Benefits of the Son of God
to us no. 17
Saved from the wrath of
God
Rev. Brian Kocourek
This morning we will speak on the Seventeenth benefit or promise of God
to us concerning His Son, and that is it Saves us from
the wrath of God. We will take our text from the Book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 10: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood
of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done
despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Notice
now, that this promise from God concerns those that have done one of three
things, and in fact by doing one of these three things, they are guilty of all
doing despite to all three.
Number 1)
they have trodden under foot the Son of God. They have not shown proper respect
toward the Son of God, and have taken Him for granted.
Number 2)
they have counted the blood of the covenant an unholy thing. In other words
they count the blood of the covenant as a common thing. They do not count the
blood of the covenant as something that is precious and special, or highly
esteemed and of great value to them. And therefore,
Number 3)
they have done despite unto the Spirit of Grace.
Let’s
begin this morning by examining what it means to trod under foot the Son of
God. What does it mean to be “trodden under foot”.
Now,
in order to understand this we must look at the first example of when man was
permitted to come into the presence of God since after being expelled from
God’s presence in the garden. In the
Book of Exodus we see the story of Moses when God called Him to come into His
presence. When this took place, the very first command given to Moses by God as
he began to approach the very presence of God was to take off his shoes.
Exodus 3:5 And he said, Draw
not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon
thou standest is holy ground.
Now,
Moses was approaching that burning bush which was not consumed. The Pillar of
Fire was anointing that bush to get Moses attention that deliverance was on it’s way. God is not the Pillar of Fire but the Pillar of
Fire represents the Shekinah Presence of God. John
tells us in 1
John 1:7 “If we walk in the light as He is IN the light, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sins.” It appeared to Moses that He must walk into
the presence of that Pillar of fire to be able to talk with God, so too today we
must walk in the light as He is in the Light in order to have fellowship with
Him. So we are talking about a walk. He never said talk it, he said walk it.
And so we are looking at the way in which we are to enter into His Presence.
Again when
Joshua came before the presence of God when the Lord appeared to Joshua as the
Captain of the Lord of Host, Joshua was told…Joshua
5:15 And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe
from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest
is holy. And Joshua did so.
There is an old
proverb that says, “Fools will walk
with hobnailed shoes where angels fear to trod.”
Brother Branham makes reference to this in the sermon God Hiding in
Simplicity.
God hiding Himself in
simplicity 63-0412E P:65 Could you
imagine a man like Moses, an ordinary man doing the things that he did? Could
you imagine that Elijah, an old, woolly-looking fellow with hairs all over his
body and a piece of sheepskin draped around him, could you imagine God taking a
thing like that, when there stood priests, and clergymen that was robed, and
polished in their theology, just as smooth as they could be? But God bypassed
every one of them. He always does. Tell me one time He ever did it. Never. No, sir. He bypassed the
whole thing to come down to some simple form. He reveals Himself, and works in simplicity, real simple so that
everybody will understand it. That's what makes Him great. He comes simple,
simplifying it. And now, He bypassed... 66 Although the world was full of great scholars in that day,
but not a one of them did He use. He found a simple sort of a fellow. But
remember, this kind was in that age. But you see, the spirit that he come in was too simple for
their education. They already had it figured out what could come. They was so highly
polished until they missed the simplicity of it, and sometimes walk over the top of it, make fun of it. It
reminds me of the old proverb, "Fools
will walk with hobnailed shoes where angels fear to trod."
A man will see the works of God going on, and know that it's the works of God,
and stand and call it the works of the devil. Jesus said that's blasphemy.
"If you say a word against I, the Son of man, it
shall be forgiven you. But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost will not
be forgiven them in this world, neither in the world that is to come."
See? But we walk with hob-nailed shoes where Angels fear to trod.
We’re so smart, we're so polished, that that's what's becoming of our
Notice
he said, they was so highly polished until they missed the
simplicity of it, and sometimes walk over
the top of it, make fun of it.
So
you see in our text the Apostle Paul is speaking of the attitude in which they
come to the Son of God, and the attitude they have towards the blood of the
covenant. And we see when he speaks of them trampling under foot, he is
speaking of an attitude in which they approach the very presence of God, and by
using the phrase “trampling underfoot” he is showing the disrespectful attitude
they have towards the Son of
God and the blood of the covenant. As brother Branham said, “they walk all over it. Now if you hold something of great
value you do not walk over it. You are very careful how you walk.
I
remember the first time I went to the state capital in
Hebrews 10: 29 Of how
much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden
under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant,
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the
Spirit of grace?
Notice
now, that this promise of punishment from God concerns those that have done one
of three things, and in fact by doing one of these three things they are guilty
of showing disrespect to all three of them.
Number
1) they have
trodden under foot the Son of God. In other words, they have shown
him so little respect that they feel free to walk all over him. To take
advantage if Him.
Number
2) In so doing they have counted the blood of the covenant an unholy thing.
They can talk about the blood all they want to but they show by their attitude
towards the Son of God what they really feel about the blood of the covenant.
Number
3) They thus have done despite unto the Spirit of Grace.
The word despite means to insult, and by their actions and attitude towards the
Son of God they have insulted the Grace of God. Thus when they turn down the Son
of God they turn down the Blood of the Covenant and when they turn down the
Blood of the Covenant they have turned down Grace. And when Grace is turned
down they will revert to works, and we see it happen every time that way.
Therefore,
We know the feet are significant in the Scriptures
because they represent our ability to walk and carry the body from one place to
another. “If we
walk in the light as He is in the Light, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us
from all sin”. Paul tells us
that if we put on the full armor of God our feet will be shod with the
preparation of the Gospel.
EPHESIANS
Now,
this does not mean that you were barefoot and now you put on shoes upon your feet.
He is telling us there is a certain attire for the feet that we wear to show we
are prepared to go out and bring forth the Gospel to man. Therefore it is a
changing of our shoes to that which is worthy and shows honor for the Gospel,
because your feet are to be shod with the preparation of the Gospel.
In
referring to this scripture William Branham said in his sermon, REDEMPTION BY
POWER 54-0329 73 Paul dressing up a man for the battlefield,
for the march. God, in beginning of delivering of Israel, He said, "Now,
you ought to get ready for the march.
When you come under the blood, put on your shoes. Gird up your loins. Get your staff in
your hand and get ready for the call." I like that. A man now, when he
comes into Christ, he gets his Gospel
shoes on to preach the Gospel, …
And
from his sermon,
GREATEST
Notice
when Moses came into God’s Presence, God told Him to take off the shoes he had
been wearing. This was a command for Moses to show respect, and taking your shoes
off at the door of the home you visit shows respect for the homeowner that you
respect their home.
In
the North where I grew up it was a customary thing for us to do to take off our
shoes when we entered someone’s home. When you go to
Brother
Branham said the same thing in his sermon
PRIDE
55-0807A E-38 You know, the custom in the Palestine
country, the first thing happens when you're invited to a royal entertainment
like that, when you come to the door you're all dirty, you stink; you're not a
fit subject then for entertainment. You'd be embarrassed to walk in those lovely
homes with all that on your feet and everything, and the way you look and
sweaty and everything. What's the first thing? When a guest arrives, they got a
flunky, the poorest paid man on the job. When I think that
my Lord girded Himself and washed people's feet, He took the lowest place, when
He deserved the highest place.
But He took the lowest
place, to wash the dung and dirt from their feet, become the humblest of
servants. There's not another servant
got as humble a job as the flunky that washes the feet. But when you come to a
home of that type in the eastern country, Palestine, the flunky meets you at
the door, goes to one of the wells and draws him a great basin of good clear
water, and he removes your sandal, or your shoe, sets your feet up across his
knee, and he washes all this dirt, and dust, and dung, and stuff off of your
body. And then he takes another towel and wipes your feet, and he washes them,
sets them down. And then he takes your sandals and sets them up on a little mantle
like, sets them along like this at the door of entrance. Then he goes over, and
he finds a pair of fine satin, silk slippers; they're soft. That's the
complements of the host. He does that; he has them setting there; he put them
upon your feet until he finds one that fits you comfortably.
Now,
they do that for respect. The shoes that are prepared with the Gospel of Peace
are those shoes that take you into the presence of the Holiest of Holies.
Now
that means that there are three things here that will bring upon a person the
wrath of God. And in order to under stand what these three things are, we must
first understand to whom they will come upon. And to better understand why the
Apostle lists three things, we must back up and begin reading from verse 19.
HEBREWS
Now, we know that God is the Holiest of
Holies. In other words Paul is telling us here the way in which we are allowed
to come into the Presence of God. He tells us it is by the Blood of Jesus. In
the previous verses Paul tells us that at one time the High Priest was allowed
into the presence of God by the sprinkling of the blood of an innocent lamb.
HEBREWS 10:1 ¶
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the
very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered
year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would
they not have ceased to be offered? because that the
worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3 But in
those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made] of sins every year. 4
For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sins. 5 Wherefore
when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt
offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Paul tells us here that although God allowed the
sinner to show or acknowledge his sin via the sacrifice of a substitute blood,
yet that substitute blood of a dumb animal could never bring the sinner to a
new mind and one free from guilt. Then he tells us there was only one sacrifice
that could take away the remembrance of sin, and that was the sacrifice of the
Lamb of God.
HEBREWS 10:7 ¶
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the
book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said,
Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst
pleasure [therein]; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O
God. He taketh away the first, that
he may establish the second. 10 By the which will
we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for
all]. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering
and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 Now, here is the key in
this next verse…
But this man, (Notice, he said, “this Man”, not this badger skin, not a spirit he is talking
about, but THIS
MAN) after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for
ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting
till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath
perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15 [Whereof] the Holy Ghost also
is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This [is] the
covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will
put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these [is, there
is] no more offering for sin. 20 By a new and living way, which he hath
consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And [having] an
high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in
full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure water. 23
Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he
[is] faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke
unto love and to good works: 25 Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but
exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26 For if we sin willfully (that means if we disbelieve willfully) after that we have
received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth
no more sacrifice for sins,
And what is the Truth?
Jesus said “John 14: 6 Jesus saith unto
him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me. So the Truth is that He is the Son of God
and no man can come to the Father unless he acknowledges that the Father has a
son.
1 John 2: 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he
that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
1 John 5: 12 He that hath the
Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
1 John 5: 10 He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not
God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of
his Son.
John 3: 36 He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son
shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on
him.
2 John 1: 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in
the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth
in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
John 3: 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not
is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
John 5: 23 That all men
should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth
not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent
him. Why? Because Jesus came to declare the Father.
He didn’t come
with His own Thoughts!
He didn’t come
with His own Word!
He didn’t come
with His own Actions!
He didn’t come
with His own Doctrine!
He didn’t come
with His own Will!
He came declaring what the Father wanted
declared, nothing more, and nothing less. He was blind to everything but what
God wanted Him to See. He was deaf to everything but what God wanted Him to
Hear.
John 8: 28 Then said Jesus
unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am
he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak
these things.
Acts 13: 33 God hath
fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised
up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son,
this day have I begotten thee.
Now, in getting back to Hebrews 10: let’s pick up at verse 27 But a certain
fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the
adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or
three witnesses (now here is where we pick up on the two or
three witnesses to allow all things to be established. And then Paul tells us
in the next verse three things which will cause the punishment of God to be
severe.) Notice in verse 28 they died by the witness
or two or three, and in the next verse he tells us what these two or three witnesses
are today.
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy,
who hath (1) trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath (2) counted the blood
of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath (3)
done despite unto
the Spirit of grace? Notice those are the three witness in a man that
shows he is the one Paul is peaking of here that are ordained to receive the
sever punishments of God, for in the mouth of two or three let all things be
established. 30
For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth]
unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his
people. 31 [It
is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And how do they fall into the hands of the
living God? They come into His presence in a way that is disrespectful. They
didn’t dome with their feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel, but they
come into His presence as though it is a common thing. They come in a way that
is not any different than they would come to any worldly gathering, such as
sport events or whatever. The Holy Presence of God has become a common thing to
them.
Scriptural signs of the time
64-0410 P:65 Friends, you know what's the matter with the Pentecostal people?
They've seen too much. An old salt, one day, was coming from the sea, and he
found a writer going to the sea. And the old salt said to the--to the writer,
said, "Where goest thou, my good man?"Said,
"Down to the sea. Oh, I want to smell its salty brines. I want to
see its blue skies, the white clouds, the sea gulls."He
said, "I was borned on it fifty years ago. I
don't see nothing so attractive about it." That's
it. He'd seen so much of it, till it become common. That's what's
the matter with us, people. We've seen so much of God. This church that
has been called out of the denominational groups in the last days has seen so
much of it, until it's become so common you just
overlook it. Don't never let Christ become common to you, friend. Don't never do that. You just believe with all your heart
and all that's in you. Now, have faith in God. Now, just pray, and let the Lord
Jesus grant it.
Have faith in God 58-0105 P:33
The trouble with the people
now, they've seen God's glory so much, it becomes a common thing.
The Apostle Paul begins here by saying, “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy”, and
so we must know just what this means. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye.
What does that mean…
NIV Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died
without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to
be punished who has (1) trampled the Son
of God under foot, (that mean to disrespect
the Son of God) (2) who has treated
as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, (now notice this is one who had come up through sanctification,
but as it tells us in Hebrews 6, they have turned down the Blood of the
covenant by turning down the once for all enlightenment) and (3) and who has insulted the Spirit of
grace? And remember we have shown you in several sermons over the years
that the spirit of Grace comes to us at the time of the Apokolupsis
which is the revealing of Christ, which is this Great Message we have of the
Mighty God unveiled before us, declaring Him that
He is Here!
30 For we know him
who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The
Lord will judge his people." 31
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Let us pray. Father we thank you for having opened our minds and
our hearts in thanksgiving for showing us the difference between you and your
Son, and allowing us to know the Son, and to honor the Son as we also Honor
You. Thank you for allowing us to Know you are the Father of the Son, and to
know that your son is our older brother who came to declare you to the people,
and in so doing they did not understand His relationship to you and wanted to
stone him for saying he was indeed your son. And because they did not
understand Him, they thought he was saying that he was trying to make Himself
God. And we see it again in this hour Father. Therefore we pray the same prayer
your son Jesus prayed and ask Father that we might be one even as you and Jesus
were one. Help us to come as he came, for it is written in the volume of the
book that he came to do thy will O God. And thus may we be of such a mind and
heart that we have come to do thy will O God, for we ask it in that wonderful
name you have given to your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.