about a broadcast station that was taken over by someone who did not believe in his teachings and chose not to let the ministry use that broadcast timing. He decided to rejoice in the Lord despite the outcome, as he decided that it was not worth losing his joy and health over.
Don’t allow the sorrows of the world to stay in your heart. You can choose to stay merry and rejoice in the Lord!
“The plowers plowed on my back;
They made their furrows long.”
— Psalm 129:3 NKJV
“plowed on my back” — This refers to the Cat o’ Nine Tails whip that was not just hitting Jesus, but plowing His back.
“If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.”
— Deuteronomy 25:1 KJV
“justify the righteous . . . condemn the wicked” — It is the wicked who get the beating, but God made Jesus who knew no sin to be made sin for us so that we would be made righteous. Jesus took our place—the place of the wicked—so that we can be justified by God and take the place of the righteous. When you acknowledge your righteous position in Christ, you will enjoy all the blessings of healing that came by Jesus’ stripes!
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (‘mólóps’) ye were healed.
— 1 Peter 2:24 KJV
“live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (‘mólóps’) ye were healed” — The use of the colon here indicates that the two ideas (righteousness and healing) are connected. To live unto righteousness is to live as though you are righteous—to treat yourself that way, to know that you have received righteousness as a gift because Jesus bore your stripes. That is when you will experience divine healing and health!
“Go, eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.
Live joyfully with the wife whom you love . . .”
— Ecclesiastes 9:7–9 NKJV
“eat your bread with joy . . . drink your wine with a merry heart” — The bread and wine signify the holy Communion, the Eucharist—which refers to a time of joy and thanksgiving. When you partake of the Communion, don’t look at it as a somber time. Instead, eat and drink with joy! When you partake joyfully, your head will lack no anointing, and you will live joyfully with your spouse.
Pastor Prince shares a healing testimony of an 8-year-old boy in India who suffered a stroke that left one side of his face drooping. After his parents encountered the gospel of grace via a missionary, they had a revelation of the Communion. They started partaking of the Communion regularly, and after fifteen days, the boy was completely healed!
Pastor Prince closes the service by reminding us to remain joyful and have a merry heart. If you are feeling worn down in strength, go to Jesus and see Him as your good Shepherd. He shall give you rest (Matt. 11:28)!
“This coming week, Father, protect everyone under the sound of my voice throughout this week from harm, from danger, from every disease, from every infection, from all the powers of darkness, from every danger, tragedy, and from all the power of the evil one. They and their loved ones, all of us Father, in Jesus’ name I ask, and all the people said, Amen.
Now shout, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd!’ God bless you. Don’t forget that He is your Shepherd. Amen.”
Are there areas in your life you feel attacked in, insecure, or fearful about? Are there circumstances in your life wearing you down or filling your heart with sorrow? Whether it is in the area of your career, finances, or relationships, practice this: see Jesus, your Good Shepherd, watching over you, protecting you, and providing for you in those very areas.
Meditate on Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
The more you see yourself being well-loved and taken care of by your good Shepherd, the more joy will make its home in your heart and become a well that springs forth healing.
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 2017
These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.
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