Faith no 56

Faith in God's promise concerning His Five Fold Ministry

part 3 God Working in the Ministry

December 27, 2017

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

As you know, we have been studying on the topic of Faith for the past 56 sermons, what it is, how it works, and to whom it is given. And then within this series on Faith we have looked at the faith it takes to receive a True Five Fold Ministry for the past three sermons.

In our series, we have shown you that Br. Branham defined Faith as a revelation, something that has been revealed to you. We also have shown you that according to the Apostle Paul there is only One Lord and One Faith. And of course that one Faith is the Faith of that One Lord, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Now, this morning I would like to point out to you that this Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of our Faith, and in fact our Faith in Jesus Christ and His Word is our foundational Faith, for it is the foundation of our entire life and being.

Stature of a perfect man 62-1014M P:57 What is the foundation of Christianity? Faith in the Word of God. That's your foundation. Then you begin to grow. Then you start. You begin to add to this foundation.

Therefore, we must understand how that God brings this faith to us in order to understand what makes up the foundation of our Faith.

In the book of Galatians the Apostle Paul tell us Galatians 1:6 "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: The Greek word is heteros, which means of a different nature. Then the Apostle says, 7 Which is not another; (this word is allos meaning a different one altogether, and he says it is not an allos, it is not a totally different Gospel that you have moved into but a perverted version of the genuine) but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

So you see he is warning us that there be some who would pervert the Gospel of Christ. And then he warns us severely by saying, 8 But though we, (meaning, even himself is included in what he is about to say) or even an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have already preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Notice the severity of this warning, because he gives the warning even to himself, and even to any messenger from heaven who would come with a word that differs from what he had already laid out for us. And so it matters not if an angel comes down from heaven, or if a prophet comes on the scene, if anyone teaches contrary to what the Apostle Paul taught as the foundation of our Faith, then we are commanded not to give ear to that person.

Notice then what the apostle Paul says next in verse... 9  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man "preach" any gospel unto you other than that which you have already received, let him be accursed.

So to be more specific, the warning is against any man who would "preach" anything other than what Paul had already preached, he will be cursed.

Now, you do not have to be a five-fold minister to qualify for this curse. And you do not have to be a preacher to preach. And the synonym for preach is advocate, profess, pronounce, or expound. Therefore, I believe there are many, many times more men who are not preachers that will be found guilty of expounding untruth than there will be found preachers.

Now, I know people in this message who are against preachers, and want to blame the preachers for all the ills they have seen within the message. And I will agree that many preachers will be found guilty, but Paul is not just speaking to preachers here. He said "any man". yet they themselves are guilty of advocating, professing, pronouncing, and expounding things which are contrary to what Paul taught. So it doesn't have to be a preacher. Paul didn't say any preacher who preaches contrary, he said any man who expounds other than what I expounded to be the Truth sets himself up for the curse.

The Bible version called the message puts it this way. Galatians 1:6 I can’t believe your fickleness—how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning the Message of Christ on its head. Let me be blunt: If one of us, or even if an angel from heaven! were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed. I said it once; I’ll say it again: If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed.

The Wuest translation puts it this way, "if any man comes to you and preaches for the good news a message which goes beyond the limits of what you have heard from me, let he be accursed".

So what Paul is talking about here is that there are limits or parameters that define our doctrine, and anyone who ventures beyond those limits will be under the curse.

The Apostle John tells us the same thing in 2 John 8-11 "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have worked for, but that we receive a full reward. 9  Whosoever transgresseth, (or goes beyond the limits) and abideth not (or does not remain) in the doctrine of Christ, hath (echoes) not God. He that abideth (or remains) in the doctrine of Christ, he hath (echoes) both the Father and the Son. 10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Now, we have heard from the apostle Paul and the apostle John that the doctrine of Christ has limitations to it. and the word transgress means to go beyond the limits and therefore you do not remain in the confines of the doctrine itself.

10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11  But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, to better understand the scope of the Five Fold ministry, let's once again go to what Paul spells out beginning with Ephesians 4:11 And he (God) gave some to be apostles; and some to be prophets; and some to be evangelists; and some to be pastors and teachers; What for? 12 For the perfecting (or maturing) of the saints, That's the first and foremost reason God gives us for sending his predestinated gifts to the church, is to bring the saints to the place of maturity in their walk. And then he adds, "for the work of the ministry, (and we will talk about that in a little while, because that is what each of the five different gifts to the church is supposed to do. Thirdly) for the edifying (or the building up) of the body of Christ: (Ok, so there are three things, 1) to bring the saints to maturity in the Faith, 2) to do the work associated with their calling, and 3) to build up the church And this will go on until) 13 Till we all come in the unity of The faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

So we see the purpose of the Five Fold ministry is to establish saints in the faith. To give them the necessary foundation to build upon, which means they are to preach the doctrine of Christ, the Faith of Christ to the people until the people are thoroughly grounded and settled in the Faith which is the revelation of Jesus Christ.

No where does the bible tells us the purpose of the True Five Fold minister is to push a button to play a recoding. And to teach that is teaching false doctrine.

From The Stature of a perfect man 62-1014M P:61 brother Branham said, "Now, here's what we do. What's the first thing? Have faith and be born again; that's laying the foundation. Then after we lay the foundation, secondly, you add to your foundation. "Add to your faith," Peter said here. Add to your... First you have faith, then you add virtue to your faith. This is the next column. First pour your foundation: faith. Then to your faith add virtue. Now, right there knocks a lot of us down. Yes, sir. Yes, add virtue to your faith. That doesn't just mean living a virgin life, you know, like a woman or man, and so forth. That doesn't have nothing to do with that. The Bible said... We read over here in the Book of Luke where it said, "Virtue went out of Him." Is that right? If we're going to be like Him, we must have virtue then. We must have it to be like Him.

Stature of a perfect man 62-1014M P:63 Now, first you must have faith. Faith alone won't do it. You've got... Peter said, "Then add virtue to your faith." You must have virtue in order to add it to your faith. Now, then... It might be the reason you don't have it, because many churches of today teach you don't have to have it, or the days of it's passed. They don't have to have it. Only thing you have to do is just join church. "Yeah, days has passed." Virtue, anyone knows what the word "virtue" means (See?), and we must have it. If virtue went from Him to heal the woman that was sick, He's expecting the same virtue in His church, because He was our Example. And if He had virtue to give to the people, He expects us to have virtue to give to the people. And what is virtue? "Virtue" is "strength, power." Some of them don't even believe in power of God. They say, "That's passed. Only thing you have to do is just put your name on the book. Be sprinkled or poured, or baptized or what evermore, and that's all you have to do."But Peter said here, "Add virtue."

Now, brother Branham is speaking to us concerning what the apostle Peter wrote in...

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

Now, this virtue that the apostle Peter is speaking of here was translated as the English word virtue from the Greek word "arete" which means manliness or full maturity.

So you can see that it is not simply faith but a faith that is fully mature that God is calling us too. Children can have faith, but little understanding of what to do with it. But one who is fully mature in the faith is so seasoned in the faith that faith comes naturally to their way of thinking. In other words you do not even have to think what do I do next, you just do it.

A young child has to think of how to walk and how to keep his balance but a fully mature son it does not even enter his mind how to walk and to keep his balance, and neither does it even enter the mind of the fully mature son of God as to how he must walk and how he must conduct himself, it just comes naturally to him.

Brother Branham said in his sermon, Fundamental foundation for faith 55-0113 P:6 Now, we hear so many people say, "Well, if I only had faith." Faith doesn't mean long, drawn-out prayer meetings. It doesn't mean long fasts. Faith is an unconscious thing. Your real faith, you're unconscious of it. You don't know that the faith you have got. It's an unconscious matter with you. Could you imagine Jesus questioning whether He had faith or not to stop the winds, or still the waves, or have faith enough to raise Lazarus up? He never questioned His faith. Now, the first thing before we can have faith, we've got to have some foundation for faith. There's got to be something behind it.

Palmerworm locust caterpillar 59-0823 P:46 Now, one of the first things that I'd like to speak to you for these few minutes. After we have found out that the foundation must be original, it must go back to the foundation; it must go back to where it was the Vine. If something's wrong with it, and the Vine's not operating right, let's go back and find out what's wrong. Now, one of the first things that I'd like to mention, is that something has gone from our church; one of the main things is faith. The people don't have faith today like they had in that day. Some kind of a cankerworm of some sort has got in and eat off the lifeline of faith. They've changed it. Today their faith rests upon some kind of a big church, denomination. But Jude told us, in Jude the 3rd verse, It said: Beloved,... I gave all diligence to write unto You of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you... (I have It here before me)... and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith... (not a faith; the faith)... that was once delivered unto the saints. (That was thirty-three years before this, this faith was delivered.)

Stature of a perfect man 62-1014M P:47 Notice: you must be born again. And when you're born again, you can't be born again without having faith. That's right. So, you see on my chart here, I got the very foundation. Faith is the foundation of all of it. "For without faith it's impossible to please God": "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and a Rewarder of those that diligently seek Him." See? He must be. And when you are a skeptic of the Bible, when you're skeptic of the Word being right, you just might as well stay back until first you believe it. What is sin? Unbelief. There's only two elements that controls the human being. That's either doubt or faith, one or the other. You're possessed of one that dominates your life. Just depends on how much faith you have, how high you can rise. But first it's got to be faith. Now, let me stay on that foundation for a while.

And so we see the three elements of the Five-Fold gift to the church is first and foremost to preach the word to the people. Bringing the people to a mental recognition of the reality of the Living God, and presenting the Living Word to the people that brings them into the faith or revelation of Jesus Christ.

Notice the apostle Paul's admonition in 2 Timothy 4:2 was to "Preach the word"; That is the number one thing a five-fold minister is to do is to "preach the word."

Then after the primary purpose is to preach or teach the word, the apostle Paul then says, "be instant in season, out of season; That simply means to be present, be available to the people in season and out of season.

In other words the five-fold ministry can never retire, nor just walk away from their duties even though sometimes they wish they could run from them. That also means they don't just close down church services for any old reason, but they are to be there all the time unless called by God to travel elsewhere to preach the Gospel or the weather may be too dangerous for the people to travel the roads.

Brother Branham tells us in Blasphemous names 62-1104M P:53 "And the biggest part of our faith is mental faith. By hearing the Word it brings us to a mental recognition of God. But if this coming from above, oh, brother, if it ever strikes this, there is a godly, spiritual faith. Then what does that faith do? That faith recognizes only the Word. No matter what anything else says, it only recognizes the Word, because "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (And the Word's still God.) And the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us." And when the word Itself is pouring into our faith, our mental faith becomes a spiritual revelation. "And upon this foundation I'll build My Church," (See?), not upon a mental conception of church joining, a mental conception of that, but upon the revelation. When them streams of grace has poured into that mental faith that you've got, then upon this, a spiritual revelation, "I'll build My Church and the gates of hell can't prevail against it." See? That shows they would be against it, but it'll never prevail. Oh, what a glorious thing.

Therefore, the ministry's main purpose is to preach the word, and be available to explain to the people the revelation of Jesus Christ in order for the people to come to a mental understanding first, so that the Holy Spirit may come down and anoint or quicken that mental understanding, making it a divine revelation.

Expectancy 53-1108E P:9 And if you come expecting to get help from God, God will meet your expectancy. He always does. Wherever you go, whatever you do, what you expect brings your faith. If you come saying, "Well, there's nothing to it," that's just the way you'll go back home, with nothing to it. If you come tonight saying, "Well, if I don't get prayed for, I'll go home and won't be healed," that's just the way you'll go. If you come here tonight saying, "I come for one sole purpose, that is to contact Christ for my body or my soul," you'll go home just as happy as you can be, for you'll contact Him. Now, no matter what the opposition looks like, Christ is the answer. Faith brings Christ. Notice, could you remember? Eighty years old, white beard, white hair, and yet the old man went around telling people that he wasn't going to die until he seen the Lord's Christ. What a beautiful picture of faith. Faith knows no defeat. Faith is perfect. Faith brings things when there is no things to be brought. Faith creates. Faith takes doubt away, takes negative and makes positive. How beautiful. The old man had a basis for faith. Faith is not mythical, something mentally worked up, it's an absolutely, fundamental result that happens in a persons heart. When faith is appropriated, then it is something in the person's heart. But it can't be based on, say, "Well, go touch a tree and you'll get well," or, "Pray to the post." It's got to have a foundation.

Expectancy 53-1108E P:10 Now, here it is. I want you to get it. How much more foundation could you place your faith on any level than the Word of God? What more could you put faith in? When He said, "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall never pass away."...Then it is a fact that God's Word is eternal. And the very world that we're sitting on top of tonight, is nothing more than the Word of God materialized. He spoke the Word, and said, "Let there be," and the world came into existence. All things that you see was made by faith in the spoken Word of God. God said, "Let there be," and He believed His Own Word. Well, after redemption, and a taste of God in our souls and heart, how much more ought we to base our faith on what God give us the promise for and sent Jesus to die, to redeem us to that promise. Then I look at Simeon. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he wasn't going to die until he seen the Lord's Christ. He had a basis for it. He wasn't afraid to testify. He knowed it was going to happen.

Concerning the main purpose of the Five-Fold ministry of preaching, the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

So we see that preaching brings salvation, and God has chosen a Five-Fold ministry to bring men to salvation through the preaching of the cross.

Believest thou this? 50-0716 P:2 And now, it falls my lot this afternoon to speak. A little warm under the tent. And 0'm not a preacher to begin with, but I like to talk on the Word. Faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word. That's what gives us faith. Before we can have faith, we must have a basis for faith. Isn't that right? Then if you was going to get married, you'd have... Your wife would have to tell you she loved you and how she'd be true to you. And you have her word then. And then, your faith, it just depends on how you feel about, if her word is all right or not. And that's the way we have to do by any way. By faith we have to have a background, a foundation.

Perseverant 62-0729 P:31 You've got to have faith in something. And the Bible said, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the Word of God." That bases it. Your faith has got a foundation, because God promised it."

Now what I see concerning the Five-Fold ministry is that you have believe that God is using that ministry or you will never get anything out of it. If that ministry is going to do you any good, you have got to come expecting. You just can't think that ministry should be there day in and day out, and you will receive from it whether you doubt it is from God or not, because Faith doesn't work that way. And neither do the gift of God to the church work that way. If the Five-Fold ministry is God's gift to the church, but the greatest gift is to get your own self out of the way so that God can have the preeminence, then how you approach the ministry God sends you will depend on what you get out of it.

Invasion of the USA 54-0509 P:46 I, sometimes I think of my ministry, and see people come. And I'd get in a hotel room, say, "God, who's the people coming to see, me or You?" See? "If they're coming to see me, they're lost yet; but, O God, tear me down and take me away. I want to represent You, the One Who'll stand before someday with trembling hands and trembling, feeble body, looking at You, knowing that my soul hangs by Your decision." Let us exalt Christ.

God in simplicity 63-0317M P:21 When a minister walks into a congregation of people praying in the anointing of the Spirit, you're bound to hear from heaven. That's just all. There's no way to keep from it. But if you walk into confusion, then you're so confused, the Spirit's grieved.

Then why is it that the people can have faith to believe God sent us a prophet, but they can't have faith to believe God's Word that said he would send us Apostles, Prophets, evangelists pastors and teachers.

Notice, some are Teachers because it's the Holy Ghost in them that is doing the teaching, Others are Pastors, because it is the Holy Ghost who is the Chief Shepherd in them that is shepherding. Others are sent as Apostles because it is the Holy Spirit in them that compels them to go overseas and preach the Gospel, and it is God in them preaching. And yet others work as an Evangelist because it is the Holy Spirit Evangelizing through them.

Brother Branham said in his sermon, Jesus Christ the same 56-0426 P:49 Notice, if Jesus did those things in that day, and He has raised from the dead, and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He's obligated to His Word. Now, His corporal body sets at the right hand of God. You believe that, don't you? But the Holy Spirit is here working through His sanctified vessels. (notice this is plural here) And God has set in the church what? First apostles, then prophets, then teachers, then evangelists, then pastors (Is that right?), for the perfecting of the church. God has did it. It's not the preacher that preaches; it's God preaching through him. It's not the prophet that sees the vision; it's God speaking through him. "I do nothing except the Father shows Me first what to do."

Jesus on the authority of the Word 54-0217 P:14 Always be reverent during time of the service, especially when the healing service is going on. Be open-hearted, open-minded. Just say, "Now Lord, I'm here to learn; You come teach me." See? And the Holy Spirit will teach you. If you come with a kind of a sarcastic criticism, whatever you expect to see, that's just what you'll See? If you come expecting to be just disappointed, that's the way... You'll get what you expect, always. If you come to receive, you will be expecting to receive, and you shall receive just what you expected to receive. God always does that. He's sworn to His Word. And now, maybe some things might be said that would be just a little different from your religious teachings. You might be Catholics or you might be something, other phase of religion, or some Protestant that doesn't believe in Divine healing. Whatever it is, you look at it just the way it is. Just look it from the standpoint of God's Word.

Expectancy 53-1108E P:9 And if you come expecting to get help from God, God will meet your expectancy. He always does. Wherever you go, whatever you do, what you expect brings your faith. If you come saying, "Well, there's nothing to it," that's just the way you'll go back home, with nothing to it. If you come tonight saying, "Well, if I don't get prayed for, I'll go home and won't be healed," that's just the way you'll go. If you come here tonight saying, "I come for one sole purpose, that is to contact Christ for my body or my soul," you'll go home just as happy as you can be, for you'll contact Him. Now, no matter what the opposition looks like, Christ is the answer. Faith brings Christ. Notice, could you remember? Eighty years old, white beard, white hair, and yet the old man went around telling people that he wasn't going to die until he seen the Lord's Christ. What a beautiful picture of faith. Faith knows no defeat. Faith is perfect. Faith brings things when there is no things to be brought. Faith creates. Faith takes doubt away, takes negative and makes positive. How beautiful. The old man had a basis for faith. Faith is not mythical, something mentally worked up, it's an absolutely, fundamental result that happens in a person's heart. When faith is appropriated, then it is something in the person's heart. But it can't be based on, say, "Well, go touch a tree and you'll get well," or--or, "Pray to the--the post." It's got to have a foundation.

And therefore as brother Branham said, World's Falling Apart 63-0412M P:7 our foundation of our faith lays in the written Word.

Now, the Five-Fold ministry are five gifts from God to the church.

Therefore let's read what the apostle Paul says concerning how we are to get anything from those gifts.

In Romans chapter 10 the Apostle Paul states the reason for God sending these gifts into the church.

Romans 10:14  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18  But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

In Romans 10. Paul said "How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (10:14) In other words what he is telling us here is that Even though they say they hear, they boast in vain, unless they hear true preachers; for to hear false prophets means as much as to not even hear. They hear and they do not hear; they have ears, but do not hear, nor do they preach (the Word of God). so if they are not teaching it like Paul taught it then it is another Gospel and it would be better for those who hear to not hear at all. And then in verse 15 Paul says, How shall they preach, except they be sent?

Notice what Paul says can be broken down into five statements.

1) It is impossible for those to preach who are not sent. In other words, if God didn't send the gift then the gift is not from God and not only that but then what the person is teaching is not from God either, it is from their own self.

2) It is impossible that those hear who are without a preacher. In this second statement Paul teaches that without a preacher those who think they are hearing from God are not actually hearing anything from God at all.

3) It is impossible that they believe who do not hear. And if they are not hearing from someone God sends then they might as well not even be hearing for what good would it do them to hear what God has not sent?

4) It is impossible that they call upon Him who they do not believe. And since who they are listening to has not been sent by God, then the person they are listening to has come with his own understanding and not with what God has sent, and thus the one they are pointing the people to is not the true God, for they do not even know the true God, and therefore if they are pointing to a false god, a false object of worship, like their church or creed, then those who are hearing would be better off would be better off not having heard and not having been pointed to the wrong Object of Worship.

And finally Paul says, 5) It is impossible that they who do not call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

"So then, the entire source and origin of salvation rests on this, That God sends out someone, (A true minister of the Word). For If God does not send out any, then they who are preaching are preaching falsely, and their preaching is no preaching at all.

In fact they would be better off had they never preached at all. Then they who hear, would hear error, and it would be better for them to not have heard.

Then they who believe, would believe false doctrine, and it would be better for them to not believe.

Then also they who call upon Him would be calling falsely (upon a false Lord), and it would be better for them not to call.

For such preachers do not preach; such hearers do not hear; such believers do not believe, and such callers do not call; and they will be damned because they would be saved by falsehood."

"So we read in Proverbs 1:28 "Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer, they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord." ... Then only they can preach with certainty who proclaim the Gospel without error. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace (10:15). By this quotation the Apostle shows that only those can preach who are sent by God. Those cannot preach the Divine Word and be messengers of God whom He has not sent and to whom He has not entrusted His Word.

So with these same words the Apostle points out the nature of Spiritual Peace and it's gifts. These blessings are heard only in the Divine Word and are apprehended only by Faith. They cannot be presented in visible form..."

The problem as I see it is that many claim to be what they are not, and so they claim God sent them and yet there is no supernatural evidence that God sent them.

I believe that if God sends us a Five-Fold Gift then God is obligated to back up what he sends. That is what Paul meant when he said "for the work of the ministry'. For it is God that worketh in us to will and to do his good pleasure... and thus it would also be God working in the ministry as well.

Where is He King of Jews 58-1221M P:79 What our pulpits need today is not this here perfume religion; it needs the Truth. The Truth, preach It from the Bible. Don't make any different interpretations, just say It, what the Bible says. God is obligated to His Word. If He doesn't back His Word up, then He is not God, or It's not His Word, one. But He will take care of His Word.

God making His promise 56-1209A P:19 God is obligated to His Word. You're obligated to your word. If you profess to be a Christian, you're obligated to live a Christian life. As long as you're going to church and professing to be a Christian, you're obligated. If you don't, then the people can't trust you. And if it ever got to a place that God wrote something in His Word and would not, you couldn't trust Him to take His Word, then He isn't God no more to you.

God's gifts always find place 63-1222 P:36 Notice now, we find that if He identified... The works that He did identified that He was Deity, showed that He was. For He said, "If I do not the works of My Father, then don't believe Me." And could not the Christian say today, "If I do not the works of my Saviour, believe me not"? See? "As the Father sent Me, so send I you." And if you did the works, creation works of the Father that sent Him, then it's a creation... The Christ the Creator that sends us, does the works of Christ the Creator. See? "As the Father sent Me, so send I you. And if I do not the works of My Father, believe me not." Then the Christian today has got to do the Life that Christ did or we have a right to say, "It's not so."

60-0911E  Five Identifications of the True Church of the Living God pp. 90 "John 14:12, He gives the teaching what the church should do. In John the 14th chapter, and the 12th verse, we'll see what that says. John 14:12, so we read it, make it official. All right, John 14 and the 12th verse. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father." That's the message of the church: "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever," living in the church, King of the church, raised from the dead, same yesterday, today, and forever, performing the same works, doing the same things that Jesus did. That's the message of the church. If the church isn't teaching That, it's teaching some false theology. That's what Jesus commanded them to preach.

Let me emphasize again he said, If the church isn't teaching That, it's teaching some false theology.

So what did a vindicated prophet say John 14:12 was? From his sermon Take on the whole armor of God 62-0701 P:82 William Branham said, John 14:12, Jesus said, "He that believeth in Me, the works that I do shall he do also." What is it? It's God in the church in these five predestinated offices, backing up every Word that He said with the Holy Spirit Himself in there, which is the Word made manifest, proving His resurrection, proving that He lives. All other religions are dead. Their forms are dead. There's only one that's right, and that's Christianity, because Christ is a living in the church of Christ (Amen.), making His word manifest, for He is the same. If it's the same Word, It'll do the same thing, and show the same works, and the same signs. Matthew 28 says so. Be with His army, in them, securing them... Think of it. The great Word General triumph in us.

Show me a True Five-Fold minister today who has these signs following his ministry and I'll show you a ministry that fits the pattern of the early church. That is the ministry God is backing up with signs and wonders like he backed up the Apostles in the book of Acts.

So he says, John 14:12... What is it? It's God in the church in these five predestinated offices, backing up every Word that He said with the Holy Spirit Himself in there, which is the Word made manifest, proving His resurrection, proving that He lives.... Christ is a living in the church of Christ (Amen.), making His word manifest, for He is the same. If it's the same Word, It'll do the same thing, and show the same works, and the same signs. But it's got to be the same word by the same Spirit, or it will fall flat and not be backed up by God's supernatural presence vindicating that ministry to be God sent.

Now, why isn't this being taught in the Message churches? Because it's not manifesting in their own ministries or in their own church circles, or camps. If it was, they would most certainly be teaching it.

Why it had to be shepherds 64-1221 P:67 Notice, He said, "As the Father sent Me, so send I you." The Father that sent Him, went in Him to confirm the Word. And the same Jesus that sends His people, goes in the people that He sends; that's saying, "The works that I do, shall you do also." Sure, He prayed that we might be one: one with Him, not one with an organization, not one with a system, but one with God. For God and His Word is One, and Jesus and God was One, and you and I and the Word must be one. That's right. We must be one in agreement with the Word. Not what somebody else says, This is of no private interpretation. Take It, what It says, and believe It; and God will vindicate It, and prove that It's right. You think it's just for disciples only, take His Word for it; go try it once and see. You'll find out that it will work for you just the same as He promised. Yes, sir.

In The Messiah 61-0117 P:62 Wm Branham says, “They look like him. They act like him. They are his flesh, his blood, his spirit. Amen. That's the way God's church is, His Eaglets, His Messiahettes. They look like Him; they act like Him; they preach like Him; they do the works that He did. "The things that I do shall he also. More than this shall he do, 'cause I go to the Father." Amen. "These signs shall follow My eaglets." Amen "They'll do just as I do. If My Spirit's in them, then they'll do the works that I do. If they don't do the works I do, it's because that My Spirit's not in them."

Now, that is a very strong statement from God's prophet and it behooves us to lay before Gods Word and ask him to so fill us with his Spirit and die to self that what the people would see is Christ in you the Hope of Glory.

From his sermon, God identified by His Characteristics p:31 "John 14:12, "He that believeth," Jesus said, "on Me, the works that I do shall he do also." Now, look, "He that believeth on Me (a true believer), the works that I do shall he do also." Notice. In other words, like this, "He that believeth on Me, shall be identified by My characteristic, the works." Now, that's what He did. He said, "If I don't do the Father's works, then don't believe Me." And the Father spoke to the prophets, and that was their characteristic, identification. So was it with Jesus. And promised it "to him that believeth, My characteristics shall do in him just as it did in Me."

In his sermon E-40 Prophet Like Unto Moses 59-112 "aren't called by the church, or so forth, they are chosen by God. Apostles; second, prophets; third, (I may not have these lined just right,) third I think is teachers and evangelists and pastors. Five spiritual offices in the church to set the church in order. Apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors. Those are called offices by God. Then in the local congregation, there's nine spiritual gifts that work among the people. Now, in these offices and places, in the offices you hear from the apostle, his ministry. You hear from the prophet, his ministry, from the evangelists, from the teacher, from the pastor. Each has a separate ministry. And their ministries is of God, God has set them in the church for this purpose.

Let us pray