Christ is the Mystery no 156

Rejected

Brian Kocourek

 

John 6:60 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61  When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?  62  What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64  But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. 70  Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71  He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. John 7:1  After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

 

This evening I would like to take our thoughts from various quotes from brother Branham's sermon Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed. He talks about how we are to come to the place that we are more than willing to walk alone with Christ. In fact we become so much like him, that it is not our separating ourselves from others, but we are so one with Christ that we become odd to others. We become rejected by others just like Christ Himself, was so One with His Father that he became a rejected King.

 

In order to do a thorough review of this Bible principle, we will have to take many examples throughout Scripture, and not only Scripture but throughout the history of the church just so we can nail down this principle.

 

But before we do let's bow our heads in a word of Prayer.

 

Now, let me read a few quotes from Christ is the Mystery beginning with pp. 100 "Now, down through the ages He has been slowly unfolding this mystery. Can you see now? Now, down through the... how that He... What happened in the prefigure now? He opened Adam's side and took part of his flesh, which was Adam, to make Eve. The Bride has to be the Word, for He is the Word. She cannot stand on creeds; She cannot stand on denomination; She cannot stand on good behavior; She has to stand alone on the Word, because She's part of It; She was taken from Christ. See?

 

NOtice he tells us here that she must come to the place where she will be willing to stand alone on the Word if she has to. Now let's go to paragraph 222 and read some more.

222 "Listen. Listen close now. I want you not to fail to get this. No other church, no other sign, no other fellowship, no other government, no other testimony, no other creed, no denomination is accepted outside of this. God accepts nothing else but that. Christ in you, the hope of glory the only thing that God recognizes. No fellowship, no church, no creed, no denomination, no nothing; everything else is dead. Its fragments that has to be cut off, pruned off away from the thing that Christ might live with preeminences in you. Not referring back... I got one laying here that says, "It's my organization..." That's got to be cut off too. "I got my so-and-so here; this says this." "My mother will tell me I'm a holy-roller." That's got to be cut off too. See? "Well, I know my husband wants me to wear these shorts." That's got to be cut off too. See? It's got to be cut off and pruned till there's just you and Christ alone. See? Um. Think.

 

Notice, it is not as though you are totally alone, because he promised to be with us always. But you are alone with Christ, you and Christ alone. And this is the condition every believer that will receive the  rapture must come to. Because the Rapture is not a whole group it's individuals, I'll take one here and one there. Two in the bed and one is taken the other is left. Two in the field and one is taken and one is left. So this condition of being so One with Christ that you and He stand alone will be a universal condition, but with individuals only, not with a group.

 

Your attitude will have to be the same attitude that was in Christ. You will have to be willing to stand alone with Christ and His Word, no mater what the church says, no matter what father, mother, sister, brother say. Because Jesus said who ever is not willing to walk alone with Him is not worthy of His Kingdom.

 

Matthew 10:32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41  He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

 

Now, let's skip ahead to paragraph 291 Oh, the devil's howling about this. The manifested truth of the promise of the Word in Her alone... They don't have the answer. When Jesus come, why didn't those Pharisees...? He said, "If I cast out devils by the finger of God, who do you cast them out by?" He stood alone, and His Church stands alone. She's not hooked with nothing. But He was identified by God, being the body that God dwelled in, and the Church is identified by His Body doing the same thing. She is His Body, the manifested Truth of His promised Word for the last days. And She and She alone stands by it. That's why the devil is howling, these great organizations set up something to close her up. They'll never do it. She'll be taken up, not closed up.

 

Ok, so that settles the question, will they close the churches before we go. He says here "no". She goes up, not closed up. Then who are closed up? Those who are left behind, when the tribulation settles in. But notice as he stands outside the church knocking, and has been put out of the church, I believe she will also. Because every ministry that was used by God throughout the ages, came down to the wire where that ministry was rejected and put out of the churches.

 

So let's go back to the first ministry that God used in a mighty way and see how the people respected that ministry. We'll take a look at Moses, and we all know what mighty miracles God did by His hand, and yet the people still murmured against him.

 

Exodus 17:3  And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 4  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

 

Now, remember the people were supposed to stone those who were cursed, so you see the hearts of the people how they would curse the One God sent to lead them.

 

Leviticus 24:23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

Numbers 15:35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. 36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

And so when they stoned Stephen they took him outside the city and there stoned him exactly like Leviticus said, because they thought he was a cursed because he claimed Jesus was the Messiah.

 

And they also tried to do this with Jesus as well. John 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

John 10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33  The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34  Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35  If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36  Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37  If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38  But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. 39  Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, 40  And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. 41  And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. 42  And many believed on him there.

 

Spoken word original seed 62-0318E P:158 Listen, ...God's messengers always has been rejected. You believe that? Moses was rejected. Is that right? Jesus was rejected. And Luke said in 10:16 (if you want to write that down, all right)--rejected; I Samuel 8:7, God's message was rejected. God had a messenger, a prophet called Samuel. You believe it? Rejected him and his message, they took the world. This is the law of God. This is going... I don't know whether to say this or not. This is a law of God. God's law is to receive a vindicated servant. Let's just prove that a minute. I want to take one of the Scriptures here: John 13:20. Let's just see; I got something wrote down here, I just--kind of, I get in my mind just then. Oh yeah, here you are. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receives whosoever I send receives me; and he that receives me receives him that sent me. A vindicated servant... Oh, brother, there's a thousand sermons laying right here now. See? That's right. Oh, my, it's a law of God; receive it.

 

So they rejected Samuel, and in rejecting him they rejected God. But haven't men always rejected God in rejecting the ones God sent?

 

1 Samuel 8:6  But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 7  And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8  According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

 

Children in the wilderness 47-1123 P:31 Notice. They're going down in there, how perfect it was with the Scriptures. How Joseph, the younger son, rejected of his brethren: Christ, rejected of His brethren. He wore a coat of seven colors, Joseph. And the seven colors, of course, represented seven colors in the rainbow, which was a covenant. And God always has His covenant people.

 

Revelation chapter one 60-1204M P:115 And what did they do to Joseph? They pretended he was dead, and they throwed him into a ditch. Took a bloody coat of seven colors that his father...There's only seven colors in the rainbow. And the rainbow, we know what the... We get to it a little later, I think, tonight. The rainbow over Him here, Jesus, where He's to look upon as jasper and sardis stone, and a rainbow. A rainbow is a covenant. And that was God's covenant upon Joseph. And then they, blood--brought it on his coat and took it back to the father, and he was supposed to be as dead.

 

Oh, my, they thought they could get rid of Joseph and his covenant with his father, his brothers did that to him, and that covenant of seven rainbow colors his father had given him they cut it up and bloodied it, and tried to destroy the covenant between his father and him, because of pure jealousy, and so do they today. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He couldn't help that he had been a loyal obedient son and his Father honored him with the rainbow covenant. Yes, remember when the son was adopted and placed into his position in the family he was given a special covenant coat. And Joseph's coat of many colors, (and many means seven see Isaiah 4:1) representing the covenant God had with His Sons. And that coat, that symbol of the covenant of His acceptance by His father caused them to be jealous because they did not know God's plan for the hour, so they tried to destroy him because they were jealous. Now, God doesn't change and people don't change either.

 

And then we find Jesus speaking of His rejection in Mark 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

 

Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

 

Luke 17:25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

 

Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

 

Mark 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

 

The religious circles have always rejected the ones that God sent to them to bring the Word of correction to them. Why? To prove they are bastard born and not true sons, for the Scripture teaches, in Hebrews 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

 

And if we are standing true on God's Word we could not expect any different treatment now could we?

 

John 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.  20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22  And the glory which thou gavest me (your doxa, your opinions, your values, and your judgments) I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25  O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26  And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

 

From his sermon, Present stage of my ministry 62-0908 p. 52. Brother Branham said, "I say this. When a man stands true to the Word, not just in one meeting, but in every meeting, when a man stands true to the Word, the time will come when they'll leave him. Exactly. They did it. They did it to our Lord. They'll leave him when he stands for Truth. "All men has forsaken me."  

 

2 Timothy 4:6  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 9  Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: 10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 11  Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. 12  And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. 13  The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. 14  Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: 15  Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.  16  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. 17  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18  And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 19  Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20  Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick. 21  Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren. 22  The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

 

Present stage of my ministry - 62-0908. P. 53 All men had forsaken him.  54. How I think of that, how a servant that'll stand true to the Word, sooner or later, just remember, the people are going to forsake him. Now, we want to strike that just for a few minutes, and I won't keep you too long now, 'cause I want you here in the morning. Always when God's servant stands true to the Word, all forsake him. Now, just take anywhere you want to, anytime in the Bible or in history, that when a man stayed true, no matter how popular he was, when he stayed true to the Word, the time come when the religious world forsaken him and cut him off. Now, just read it as you take the Bible from Genesis over to the Book of Revelation, and pick up in the Pre-Nicene Council and take down to the Nicene Fathers, and every man, every saint, every prophet, every true servant of God that stayed with the Word, was forsaken by the ecclesiastical thing and cast down. And Paul was one of them.  55. And if there'd be one today, it'd be the same thing. It's exactly the truth. You have to hit that place. It has to come. They think that a man that would have a ministry like that, he ought to have the world right under his thumb. He should, but they won't come under his thumb. See? And a man like that wouldn't put a ministry, a world under his thumb; he'd put it under His Master's thumb; 'cause he's not here representing himself; he's representing his Master.  56. You know, man try to seek honor one from another, and they honor one another, and dishonor God by doing so. See? We try and make big people among us, and when we're no big people and little people; we're all little people. There's only one big One among us, and that's our Lord. See?

 

We all know the history of Martin Luther and John Wesley. Luther was excommunicated from the catholic church even though he never set out to leave the church, he set out to bring correction by the Word of God, but he was rejected by the very church that God sent him to straighten out.

 

And what about Wesley? He had to resort to open air meetings to hold his crowds because the churches shut him out. He preached holiness so much that the churches were uncomfortable with his words, and resorted to kicking him our before he even finished his sermons.

 

From Reformed Reflections, we read, "After his dramatic conversion, John Wesley brought the Gospel to regions where it was previously unknown. Amid markets, fairgrounds and coal-pits he boldly proclaimed the message of salvation. The reaction was fierce. Wesley and followers were persecuted and scorned by the Church, press and mob, by magistrates and "elite." Although Wesley was an ordained clergyman of the Church of England, he was prevented from preaching in his own denomination. Many of his erstwhile colleagues regularly used to shower their anathema over his head. What many people found disturbing was the Methodist "lay" preachers. They seemed at once to be a challenge to the established church and a challenge to society."

 

"The 18th century was an age of satire. In plays and novels Wesley and the Methodist preachers were shown as religious fanatics or whining hypocrites, in popular prints, as the deceivers and exploiters of their flocks. Because he was shut out almost entirely from the pulpits of his church, Wesley organized societies to provide training for converts."

 

From his sermon, Church Choosing Law for Grace March 16th 1961 brother Branham said, "A man who ever amounts to anything is a man that stands alone, him and God alone, that's the man. On the Jericho Road there's room for just two, no more and no less, just Jesus and you, that's all.  And so that's the way we have to walk this narrow way. Every man that ever did anything for God walked the same road, that's right, criticized, forsaken, cast out, through all ages, all times, they had to suffer the same thing. So we are just like they are, same thing, we have to stand it alone. But never alone,  He's always there."

 

Let us pray