Doctrine no 17
What it is and What
it will do for you
Brian Kocourek, June 14th
We have
been speaking on Doctrine for the past 16 sermons and six weeks, and as we come
to a close on our subject, I would like to ask several questions.
So what is
Doctrine? we know the Bible defines the logos as Word
or doctrine, and we know William Branham said Christ is the doctrine. But what
does the word doctrine actually mean?
The dictionary defines doctrine as: a body or
system of teachings relating to a particular subject.
John 7:14-18 14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went
up into the temple, and taught. 15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having
never learned? 16 Jesus
answered them, and said, My doctrine is not
mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do
his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh
his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. It is instruction in
righteousness, it is teaching, and it is the Word of God. The word logos actually means teaching or doctrine.
Therefore,
unless you understand the Doctrine of Christ His doctrine which he said was not
His own, he did not author it, but He got it from His Father who is God, and
unless you die to self and to all your religious ambition, you will never
understand the Doctrine of Christ. Because it is not about you, Nor is it about William
Branham, Nor is it about Lee Vayle, but Jesus said it is from the father and it
is about the father.
And Jesus
tells us in verse 17 If any man will do his will, (He's talking about
the will of God, then) he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
So the very
first thing in order to understand the doctrine of Christ is to know what the will of God is, and then to do the will of God as
Jesus suggests here.
And you
can't even get to first base until you have been born again. That is why we
have so much unbelief in this Message. Because men are not born again and they
are trying to understand the things of God by understanding English words and
their meaning, and thinking that if they know the words being spoken, then they
have it when they don't have it.
That is why
brother Vayle said to me, "brian,
they got it but they don't got it."
Paul said
in 1 Corinthians
Then he
says in verse 14 But the natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned. Or in other words, the
reason the natural man, which is a man who is not born again, the reason he can
not understand the things of God is because it takes the indwelling Holy Spirit
to understand the things of God, and without the Holy Spirit indwelling your
being, there is no way you can understand the things of God.
Therefore, the first thing to
understand concerning thee Doctrine of Christ is that there is no way for you
to even get to first base in understanding the things of God unless you have
the same spirit as the composer of the word of God. You must be born of the
same Spirit as the one who wrote the Word.
And Jesus
said, If any man will do God's will, he
shall know of the doctrine, whether
it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
And Paul
said you can't even know what His will is unless you are born again. And then
this same Apostle told us in Colossians that unless God is working in you to
will and to do, you haven't got a chance at even knowing the will and then to
do it.
So Jesus
says you've got to know God's will and then do it and then you will know the
Doctrine of Christ. And the Apostle Paul comes along and says, not only that
but unless you have the same spirit as the composer you will never even
understand his will to do it.
So that is
number one if you are to know the doctrine of Christ, get born again.
Next the
Apostle Paul tells us 2 Timothy
So understanding
the Doctrine of Christ has one purpose behind it, and he says that the doctrine
with all it's reproofs and correction and instructions
in right-wise-ness is to produce one thing. It is to equip
us to do the works of Christ which he calls good works.
Then what
if you think we do not need to do the good works, or
the works of Christ because brother Branham did them and you are counting on
that?
Well, that
tells me one thing. You do not understand the doctrine of Christ, because if
you understood the relationship between God and His obedient son, you would
understand that the entire doctrine of Christ shows us how the son of God was
obedient to God in everything, and that he never did anything of himself but
what the father showed him to do, and what the
Father did, the son did likewise. So in essence the doctrine of
Christ is John 14:12. God doing the
works and then Jesus doing the same works that God did. That even
sounds like John
And all
works that The father did Jesus also did, and Jesus said, if you are a true spirit filled believer,
then you will also do what I do. And I was obedient to my Father in all things.
That is how we manifest as sons of God.
That is how we are conformed to the image of the first born son. That is how we
are made ready for adoption. And that is how we will be ready to fulfill all
Scriptures that are for the bride of Christ in this hour.
It's not
about you doing, it's about seeing Him doing and you stepping into what God is doing when He asks you to step into it. Because it is not
about you, It's all about Him. "For it
is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13
Then in Titus 2:1-15 The Apostle Paul tells us that we
must "speak thou the things which become sound
doctrine:" This word sound means to be uncorrupted. To speak uncorrupted doctrine. In other words, do not add to
it and do not take away from it. And that means you will not try to shove
square pegs into round holes. You will not try to make everything fit with your
doctrine if it does not fit, then just let it alone. Put it on the shelf until
you do know and understand.
Too many
try to fight what they have no clue what they are fighting. Men right in this
Message would stand around and call the "parousia of
Christ" false doctrine, and when asked what the Parousia
was, not one of
them knew what it was they were condemning.
Now, that
is not very sound. In fact that shows their doctrine was corruptible, because
they were blaspheming the very Spirit they claimed to worship and saying His
presence was false doctrine. Not even knowing what they were saying. and that is no different than the jews
who put Jesus to death and yet claiming to believe God would send Messiah, but
when God sent him they crucified the very one God promised. And why was that?
Because the hated the God that manifested in Him. And why did they hate the God
that manifested in Jesus? Because he condemned them for their
hypocrisy.
Imagine
that. Only a hypocrite would condemn to death the very one he claimed to
believe, love and serve.
And God
said how he would bring forth His doctrine. Deuteronomy
32: 1-2 1 Give ear, O ye
heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 My
doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the
small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
And we see it in
fulfillment in Acts 2: 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine
and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon
every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
So the
doctrine must go before the signs and wonders can come. Now, this is
not what identifies a prophet, but this is how the signs and wonders came to
the first church and every genuine church down through the ages.
From his sermon Smyrnaean church age 60-1206 P:8 said, “Another thing that I'd like
to read you, it's found in the book: "How Did It Happen?" by R. C. Hazeltine, the history of the early churches. And here on
page 180, "The spiritual Gifts In
Irenaeus' Time, A.D. 177 to 202." Now, the reason I'm quoting this,
it's going on tape (You see?), and
it'll be taken off on books." It
was in Irenaeus' time that most of the apostolic
So we see the importance of teaching the Scripture
and expecting to see results from what we teach. As brother Vayle always said,
"you preach for results", and that is exactly
what brother Branham said in this quote we just read.
so then we come to point
number II) What does doctrine do for you?
Brother
Branham said in His message "ISRAEL
From ENTICING SPIRITS he said "We preach
doctrine to keep the
people lined up.'
From " 3 KINDS OF BELIEVERS" he said, As long as he was healing the sick, everything was OK, but
when he began to preach his doctrine, well...the doctrine is what separated
the chaff from the wheat.
And finally
he said, men who have the scriptures and know the teachings and doctrine but
only know it by a mental conception rather than by revelation,
that is the doctrine of Cain.
The
Scriptures tells us that the doctrine nourishes you and keeps you from falling.
1 Timothy 4:1-6 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils.
Notice it is unsound doctrine that causes people to
fall away from The revelation of Jesus Christ.
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For
every creature of God is good, and nothing to be
refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For
it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 6 If thou
put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister
of Jesus Christ,
nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto
thou hast attained.
So Paul
tells us that Good doctrine will nourish you up.
Now the word nourish means: to sustain you with food or nutriment;
to supply what is necessary for Life, health and growth. To not only keep you
alive, but to strengthen you and build you up as in building you up into the
stature or character of Christ as Paul talked about in Ephesians 4.
Then Paul
also tell us the doctrine will
save you.
1 Timothy 4:13-16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine;
continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and
them that hear thee. Now, the
Greek word for save Paul used here "sozo" not only means to save you, but to protect you, but it also means to
"deliver or protect (literally or
figuratively): to heal, to preserve, to
do well, to be made whole or complete.
The same
Apostle tells us in Romans 6:17-18 That the sound doctrine will
Set you free.
Romans 6:17-18 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free
from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
And how
does sound doctrine make you free from sin? Because sin is unbelief, and sound
doctrine answers every question you have concerning who you are, where you come
from and where you are going. Unsound doctrine is destructive and pits one
against the other. Brother Branham called that the acids of malice and
bitterness.
In
his sermon, Fellowship by redemption 55-0403 P:55 brother Branham tells us how false doctrines like those the
Pentecostals brought in lead to divisiveness, bitterness and malice. "The Pentecostal people has went after
initial evidence, speaking in tongues, and shouting, and something. Them's all right, but you've
left the real thing out. For it's proved that you can't love God, and
hate at the same time. Bitter and sweet water won't come from the same
fountain. You can't have speaking in tongues and Divine
healing in the church, and still envy and strife and malice and hatred. You
can't do it. It won't mix. God will pull it out just as sure as the
world. Got to come back. That's what happened to the church. You say,
"Are you against speaking in tongues? And..." No,
sir. I'm for it. It's God's Word. But I see where the
church has went off on a bunch of fandango stuff and
has never come back, never has had recognized, yet, the... 'Cause
they do these things, and malice and hatred and strife, mixing the same...
And oil and water won't mix. See what I mean? Let's come back.
So what is
he saying here? It was churches setting their doctrine above love,
that led to hate. It is using doctrine to destroy that negates the works
of Christ in the church. Oh, God if the church isn't there now, God help us.
Again in 1 Corinthians 14:6 we
hear Paul tell us that doctrine is to profit you in the things of God. Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking
with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you
either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
So we see
that sound doctrine is to profit the church, not to tear it down, but to build
it up.
III ) Not just any doctrine will do. It must be
God's own doctrine, His own teaching.
John 6:44-45
44 No man can come to me, except the Father
which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the
prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that
hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
2 John 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those
things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
9 Whosoever
transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath echoes not God. He that
abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath echoes both the Father and the Son.
So if you
are echoing what both the father and son says, then
you are getting your doctrine from Father and son. because
Jesus said he got His doctrine from the father as well.
Hebrews 13:1-9 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Be not
forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember
them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and
them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
4 Marriage is honourable
in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.5 Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath
said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that
we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I
will not fear what man shall do unto me. 7 Remember them which have
the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith
follow, considering the end of their conversation. 8 Jesus
Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 9 Be
not carried about with divers (that
means various different sorts of doctrine) and
strange (novel or entertaining) doctrines. For it is a good thing that the
heart be established with grace; not with meats,
which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
So even
though strong meat belongs to them that are of age, yet he says it is better to
have your doctrine seasoned with grace. keep it
simple, and few. Focus on the only doctrine spoken of in scripture that if you
have this doctrine you have God, and that is the doctrine of Christ. As brother
Branham said in 15 different sermons, "we
should have no doctrine but Christ, no law but Love, and no book but the Bible",
and that keeps it simple.
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
The Expanded translation puts it this way: 14 Then we will no longer be ·babies [children]. We will not be tossed
about like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will
not be ·influenced by every new teaching [L carried
along by every wind of (false) teaching] we hear from people who are
trying to ·fool [trick] us. They ·make plans[scheme] and try any kind of trick to fool people into following ·the
wrong path [error; false teaching].
1 Timothy 1:1-7 Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord
Jesus Christ, which is our hope; 2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went
into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some
that they teach no other doctrine, 4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies,
which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. 5 Now the end of
the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of
a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From
which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7 Desiring
to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof
they affirm.
Oh, brother
if this message isn't full of them. everybody wants to
be a teacher, and there is more confusion than ever before. Why? The tapes are
the same as they were when brother Branham was here, so what caused it. Those desiring to be teachers.
Anointed ones at end time 65-0725M P:31 Notice.
The same anointing water brings forth the wheat, brings forth the weed. The
same Holy Spirit that anoints the church, that gives them desire to save souls,
that gives them power to perform miracles, It falls on the unjust the same as
the just: the very same Spirit. Now, you can't make it another way and
understand Matthew
24:24. He said,
"There shall rise false christs," false anointed ones, anointed
with the genuine thing, but be false prophets of it, false teachers of
it. What would make a man want to be a false teacher of something that's
Truth? Now, and we'll get down to the mark of the beast in a few minutes,
you'll see it's denomination. See, see? False
teachers, false anointed, anointed christs,
but false teachers. It's the only way you can see it.
Romans
Matthew 16:6-12 6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take
heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 7 And
they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is
because we have taken no bread. 8 Which
when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little
faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 9 Do ye not yet understand,
neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye
took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of
the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake
it not to you
concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of
the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how
that he bade them not beware of the leaven of
bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Why beware
the Doctrine of the Pharisees? Because he calls their doctrine leaven, because
just a little keeps getting bigger and bigger all the time like leaven does to
bread. And after all The word of God is the bread of
Life, but injected false doctrine pollutes the whole mass making it look bigger
and better but destroys the loaf.
2 Timothy 4:1-4 I charge thee therefore before God,
and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his
appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season,
out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And
they shall turn away their ears from the truth,
and shall be turned unto fables.
Notice they
will not endure, they will not put up with sound doctrine. Sound meaning
uncorrupted. They don't want it the way the prophet said it, they want to enbelish it, puff it up, make it
more enticing like leaven does to bread.
IV) That is why it is so important to mark those who are preaching
true doctrine and those who are not.
Brother
Vayle told me before he left the scene, "brian, preach the life, not so much the doctrine any more, we
know the doctrine but preach the life, that is what we need."
And Look how Paul placed doctrine with the life. Coequal to it because the doctrine of Christ is supposed to produce
the Life of Christ in the believers.
Paul said
in 2 Timothy
1 Timothy
Titus 1:6-11 6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife,
having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a
bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled,
not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given
to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover
of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word
as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort
and to convince the gainsayers. 10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,
specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths
must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought
not, for filthy lucre's sake.
Isaiah 28:8-13
8 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that
there is no place clean. 9 Whom shall
he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to
understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and
drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be
upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a
little, and there a little: 11 For with stammering lips
and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye
may cause the weary to rest; and this is the
refreshing: yet they would not hear.
And I would
like to read verse 13 from the NIV.So then, the word of the Lord to them will become: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there— so that as they go they will fall backward;they
will be injured and snared and captured.
Matthew 7:15-28 15 Beware of false prophets, which
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits.
(and Brother
Branham taught us the fruit Jesus is referring to here is their teaching for
the season, that's their doctrine. That's how you know men. do
they have sound doctrine or unsound doctrine.) Do
men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even
so every good tree
bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit (corruptible doctrine). 18 A good
tree cannot bring forth evil fruit (corruptible doctrine), neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit
(Doctrine). 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit (doctrine) is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore
by their fruits (doctrine)
ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out
devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works? 23 And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these
sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;
and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And
every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be
likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And
the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that
house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 28 And it
came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at
his doctrine:
Luke 4:31-32 31 And came down to
let us pray