Christ Revealed in His Own Word #48
The
Bible is our Ultimate
Sunday Morning, September 29, 1996
Brian Kocourek, Pastor Grace Fellowship
[Psalm 111:10] & [Proverbs 1:7, 9:10] Prayer
Last night we
ended with the thoughts of Solomon and why he asked God to give him wisdom. We
read from [1 Kings 3:5-15] and [Proverbs 4:1-13 and 16:16] and found that he only asked for
what he had been taught by his father to seek after. So then it is no mystery
why Solomon prayed for Wisdom.
Now, this morning
I begin once again with the thought Brother Branham left us with when he said, “Whatever
it is, you got to have an ultimate. And
so is it with Christian living; there's got to be an ultimate.”
[Isaiah 33: 6] This scripture speaks of
a time when stability will be needed, and it tells us that our stability comes
from wisdom and understanding. And let’s face it, when you are not sure of the
outcome of your trial, this is when you begin to get nervous and you begin to
have your doubts. But what we are told by this passage of scripture is that if
we possess wisdom and understanding, then we will know the end from the
beginning and we will not be afraid.
Let me explain.
How many have ever watched a football game or some thing like that where you
are really into the game and you worry about how it will end. Now, how many have
ever watched a game on video where you already know the outcome? Well, if you
already know the outcome, then you don’t bite your nails and wonder what is
going to happen do you? You see what I
am trying to get you to see is that we have a promise. A promise from God that
is so great that we of all people on earth should never have to worry about
anything. And who can tell me what that promise is?
[Romans 8: 28] Now, if God who created
us and everything around us, including our loved ones, says that “all
things will work together for our good,” then “all things will work together for
our good.” and that settles it. Notice that Paul did not leave us
hanging here. He went on to say, that God has every thing under His control and
shall surely give us all things. [Romans
8:31-39] explain...
[1 Cor 8:6 & 2 Cor 5:18 & Eph 3: 9 ] And so we see that if all things
are by Him and of Him then He has control over those things, Right?
Now what are
these things that he is speaking about? what are these ALL THINGS that Paul speaks of in [Romans 8:28 & 32].
Well, let’s find out.... [Eph 1:10]
& [Matt 17:11]
So then Knowing
that all things will work together for our good, then how should we act when we
are under a trial concerning the “all things” in our life? [Eph 5:20] Why? [Matt 19:26] & [Matt
21:22] [Mark 9:23]
Should I then get
up-tight if all things do not seem to
appear to be going my way at the
present? Absolutely not. Look at the
example that Jesus gave to us. [Mark
14:36] [Phil 3:8] & [1 Peter 4:11]
Now in getting back to [Isaiah 33: 6], we see that because we know that God will never let
us down, that we can have full confidence and assurance that He knows what is
best for us and He allows the trials that we face to mold us and shape us into
His Image. (read again) Notice that our real treasure is the fear of the Lord.
And what is your treasure this morning?
You parents want your children to grow up and be successful? Then
instill in them the Fear of the Lord. That will begin to lead them into a disciplined
life of sowing and reaping.
[Luke 12:34] For where your treasure is,
there will be your heart also. And remember, the word heart signifies your
understanding. That’s why we read the
other night that a man who does not desire the Wisdom of God would only be
wasting his money if he were to spend it on acquiring what he really does not
desire.
[Ephesians 6: 10 - 17] Now we know that
the loins in synonymous with the mind, for we see in [1 Peter 1:13] That we are to
gird up the loins of our minds at the Revelation of Jesus Christ. First He
has girded the loins of our mind with Truth and He has given us a breast plate
of Right-Wise-ness to protect their little hearts (understanding) from the lies
of Satan. Next He has given us The Shield of Faith to keep them from being
stung by the devils lies, and The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God
to help them defend their little minds.
And the helmet of Salvation to encircle and protect their minds, and their feet should be shod with the
Preparation of the Gospel. We would never think to send our children to school
without shoes for their feet, but what about sending them without being shod
with the preparation of the Gospel. we would never send them out without their
loins being covered and protected, yet we send them out without the loins of
their mind protected?
[Deuteronomy 4: 8 - 10]
[Matt 5:19] You want to be called great
in the Kingdom of God? Talk about his word and teach it to your children and
loved ones.
[Psalm 86:11, 90:12, 143:10]
[Isaiah 28:9]
Now, last night
we read from paragraph [44] where
Brother Branham said, “ Now,
there's got to be an ultimate to everything you do, whatever it is, you got to have an ultimate. And so is it with
Christian living; there's got to be an ultimate. We spoke to you of the essentially of this absolute in our
Christian life as being one which has been taught to us by our parents out of
the Word of God. This morning I would like to continue on with reading from
this Message of Brother Branham’s as we pick up at paragraph ...
[46] Now, if a man said, went to another man and
said--heard somebody say, "Well, you should be baptized," and this
fellow never... Maybe his... Some church that didn't baptize, they just
sprinkle... I think, say for instance, the Methodists, they do baptize if it's
requested; I understand. Or maybe the--a Catholic, I think they sprinkle only.
So then, if a man heard something about being immersed in the water, well, he
didn't understand that; he was raised Catholic, so He goes up to the priest and
said, "Father, I understand that we're supposed to be baptized by
immersing. What does our church say about that?" "Why, it says that we're to be sprinkled. “Now, if that church is his ultimate, that settles
it. All strife is over. The church said so, and that's all.”
[48] What if the--if a Baptist brother heard us
say that we believe in being baptized by immersing, he'd say, "I believe
that,"--and in the Name of Jesus Christ. Now, this member of the church
goes back to the pastor and says, "Pastor, I heard a fellow say to me that
we should be baptized by immersing all right, but in the Name of Jesus
Christ." "Well," he'd
say, "now, let us see. Why, here the book says that we're to be baptized
using Father, Son, Holy Ghost. “If that
church is the ultimate, that settles it. He don't care about what anything else
says; that's his ultimate.”
[50]
Well, every denomination is an ultimate
to their believers. But to me and to the ones that I hope that I'm leading
to Christ, and by Christ, the Bible
is our Ultimate. No matter... 'Cause God said, "Let every man's word
be a lie, and Mine Truth." And I
believe that the Bible is God's Ultimate. No matter what anyone else says,
It's the Ultimate. The Bible is not a book of systems. No, sir. It is not a
book of systems, nor a code of morals.
The Bible is not a book of systems, so many systems and so forth. No, sir! It is not a book of morals. No, sir, It
is not. Nor is It a book of history altogether, or neither is It a book of
theology, for It is the revelation of
Jesus Christ. Now, if you'd like to read that, you who have your papers,
marking it down, that's Revelation 1:1-3
Is... The Bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ.
[51]
Let us just read it while we got the time. I believe my... Haven't got too many
notes here to speak from. If the Lord tarries, why, we'll try to get from
them... The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave to him, to show to his servants things which must shortly come
to pass; and he sent and signified... by his angel to his servant John: Who bare record of the Word of God, and...
the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that
hear the word of this prophecy, and keep the things which are written therein:
for the time is at hand.
[52] So
the Bible is the complete revelation of Jesus Christ, and It was wrote by
prophets, Hebrews 1:1, "God, Who in sundry times spake to the
fathers by the prophets, in this last day speaks to us through His Son, Jesus
Christ,” which was the prophets, all of them put together. Jesus was
Malachi; Jesus was Jeremiah, Isaiah, Elijah. All that they were, were in Him.
And all that you are, and all I am, is in Him: Words, witnesses of the Word. So
It is not a book of systems, a code of moral ethics, neither is It a history
book, or a book of theology. It is not. But
It's the revelation of Jesus Christ: God Himself revealed from Word to
flesh. That's what It is. The Bible is the Word, and God is the flesh. God is
the Word, rather, and Jesus being the flesh,
It's a revelation how God, the Word, was manifested in human flesh and revealed
to us. And that's why He becomes a Son of God. He is a part of God. You understand?
Now here we
begin to focus down on Christ Revealed
in His Own Word, and we see that brother Branham tells us that the
Bible is the complete revelation of Jesus Christ. And it is interesting
that the Bible is also the ultimate or absolute for Christian Living. Now
another thing I want to bring out here that brother Branham said and that is
this, he said, in quoting the Book of Revelations, “Blessed is he that readeth, and
they that hear the word of this prophecy, and keep the things which are written
therein.”
And so we see
that we are not only blessed by God for reading, but for hearing the Word of
God as well. We know according tot he Book of Romans that “Faith cometh by hearing and
hearing of the Word of God.” But we also see that we receive the
Blessing of God when we read and hear the Word of God. So then we are double
blessed by receiving this absolute into our lives. Now stop and think of that.
God speaks to us and we hear it or read what He has to say and in doing so we
receive His Divine Blessing.
There are so many
people who long to be Blessed by God,
and they would pay large sums of money in order to obtain a Blessing from God.
This is how the Catholic Hierarchy have gotten away with selling their so
called Blessings for a couple thousand years. People long to be blessed by God.
They call Mary Blessed. They call her the blessed mother and things like that
and because she was blessed, they think if she is blessed then if they go to
her maybe some of those blessings will rub off. But that is not how it works.
Jesus said that those who would hear his word and obey it are actually more
blessed than Mary was. [[Luke 11:28]
But did you know
that all God asks for us to do to receive His Divine Blessings is to read and
hear what He has to say and we will receive His Divine Blessing upon our life.
It is just that simple. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that
hear the word of this prophecy, and keep the things which are written therein.”
Now what is this
blessing that we are to receive. What is the Blessing of God any way? The word Blessing or blessed that is used here in this scripture comes from a Greek
word Makarios which simply means to
be well
off, fortunate and happy. Fortunate and happy are you who readeth, and heareth
the words of the prophecy of this book.
[James 1:25]
[Eph 1:3] First of all we see that God
Himself is blessed and then we are blessed. He is fortunate and Happy and then
we are as well, for as he is in this world so shall we be...
[Romans 4:8] [John 20:29] [Luke
14:15] [Luke 14:12-14] [Luke 12:37-38,
42-44] [Luke 7:23]
[Luke 6:20-22] [Matt 5:3-11] [James 1:12]