Masterpiece Number 30

Understanding and what is sin no.1

October 29, 2005 Communion Service

Pastor, Brian Kocourek

 

1. This evening, being that this is our communion service and we are commended to come to this service prayed up and having searched our souls to make sure there is not unbelief in us, I feel led to take a short sermon on “understanding and what is sin”.

 

2. Now we know that sin is unbelief because the Scripture tells us so.  John 16: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

 

3. John 8: 24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

 

4. So we see that sin is unbelief, but it goes even further than just not believing. It goes to the point that they believe because they just do not understand.

 

5. We are told by the Apostle Paul that the princes of this world crucified Jesus the Word made manifest out of ignorance. 1 Corinthians 2: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

 

6. The Apostle Paul further speaks of the unbeliever as being those whom have a darkened understanding. Ephesians 4: 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Notice here he tells us that what understanding they do have becomes darkened because of the ignorance that is in them, and because that they are blind in their heart, and we know that whenever the Scriptures speaks of the heart it speaks of understanding.

 

7. When their eyes were opened 64-0212 P:26 Notice He said, "Fools, and slow of heart to understand the Scripture promise for this age." Fools, said, "Oh, He's gone. They crucified Him. And we understood He rose again. But, oh, my, that's just a mystery story that somebody said and we didn't know nothing about it. Oh, I'm telling you; it's the most miserable thing." He said, "You fools, and slow of heart to understand that what the Scripture has said for this age." Amen. There you are. I wish I could blast that to the ecumenical council. Yes, sir. Slow of heart, knowing the Scripture says these things, still don't understand it. There you are. He said, "Fools, and slow of heart to understand the Scripture that's been prophesied for that day," and just exactly how it would happen. And here it's happened. Christ entered into His glory by suffering first, being buried, died, rose again the third day. Didn't... That's the way the Scripture said He was to do it, raised up on the third day. He said, "This is the third day since it has happened." He said, "Well, that's what I'm trying to tell you." And still they didn't understand it. Then He said, "You're fools, and slow at heart to understand all that the prophets have said, and the Scripture being said about this day. And here it's happened right before you, and you don't know it."

 

8. Notice that Jesus called them fools because they were slow of heart to understand. And we know the foolish virgin were called foolish because they just had no oil in their lamp and a lamp without oil is useless, and can not produce the light that is necessary to walk in a dark world.

 

9. The very reason a person is called a fool is because they have no clue as to what is going on. We call a person a fool that is ignorant, because they have no desire to know and to understand. And the foolish virgins were called foolish because they had the Word but they did not seek to fill their vessel with the Spirit of God until it was to late.

 

10. And without the holy Spirit anointing your vessel, you will never understand because the Holy Spirit brings the understanding.

 

11. The Apostle Paul prayed for the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of God to come to the people.

 

12. We are promised in the Book of Daniel that in the last days the elect will understand.

 

13.  Daniel 12: 10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

 

14. Daniel 2 :21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

 

15. We find the Apostle Paul praying that the people would receive an understanding in their hearts. Ephesians   1: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  And notice he used the term eyes of their understanding because eyes represent to see which means to understand and to know.

 

16. Adoption or placing 60-0522E P:88 You know, and the Bible said you were blind and didn't know it. But here Paul said, "I'm going to pray that your eyes of understanding..." You understand with your heart. That's what he's talking about. You look with your eye, but you see with your heart.

 

17. Man running from presence 65-0217 P:79 I pray that He'll saturate every heart in here with His goodness and mercy, with understanding. We realize, Father, that's what we need, is to understand. For if we do not know what we're doing, then how do we know how to do it? But we must have understanding. As Daniel said he had understanding by the prophet Jeremiah's Writing, and, Father, we have understanding by the Holy Spirit's Writings as He will reveal It to us in this hour.

 

18. But the sinner will not believe because he just has no understanding to believe with. 2 Peter 2: 12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

 

19. The Apostle John told us that the Holy Ghost anoints us in order that we might have an understanding.

 

20. 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. (Now, if they were of us then they would have known that and would have remained, but the fact that they left he says is because they just don’t have the unction from the Holy Ghost, and thus they just don’t know, nor do they have an understanding. Notice the next verse, John says, ) 20 But ye have an unction (that means an anointing ) from (who?) the Holy One, (and what does this anointing do?) and ye know all things. 1 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? (THE ANOINTED ONE) He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (and the reason they deny the Father AND the Son is because they have not an unction from the Holy One that they might know.) 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Now, let’s skip down to verse 27. 1 John Chapter  2  Verse 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

 

20. So you must have an anointing from God to know and to understand or else you remain in your sin. Now, I have shown you from 1 Peter 1: 13 and 1 Corinthians chapter 1 that there is a spirit fo Grace that is to come into the church to anoint the church with an understanding .

 

21.  Brother Branham said in his sermon called Seventy weeks of Daniel 61-0806 P:36 But you remember in Daniel 12 He said, "The wise shall understand in this last days"? It's been given to him. The Spirit of wisdom comes into the church to make known to the church by the revelation of the Holy Ghost--bringing the church in and revealing what day that we're living in. Just the same as Gabriel come to Daniel, the Holy Spirit comes to the church in the last days to reveal these great, deep, secret things. Do you understand now?

 

22.  1 John   5: 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

 

23.  Easter seal 65-0410 P:18 The world has been shut up in doubt for many ages until then, this was proven: not only talked about, but was proven. I think that anything that's worthwhile...As Jesus said, "Go ye therefore, teach all nations and prove to them by demonstrating the power of God to them. These signs shall follow them that believe." Them who promise and say they believe, He give us a definite understanding of it, that these signs would follow them that believe. It would be the proof of their testimony. Now, we can say we believe, but until we have the proven sign that He said that would be upon us, then we are just confessing to be believers and not the possession of believers.

 

24.  Proving His word 65-0426 P:58 I got a picture here, of Brother Lee Vayle's here. I'd like to show you just what taken place up on the mountain the other day, when all the school kids turned out, just before this great subject of the open of them Seven Seals. When the school kids turned out, when I was up in there praying, here was Fire just in a funnel coming down, then go back up and burst out, and turn around and come back down again. That's what He said what to go tell the people. We... And there It is, where the schools of Tucson, and where It went up into the air. And science took the pictures, and so forth, and questioned about It. They said, "Where is It at? What happened?" They can't make it out. See? Oh, it's not done in a corner, only darkened conscience. It never. Jesus, when He was here, there was millions of people never knew He was on earth. Yeah. There'll be millions today won't understand, tens of millions of them. But there will be, to those Who It's sent to, they will understand. "The wise shall know their God in that day, and they'll do exploits." We realize that the hour that we're now living.

 

25.  God wants us to know and to understand. That is why Jesus told us in John chapter 8 that all that will come must first be taught by the Father.

 

26. And the Apostle Paul told us, 1 Corinthians   14: 20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

But the main reason that God wants us to know is because understanding gives us assurance, and if an assurance then a rest and peace and trust. Colossians   2: 2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

 

27. I have heard but now I see 65-1127E P:85 Now, I don't care how much the people act in these denominations, say they're looking for Christ; their actions prove they're not. That's right. Your actions speaks louder than your words. All they think about is making denominational members, but there are some people, one here and there, that's looking for the coming of the Lord. They're watching for though. Only those will He reveal Himself to; only those will understand.

 

28. The Apostle Paul said, Colossians   1: 9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

 

29. Look, Paul was a teacher and a teacher is sent to teach, and what good does it do to teach if you don’t have anyone to listen and learn. So he prayed that the people might listen and learn and be filled with the Holy Ghost so they would be filled with the knowledge of God.. Ephesians   5: 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

 

30. Trying to do God a service 65-1127B P:8  But it's so hard, I,  used to bother me so bad, and then I found out even our Lord was misunderstood in so many things. He'd say anything, and they'd--be misunderstood. I guess it just has to be that way. But those who are wise will understand. See? The Bible said so. They'll catch It.

 

31. Even when the Apostle Paul was instructing the people concerning the gifts of the spirit he emphasized that they must be used with an understanding or they become useless to the people. 1 Corinthians   14: 14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.  15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. And then in verse 19 he says,  19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

 

32. Luke   24: 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

 

33. Luke   2: 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

 

34. Mark   12: 33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

 

35. Easter seal 65-0410 P:44 Now, that quickening power that come upon Jesus quickened Him to manifest every promise of the Word of that day. So does the Holy Spirit that come upon us in this day. If it's not a mockery holy spirit, if it's not the devil mocking the Holy Spirit, but is the real true Holy Spirit, it'll manifest the promise of this hour. When It fell upon Luther, It manifested that promise of that hour. When It fell upon Wesley, It manifested the promise of that hour. When It falls in this day, It manifests the promise of this hour. When It fell upon Moses, It manifested the promise of that hour. Fell upon Noah, It manifest the promise of that hour. When It fell upon Jesus, It manifests the promise of that hour. See? It's the Holy Spirit coming down to quicken, make alive those people that's foreordained of God to be in the rapture. Oh, that is, if he's a true eagle, he will understand the message of the hour: if he's a true eagle.

 

36. Rising of the sun 65-0418M P:63 The Dynamics, if It comes upon water it'll just splutter: "Days of miracles is past, putt-putt-putt; oh, I believe Divine... pomp-pomp-pomp; but they--they don't... pomp-pomp-pomp." See? but when it hits that one thousand octane, "Whrrrr" and away she goes. You see? Now. My. The Dynamics strike that... But if It strike a chicken, It won't do no good. But when It strikes a eagle he moves out (Amen.), the Dynamics with the mechanics. See what I mean? That is, if he is a true eagle now, he will understand .Let me straighten a little Scripture here for you. (I think we're off the phone, but we are still here.) St. John 5:24, Jesus said, "He that heareth My Word, and believeth on him that sent me, has Everlasting Life."

 

37. Voice of the sign 64-0214 P:64 Notice. And when he did... One day He begin to speak to the people. And He said, "Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you've no Life." What would doctors say about that? Now, He never explained it. He never said any...He just come for so many. Them that He foreknew, He come. He said, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him. And all the Father has given Me, they will understand Me. They'll come. (See?) They'll come. They'll understand it, the one the Father has given Me, whose name's on the Book of Life." He come to redeem them.

 

38. Pardoned 63-1028 P:81 Our heavenly Father, knowing that--that the sun is swiftly going down, time shall be no more, one day the great Archangel will step out on the scene of time, from out of eternity. And the trumpet of God shall sound and every man and woman will answer to what we know to be the Truth, the Word of God. There's got to be some standard that God has to have here on earth that we're to be judged by. And if we took the standard of our church, our denomination, how far would we miss it? And which denomination would be right? Therefore, we'd be confused. We wouldn't know what to do. But there is a Standard and that is Your Word. And Your Word said, "Except a man be borned again he cannot even see the Kingdom of God." In other words, he cannot understand it. He must accept it by faith and be borned again, and then he will understand it. "See" is to understand.

 

39. Evening messenger 63-0116 P:126 Now, our heavenly Father, we give to You this audience, these broken up words has been lengthy, Lord. Even many has gotten tired and weary, and has gone home, and maybe some felt a little bad, and, Lord, I--I just can't tell who's in the audience all the time. And after all, Father, It's Your Word and You know my heart. So... And I'm... Woe is me if I don't do it. And I--I must do it, Lord. So I pray now that the people who has understanding of the Word will understand clearly, and I'm sure those that You've called to Life will, that it's not anything in the world but a heart full of love for God and His Church that I plead these things. Father, practically every hand in here went up for a circumcision, to be cut away all the surplus that doesn't belong there. God, help us all. I stand right with them, Lord. I'm one of them. I'm watching for the coming of that glad millennium day when sin and shame shall be destroyed forever. And, Father, while we're in this world we know that we're subject to these things; we're subject to mistakes; we're subject to sin; we're still walking, and yet we don't desire to do it. As the Bible said, "Faint not when you're reproved." But I pray, Father, that the reproving of the Word cuts me just as hard as it cuts the rest of them. And I pray, Father, that they'll understand it that way.

 

40. Go awake Jesus 63-1130E P:20 They do the same thing today, just the same. See, if He come today, and just in the same thing, the way He did then, the people today would boo Him and call Him crazy just as they did then. See? It'd be just the same. And they do do it. They would not understand Him. The world never did understand the true moving of God. And it never will understand it, because it's the world. "The world seeth Me no more," He said, "but you shall see Me, because I'll be with you, and I'll be in you to the end of the world." If the people could just see that one quotation from Him, right there, they'd recognize where we're at tonight.

 

41. God hiding Himself in simplicity 63-0412E P:65 Could you imagine a man like Moses, an ordinary man doing the things that he did? Could you imagine that Elijah, an old, woolly-looking fellow with hairs all over his body and a piece of sheepskin draped around him, could you imagine God taking a thing like that, when there stood priests, and clergymen that was robed, and polished in their theology, just as smooth as they could be? But God bypassed every one of them. He always does. Tell me one time He ever did it. Never. No, sir.He bypassed the whole thing to come down to some simple form. He reveals Himself, and works in simplicity, real simple so that everybody will understand it. That's what makes Him great. He be--He comes simple, simplifying it. And now, He bypassed...