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, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all
sin”. Paul tells us that if
we have 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.
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 and
all the way through verse 31.
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, 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.
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.)
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.
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.