Follow Me #7

 (Choice)

Sunday morning April 5, 1998

Rev Brian Kocourek

 

 

To begin this study we need to take the picture of rich young ruler off the wall and place in front of the pulpit or on the easel while you preach.

 

[Joshua 24 : all] vs 14 sincerity = complete, whole, entire, unimpaired, with integrity and innocence

                            vs 15 evil = displeasing, sad, injurious, to do you hurt,

 

In vs 15 Joshua is telling us that you will serve a god, whether it be the gods ofd the ammonites or the gods that the people had before the flood, but they will serve some god who will direct their life. And He is telling the people that they have to make that choice of who they are going to serve, and who is going to direct their life... Therefore, when we are dealing with this Message of brother Branham’s called Leadership-Follow Me, we are dealing with the fact that we are made to follow, only who or what we follow is the all important question. And As we hear Joshua bring the choice of who we will follow right down to the people themselves, and then he tells us his choice is to Follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now, let’s read this morning from brother Branham’s message and see how He points out this same thing to us as well.

 

61  Follow Me:   And you girls that's just getting out of school, you graduate probably, some of you, pretty soon, and you young boys; the greatest leadership there is Jesus Christ, 'cause that's the leadership to Eternal Life. Now, this leadership confronts every human being; ( now before we continue, let’s focus down here and see what brother Branham means by this statement, this leadership confronts every human being. How does it confront us? What does he mean by this leadership CONFRONTING us? By what means does this Leadership of Jesus Christ CONFRONT us?  Now, the word confront comes from two words, COM which is Latin and means together, and FRONS which refers to your forehead. Therefore the word speaks of a coming face to face with something, to stand or oppose boldly. Coming face to face with your adversary and staring him down, and holding your position. That is what confrontation is all about. And Brother Branham is speaking here of coming to grips with our position in Christ and how we must come face to face with the Leadership of the Holy Spirit.

 

Now, the thing of it is that we are living in a time which has never seen the Presence of the Lord in the way we have seen Him in this hour. Because after all, we are living in the time of  no turning back, and if we choose to follow Him we will follow Him right out of here into another dimension. Right into Eternity.

 

Now, at the first Exodus we saw how that God led the Children of Israel and even fought their battles for them, and Joshua was reminding the people right before He went off the scene that God had led them all the way. And notice in the reading of the book of Joshua, that we are told that generation that followed Joshua over the Jordan and into the land of Promise, believed what he said and took it to heart. Now, our Joshua today is the Holy Ghost. And just as Brother Branham was a type of Moses leading  the people out from the world and the church as Moses led them out of Egypt, but notice before the children of Israel ever came up to the promised land, God took Moses home first.

 

Then it was up to Joshua to lead them in, and so God has remained on the scene, and His Spirit is in our midst still pointing us to the land of promise and as we enter into the shout, we are thus entering into the land of promise just as the children of Israel did in that first Exodus.  They were given the opportunity to choose for themselves what direction they would go and who they would serve, because let’s face it, let’s come face to face with the real facts, it all boils down to one thing and one thing only and that is worship. Who are you going to worship? Who are you worshipping? And how do you worship? Romans 12:1 gives us the answer. [Romans 12:1-2] we then worship by service. Who are we serving tells us who we are worshipping. And brother Branham is speaking the same sermon as Joshua here to these families that were assembled out there in the dessert together, just like Joshua did. He said, And you girls that's just getting out of school, you graduate probably, some of you, pretty soon, and you young boys; the greatest leadership there is Jesus Christ, 'cause that's the leadership to Eternal Life. Now, this leadership confronts every human being; they are given the opportunity to (1)choose.  And that's one great thing we have in life, is to (2)choose. Someday... You know, papa and mama, they(3) chose to have a nice little boy and girl like you all are.  Then, you have the right, after while, to (4)choose whether you want to learn from the teacher or not. The teacher can teach you, but you can just be a little bad boy, you just won't learn; a little, bad girl, won't listen at all. See, you have a (5)choice to do that, yet you're little.  And mother say, "Did you get A's on your report card?"  "No, I got very poor." See, now you can... 

Follow Me #7  (Choice)

 

Mother say, "Now, you have to study." And you have to do that then, keep studying like mother told you, like daddy told you. See, you have to study.  But you have a (6)choice, you can do it or not do it. You can say, "I don't want to." See? You have a (7)choice.  You know, Daniel had a choice too? When he was young he chose to learn all he could and it set him in a place where One day God could use him in a mighty way before the King to save God’s people. [Daniel 1:1-20]. (read)

 

  66   After while, you'll have a (8)choice of what girl you are going to marry, what boy you're going to marry. You have a (9)choice everywhere in life. [And what about Ruth? She had to make a choice between Boaz and Tabor. And do you see how her choice was actually God’s choice?]  And then you've got a (10)choice again to whether you want to live after this life, or just be a good popular person, a movie star, or a dancer, or something another.[Look at Moses, He chose as a young man the things of God rather than the riches of Egypt. And what if he had chosen the riches of Egypt? Where would he be today? Just some stuffed mummy. But He lives in our minds as an example of the overcomer who made the right choicein life.]  And look at these little girls here with that pretty voice, awhile ago singing, that child have to cultivate that voice, and she'd be an opera singer, or some singer. I hear these little boys' voices, these boys; you could be like an Elvis Presley, selling your birthright. See? You don't want that. See, it's a talent God gave you, and you've got to (11)choose (See?) whether you're going to use that talent for God, or whether you're going to use it for the Devil. See?

 

  69   Brother Leo here, your brother (See?) now he had a talent to come and lead people. Now, what's he going to do with it? Is he going into business and make hisself a millionaire; or should he come out here and make a home where people that wants to come together and get all you little children? See, you have to (12)choose what you're going to do.  Each one of us has to make a (13)choice. And it's confronted to us. But we're all confronted with this one thing: "What are we going to do about Eternal Life? We going to live hereafter or not?" Then we have to come to Jesus to get That. The opportunity of (14)choosing, that's one thing God gave us. He don't force nothing on us. He just lets us make our own (15)choice. So you have to not be forced, but just make your own (16)choice.

 

  71  Now, let's just follow this, adults and all now, for a few minutes, and the children, all together. Let's follow this young man, and the (17)choice that he made, and see where it led him.  Now, these girls with that pretty voices, these young boys... Now, maybe you come up and be you'd have a voice to sing. I'll just take that one thing: music. My, you might someday think about it.  You know this boy called Elvis Presley? You've heard my tapes. You've heard how I don't degrade the boy, but that boy was had the opportunity that you all got. See? And what he... He found out he could sing. And watch what he did, just the same thing Judas did, Judas Iscariot, he sold out Jesus. Jesus gave that boy that good voice. And what does he do? Turn around and sell it out to the Devil. See? he's got to come to the end of the road. See? He refused to walk with Jesus.

 

Now, before we go further, Let’s look to the Scripture and see what this choice is all about. Because if our having a choice is such a great thing, and can determine so much in our life, then there certainly has to be a Bible principle involved here. And there is indeed a principle of God that is tied to choice and it is called sowing and reaping. And it all has to do with what choice you take with this Word of God. We find it in the Book of The Two Laws, [Deuteronomy] And this is Moses farewell sermon to the people. Now, as we read this from [Deuteronomy 30:19-31:3] I want you to notice the similarity between Moses farewell sermon and Joshua’s that we have already read. (read)

 

Therefore we see that the word choice or to choose has to do with sowing and reaping. Because after all what seed we sow is what we shall receive back. Therefore, our choices must all reflect what seed it is we are choosing to sow in this life that we live. You  will all look back upon your life one day and you will see the choices that you have made along the way. Have you ever thought if you had to the power to go back in your life and undo some of your decisions you made that were bad? Well, the other night I lay in bed and my mind went back through some of the decisions I had made in my life, that if I could have changed a handful of  wrong choices I would have done it. And as I lay there reflecting on the choices I made, I could recall some things I did that I would have like to have said differently, or actions that I would have not made the same.

Follow Me #7  (Choice)

 

Then I thought of how, as a Christian my senior year in college, I had the best stats for a kicker in the big ten and I had devoted myself to follow God to the best that He would show me, and yet another fellow received the honors I had wanted. There was a churchmen’s all American selection for kicker that I should have received, and as I thought back about that.  Now, I didn’t understand at the time why I never received that acknowledgment. But God knew why I could not receive that. And there are many things we don’t know why now, but somewhere down along the raod, we will someday. I knew that I had the better record, and that I was living a Christian life, and had even helped to start a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian athletes,  but because I never belonged to an organized church, I had no-one putting me forth to receive this honor of theirs.  

 

It wasn’t enough to be a Christian serving God to the best of your ability, you had to be a church man. And in reflecting back upon this, finally after all these years, I realized that there was nothing I could have done to change that outcome, because God called me out of the church, and to be honored by it wasn’t to His  choosing. Yes, there are some things I would have liked to have changed, But did you ever stop to think about how those choices come. what causes you to repent after you have made a wrong decision. Who brings the guilt into your heart when you have made a wrong decision? You moved you and motivated you to believe the Great Lord of Heaven and earth Who has come down in this hour? He did!  Therefore, Over-all I am pleased with the choices in my life, because I chose to serve Him. Just think, you are serving  Elohim, the same one Abraham did. The same One Moses did. The same One Paul did. The same one Jesus did. The very Creator of the Heavens and earth. The One who indwelled Jesus. The One who has come down in this hour to gather together all that are His and to take them out. I chose this one to serve, the One William Branham chose to serve, and yet did I do the choosing? Was it my choosing after all? Who guided me away from professional sports. Who guided me away from the high paying jobs? I believe the One who called me to serve Him is the One who has looked over my life and has actively participated in My Life with me. I look around and see the brethren who have worked jobs for 20 and thirty years with the same company, and I have never made it working for any company for even three years. Why? Because God called me to the ministry. I’ve been shepherding this flock here since March of 82. In our 17th year together.

 

Then have I had to make these decisions on my own? Then have I ever been really alone? No. I don’t believe I have.  I’ve never really been alone, because He has been with me in the most trying times of my Life. [Psalm 1:6] [Psalm 37:1-40] [Psalm 47:4-5] And He which ascended is also He which has descended with a Shout and Trump. [Jer 10:23-24] [Proverbs 3:1-6] [2 Thess 3:5]

 

Now, I believe that the purpose for this message from Brother Branham is to help the people to see the importance of the choices that you make in this life, and how they will reflect throughout your life and how they will affect you even in the life to come. And that is why he chose as his subject to study, the rich young ruler.

 

74  Now, this young fellow here, this rich young ruler, he did the same thing. Let's follow and see what he done. No doubt, with the great man that he was, probably a handsome young man, dark hair combed down on the side, nice clothes. The young ladies thought, "Boy, that's a handsome young man." Oh, they'd... He'd maybe wave at them, and they'd flirt back with him, and things.  And he thought he was a great fellow, person (See?), because he was handsome, he was young. He wasn't looking down there at the end of the road. He was just looking here. "I'm young. I'm handsome. I'm rich. I can buy anything I want to. I can take these girls, and, boy, they all like me. And they know I'm a great man." And, see, he had all that. He had followed the instructions of his father and everything. "And I'm very religious. I go to church." And now he could follow that (See?), very popular, rich, and famous.

 

  76   Just like today, like you had the opportunity to become a movie star (See?) or something like that. Most young kids today, you talk to them, they know more about these movie stars than they know about Jesus. You see? And, see, you children are learning about Jesus. Where they set down, and some play come on a movie, or something another, they know the actors and all there, all about it. They know all that better than that. You tell them about the Bible; they don't know nothing about the Bible. See? It's making the wrong choice. Now, some singer selling their God-given talent for fame...

 

Follow Me #7  (Choice)

 

 77  Then we see him at life's end. Let's follow him a little further. You know what the Bible says about this young fellow? He become more successful. So sometimes success don't mean that you've made the right choice. You know what he did? He went out and he had all big times, and throwed big parties, and spent lots of money and everything on the girls and everything.   And then he got married and maybe had a family. And  he just increased so much till he had to build new barns and things. And he said, “You see, I didn't follow Jesus, and look what I got." See? You may hear people say that, and I have, "Well, look, He's blessed me." That don't mean it all. See?  And after while his barns swelled till even he said, why, even, "Soul, take your rest. I've got so much money and so much success. And I'm such a great man. I belong to all the clubs. And I have the riches of the world in my hands. I own great sums of land and sums of money, and, why, my, there everybody likes me, a very fine person to be."  But you know, the Bible said that that night, God said to him, "I'm going to require your soul."

 

  81   Then what did happened? Now, there was a beggar, a poor old Christian that laid out there by his gates. And just when they... Up in Jerusalem, over there, they--they eat up on top of the house. And the bread crumbs fall off like this, and the pieces of meat, and so forth, hit the floor when they drop them. And they don't pick them up, because everything in Jerusalem, the old city, it's...  Is it all right to say a little joke here? They're f-o-b. You know what that is? Flies on the bread, flies on the beef, flies on the butter, f-o-b, flies on everything. They got out in the street, in the gutters and everything, and fly in and get right up on the...  So these people up there, they get up on top of the--of the building. And they eat, and then they drop this off, and then they sweep that off. And the dogs in the streets eats the crumbs. And he let this poor old Christian lay there in the street and just eat the crumbs that dropped from his plate--from his bed, or from his table.  And then when he got in, after while, he had sores, and he didn't have anything to put on his sores; his name was Lazarus. And the dogs come and licked his sores so he could try to get well.

 

  86   Well, you know, after while, this rich man, when he thought he had money to buy all kinds of medicine if he got sick; he had all kinds of doctors. But, you know, sometimes doctors can't help us; medicine won't help us; nothing can help us; we're at the mercy of God. And he come down to the end of his road; the doctors couldn't help him, and the nurses couldn't help him, the medicine couldn't help him, and he died. And then when his soul left his body (See?), it left all of his money, all of his education, everything that he had, all of his popularity. They give him a great big funeral, maybe a half-mast the flag, and--and the--the mayor of the city come, and they, and the preacher come and said, "Our brother now has gone to glory," and all like that.  But the Bible said that, "He lifted up his eyes in hell, in torment, and looked way across that great gulf there, and seen that beggar that had been laying there in his sore, over in heaven. And he cried, 'Send Lazarus down here with a little water. These flames are tormenting.' Said, 'Oh, no.'"

 

  88  See, he took the wrong choice in life. See? When he come to the end of the road to step out of life, he had been led by religion. He'd been led by education. He'd been led by the influence of his--of his success. But, you see, he had nothing to hold his hand; those things end there. You understand, little fellow? You adults do what I'm... See? He had nothing to hold him. His money couldn't hold him. His friends with the doctors couldn't hold him. Medicine couldn't hold him. His priest, his religion, couldn't hold him. So was only one thing for him to do. He'd--he had refused to accept Jesus, Eternal Life. So what did he have to do? Sink down into death, into hell. What a fatal mistake that young man had when he refused to walk with Jesus, be led by Jesus. He refused to do it.  So many young people are making that mistake today, refusing to be led by the--by the Lord Jesus. Now, we see what a fatal thing it is to refuse Eternal Life and be led by Jesus, a leadership, when He said, "Come, follow Me."

 

  90    See what this handsome little man said this afternoon? When you get out of school, when you get away from, you need another leader, but let that be Jesus. And Jesus is the Bible. Do you believe that? This is Jesus' Life and His commandments to us in letter form. So we have to look into This to see. This is the blueprint. This is the map that He told is to follow to--to begin Eternal Life. Now, we find out that this young man was lost.