Masterpiece 63

God’s Second Masterpiece, Obedient Sons

May 7^th, 2006

Pastor, Brian Kocourek

This morning as we read from the paragraph 108 of the Masterpiece, brother Branham makes an interesting statement concerning the Bride Christ fulfilling everything in the New Testament. Let’s read it first and then we’ll talk about it for a few minutes.

THE MASTERPIECE 64-0705 108 Now, for nearly two thousand years God has been again making Him a Masterpiece, (now, remember, he has been talking about Jesus Christ up to this point as being the masterpiece of God. But now he makes this statement that God is making another Masterpiece, and has been doing so for 2,000 years.) because He struck Adam to get a piece off of him (part of him), a rib to make a wife for him. And now, that perfect Masterpiece that He struck at Calvary, He got a piece off of Him. It's just the New Testament; that's all. He fulfilled the Old Testament. (So what Brother Branham is telling us is that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the Old Testament. ) Now, it's the New Testament, another piece to be fulfilled.(Notice his words, here. He says, “Now, it’s the New Testament, Another piece to be fulfilled” ) See, the New and Old is husband and wife (See?); and it taken the Old to foreshow the New. (Notice that he said the Old was the Husband and the New is the Wife which is the Bride. And then he says, that Jesus fulfilled the Old and the Bride will fulfill the New, and then adds, that it took the Old to foreshow the New. The what we are looking at in this sermon on the Masterpiece is how that the Bride of Christ is to come into the image of Christ. And How Jesus was God’s Masterpiece, so too the Bride of Christ will be the Masterpiece of Christ. Then he says,…) Christ come the Masterpiece to fulfill that. Now His Bride will fulfill everything that's in the New Testament. Another Masterpiece is in making.

In my daily routine at the office I answer many emails from all over the world. Many brethren write to me and have questions concerning the Message, and one question that comes up regularly is “what about the manifestation of the sons of God. They ask: What does that mean and how do you think it will come?

I always answer all Scriptural questions by going to that Scripture first to review the scripture and break down that particular thought into bites easy enough to chew on. So first we must look at that scripture that speaks of the manifestation of the Sons of God.

So we turn in our Bibles to Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Now, this verse in itself can not be understood without first reading the verse before it. Romans 8: 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Then Paul goes on to say in the next verse , For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. So this manifestation of the sons of God has to do with the glory of God which is the doxa of God being revealed in us. And we know this word doxa means the opinion assessment or judgment of God.

Thus “the manifestation of the sons of God” has to do with this “Glory” which was in Christ coming into, or being revealed in the Sons of God. In other words, the very mind of God coming into the Sons of God.

Now, here is how I always answer this question concerning the manifestation of the sons of God. The want to know what is this manifestation? Because many people have their own ideas of what it is and some believe it will be the sons of God doing super duper feats of supernatural and whatever more. But I always ask them this question.

In order to understand sons of God we must understand the Son of God. Then in order to understand what the manifestation of the sons of God is to be, we must ask the question, “What was the manifestation of the Son of God? Did He manifest His Son-ship by doing miracles and supernatural exploits? Or did he manifest Himself to be God’s Only begotten Son in another way? What did He do to manifest that He was God’s Son?

Was it signs and wonders? No, that can’t be it, because Jesus himself told us Matthew 7: 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.

So it is not the ability to prophesy, and it is not the ability to do wonderful works which are miracles and such, and it is not the ability to cast out devils. Then what did the Son of God do to manifest Himself to be the Son of God?

Hebrews 5: 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; God required from His Son obedience before he would adopt that son as His own Son.

From the sermon Patriarch Abraham the 64-0207 P:2 Brother Branham said, What a promise because of obedience. Obedience is what God wants. It was once said, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." To obey the Lord is better than any sacrifice that you could do.

And what did God require more than anything else in a son? Obedience. Jesus manifested complete obedience to the Father.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

John 5: 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

In fact Jesus said in John 4: 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. My meat is to do the will of Him, My father that sent me. My meat. My very nourishment, my source of energy is to do the will of my father. Here is a man that lived to be obedient to his Father. That is the commandment of all children, to obey their father and mother.

Colossians 3: 20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

Ephesians 6: 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) And what does it means to honour thy Father and Mother? The Word honour means to fix a high value. Therefore what they tell you to do should be regarded as very valuable information. Most parents don’t tell their children to do or not do things just because they like to give that Child a hard time. That sort of person would be sick mentally. But most parents want the best for their children even though the children think they know best. But that parent has the best intentions for their children and give them advice based on their years of experience, and accrued knowledge. And children are promise that if they listen to their parents advice they will live long.

Deuteronomy 5: 16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Exodus 20: 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Therefore I can say with scriptural assurance that obedience is the only sure manifestation that a child is truly a son of God. Just look at the evidence in the Son of God. Look at what he said is evidence that he loved His Father.

John 14: 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.

John 12: 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

So you see that Jesus did nothing, and said nothing until god showed him what to do and what to say.

Hear ye Him 57-0519A P:40 Now, watch. God never did anything 'less He asked man to do, but what He did Himself. His Son, when He was born here on earth, He was an obedient Son. Every step was for the Father. Everything He done was to glorify God. And we seen God in Christ. Is that right? "No man has seen the Father at any time, but the only begotten of the Son has declared Him." The very move, the very action, everything that Christ did was God working in Him. You get it now? Now, watch what takes place. Then God takes His Son after a long life, just before Calvary, and He taken Him up on a high mountain in a public place. He brought the heavenly witnesses down. He brought the earthly witnesses up. And there God took His Son, and when they looked up, they saw a cloud that overshadowed them. And Jesus' raiment shined like the sun in the midst of the day. What was it? God put a robe on Him, just like the old adoption said. He robed Him in a glorified condition. No wonder He said, "All powers in heavens and earth is given to My hands." He robed Him and He placed Him. And then He said, "This is My beloved Son; hear ye Him." Then He had the powers of heavens and earth was given unto His hands.

Therefore the most important attribute a son can manifest is his obedience to his Father.

Super sign 59-1227M P:49 Someone, as I have said before, wants to make Him a little short God. He was man; God was using a man. God was using a flesh that He created Himself in order to create through Him and to "Bring through Him many sons," says the Scripture, "through that obedient Son. Through one son all fell; through an obedient Son all shall live that believe." God with us, a sign, said that would be a sign. Jesus so loved to refer to Himself as Son of man, man Himself, just a man, "I am nothing; the Son can do nothing in Himself." But it's the Father was in Him, the Immanuel, that God, the baby, God, Jehovah God, that little baby cried, that was Jehovah. Did you see it? God living in a baby. God living in a teenage. What type of a teenager was He? He set the example. When He was lost by His father and His mother, they looked about to find Him, and they found Him in the temple, What did He say, as a teenager? "Know you not? Wist thou not that I must be about My Father's business?" Example for teenagers.

Therefore in the Old Testament, in order to adopt or place your child as a true son and therefore your heir, the only evidence necessary to the father in order to adopt his child and place Him as a son was that the son was to be obedient and about his father’s business. In the message Hear Ye Him, brother Branham talks about the Old Testament tradition of adoption and said, …

Hear ye Him 57-0807 P:25 Now, if that boy is no good, yet he's a son; he's never nothing but a son because he's born a son. But if he is not obedient and the right kind of a son, he just continues a son on out without any reward. But if that is an obedient son according to the Scriptures, then there is an adoption of that son, or the placing of that son. And then after he gets a certain age, he's taken out into a public place. And there there's the great ceremony made, out before the public. And this son is set up on a high place and there is a ceremony of adoption. Think of it now. The father adopts his own son into his family. And then after that, that son's name's just as good on a check as his dad's. It's a public ceremony, and they're all out there, and they see this father positionally place that son.

Hear ye Him 59-0424E P:40 But then what if the son still won't obey. That son, though he is a son... We can't say that he's not a son, but he will never have any inheritance. That father says that he won't listen: "He won't obey; I can't put trust in him; I'll just have to let him go. He's always a son." Now, if you're a born of the Spirit of God... I have to stay with that, because you're a son of God. But if you... You lose all the glory. Then what if this son is a good son, an obedient son. Oh, how he loves the father. How the tutor would like to say, "Oh, dad, I'll tell you what. You know that boy of yours, he's a chip off the old block. I'm telling you; he's just about your business just as... Why, he take care of it as good as you can right now." How the father swells up. "Oh, sure, that's my boy." That's the way I want Him to think about us. That's the way We want to follow the instructions of this Word, live by It, preach by It, die by It. That's what God wants us to do.

So you see obedience is the key to manifesting as a true son, and an heir of the father. For let’s face it, what good does being a son do for you if you are not adopted and acknowledged by the Father that you are a son and given inheritance from the father.

Therefore the apostle peter said in 1 Peter 1: 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

And in 2 Corinthians 10: 5 The Apostle Paul said, Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

And again the Apostle Paul said in, Romans 6: 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 5: 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Now, this takes us back to the Masterpiece and we pick up the next paragraph where brother Branham says, THE MASTERPIECE 64-0705 109 As it taken Him four thousand years to make this Masterpiece,(He’s talking about Jesus here) now He's been for nearly two thousand years making another Masterpiece: a Bride for Christ, another Masterpiece. (So we hear him speak of God taking four thousand years to bring forth his first Masterpiece, and that was Jesus His only begotten Obedient Son, and now it is taking God only two thousand years to bring forth another Masterpiece which is being fashioned into the very image of the Eldest Son. That is what Paul taught us in Hebrews first and then in Romans chapter 8.

Notice in Hebrews 1 Paul tells us how that Christ came forth in the image of God. Hebrews 1: 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Now, notice that Jesus came forth in the image of God but it took God four thousand years to bring Him forth in His image. But now we see in Romans 8: 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Jesus brought forth in the Image of God and we are conformed into the image of The Son of God, the eldest brother in a vast family of brethren.

And then brother Branham continues, THE MASTERPIECE 64-0705 109 As it taken Him four thousand years to make this Masterpiece, now He's been for nearly two thousand years making another Masterpiece: a Bride for Christ, another Masterpiece. In so doing it, He does it by His never-changing method, the same way He made the Masterpiece: His Word. That's the way He makes His masterpieces. Because it can only be a perfect masterpiece when it's the perfect Word. Let us pray….