Masterpiece 73
Organization unto
death
July 9th, 2006
Pastor, Brian Kocourek
A couple weeks ago we spoke from brother Branham’s
sermon entitled the Masterpiece paragraphs 119 where we took the subject of the
church rejecting the Word and Squeezing out the Life of the Word. We showed how
the cares of this Life have entered in the church and the people have lost
their heart for the Word of God because they have become soft and they have
lost their focus on God’s Word in favor of focusing on the cares of this life.
Last week we examined closely paragraph 136 where
brother Branham said, when But what denominated, dies. Like Life in Luther went to make
Wesley. And from the Wesley It went to Pentecost, and from Pentecost to make
the original seed. On to, Pentecost comes out of the Wesley until that time.
The reason that Pentecost come out of Wesley, because it was no denomination, Pentecost
was. Then Pentecost went to denominate. And what did it do? It turned to the
husk. It looked like the real thing.
And then what happened? It died right there. Notice
that he said, “As
soon as it begin to denominate, right there it died.” And so we saw
that denomination shows that the Life has gone out, because to denominate means
to set a specific value on that thing. When we talk in terms of currency we say
what denomination of bills do you have?
The word denomination according to our dictionary has
several meanings but they all speak of one central theme. While I read the
definitions, I want you to think in terms of what theme carries through out
these definitions. 1. A large group of religious
congregations united under a common faith and name and organized under a single
administrative and legal hierarchy. 2. One
of a series of kinds, values, or sizes, as in a system of currency or weights: Cash
registers have compartments for bills of different denominations. The stamps
come in 25 ¢ and 45 ¢ denominations. 3. A
name or designation, especially for a class or group.
Notice that each example of denomination speaks of an assessed value,
size, or kind. So you see when we think in terms of denomination we must think
in terms of what value or assessment is associated with the denomination we
speak of. And it does not matter what
they hold to, for a vindicated prophet told us when they denominate they die
right there.
So you see that to denominate means certain death to the church. And what
does that mean? It means that the Life has left it and they are now holding to a
value that they have assigned. In other words if the word they preached and
emphasized was a certain, certain thing, then if God brings further light upon
that certain thing, or even upon another thing, and the people see that other
thing does not hold the same value to them as the thing they already have, then
they turn it aside and right there they have denominated. And right there God
can no longer help them because they have turned down further light from His
word.
That is why those that hold to the attitude that “bless God we have a
prophet” and will not open themselves to other ministries that God gives the
church such as the five fold ministry, those people dry up and the Life goes
out of them.
And what if God sends them a teacher and they refuse the teaching, then
they refuse the Holy Ghost because the Apostle john told us that the Holy Ghost
is the teacher. And what if that teacher leaves and the people refuse any other
Gift God has placed in the church, then the people will never come to maturity
and the Life will move on and they will dry up and miss what God continues to
do through the gifts he has placed in the church.
Paul told us that the Five Fold ministry is for the perfecting of the
church. That means the finishing off or coming into maturity and full
expression. So to turn down the five fold ministry and to make it a one or two
fold ministry means the people have placed a certain value upon that one or two
ministries, and they have shut themselves off from further Light upon God’s
word.
Now, I am not talking about further light as though that light is
additional light. I am talking about further understanding of the Light God has
given to us.
So you say, well we have had brother so and so and so we don’t need any
other. You know that is so carnal that you sound just like the Corinthian Church
where Paul said, “Some say, I am of Apollos, and some say they are of Cephas,
and others say they are of Paul, and then the Apostle Paul said, “Are you not
carnal. Did Apollos die for you, did Cephas die for you, did Paul die for you.
I
CORINTHIANS 1:12 Now this I say,
that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas;
and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye
baptized in the name of Paul?
And again in I CORINTHIANS 3: he
said, 1 ¶ And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as
unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, [even] as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have
fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear
it], neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there
is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk
as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I [am] of Apollos;
are ye not carnal? 5 ¶ Who then is Paul,
and who [is] Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave
to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but
God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are
one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For
we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, [ye are] God's
building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But
let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 ¶
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon
this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every
man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it
shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort
it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall
receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss:
but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
So you see, if the light that God continues to shed abroad by the Holy
Ghost is turned away because it did not come from your champion, then it shows
that you have never received the Light and thus the Life of God, but rather the
vessel only that God used. And when you resist the working of God in any form
it shows you also resist God Himself.
Even Jesus Himself said, JOHN 13:20 Verily, verily, I
say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that
receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
So to say, I accept his prophet but not his teacher is to say I really
don’t trust that God can keep His Word. And to say, I accept His teacher but
not His Apostles or Evangelists or pastors, etc. means that you are carnal as
the Apostle Paul told the Corinthian church. And to be carnal shows the Life is
not there, and so they are relying on form only. Having a form of Godliness but
denying the power thereof. Having a form of Godlikeness and denying the Power
thereof, and God told us the power of God is His Word.
From His sermon called Seed not heir with
shuck 65-0218 P:65 Brother Branham was talking about how that Sarah
tried to make the promise happen by giving her concubine to Abraham, thinking
that would fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham. And that is how
carnal believers always think. They do not trust for God to work out His
Promises, because they really do not trust His Word. So they try to work them
out for themselves and in doing so they always miss the promise. That is what Brother Branham was saying in
this sermon, Seed
not heir with shuck 65-0218 P:65
How true it is, Sarah trying to get the promises all
fulfilled (You see?), in a great, like the church today, a great revival in our
time by what? By a perverted promise. How are you going to do it when God never did bless organizations. He never
did use an organization. When a
message went forth, and they organized, it died right there. I challenge
any historian to show me where it ever raised again. It died right there and stayed right there. God just moved right on out of that carrier into another one, right
on out of the Lutheran into the Methodist, right on out of the Methodist into
the Pentecostals. Now, He's moved right on out of the Pentecostals into the Seed, because it has to be the
Seed. You can't beat nature. There's no nothing else there for it to happen but
the Seed. So the Seed will produce Itself, He's the same yesterday, today, and
forever, the same Pillar of Fire, showing the same signs, the same power, the
same God, the same miracles, the same things. Vindicated the Word and the Bible
just exactly, He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's leading
tonight. God help us to see it and believe it. Sure.
Again from his message Jehovah Jireh
61-0209 P:48 He said, What happened to Luther as
soon as Luther saw the Pillar of Fire? Why, he followed It. But what did he do? After Luther's day, they organized a church called Lutheran. Then it died right there on the
organization, 'cause it's just like the Catholic church. Then, the first
thing you know, along come Wesley. The
Pillar of Fire moved right out of the organization and went on. Wesley saw
it, and away he went after it. And as
soon as the first round died out, they organized it, called it the Wesleyan
Methodist, or the Methodist church. When
they organized it, it died right there. Then the Pentecostal seen it, going
out, not from justification, under Luther, and sanctification under Wesley, but
they saw the baptism of the Holy Ghost, back to the original blessing. Here
they went after it (Oh, my.), went out and begin to speak with tongues and the
power of God working through them. But what did they do? Organized it. It died
right there. But now the Pillar of Fire
is moving out. It's moving again. It'll never... 49 Never one time
did an organization ever rise up that didn't die and never come back again. I
challenge any historian.
And so you see, the
minute men begin to talk of organizing the Message or the Doctrine of Christ, or
the minute they try to take over a man’s ministry whether to protect it or for
whatever motive they have, right there they die and if that ministry allows it,
then that ministry dies along with them. And the Pillar of Fire will move right
on. And those who gravitate to organization will miss the Rapture. It will all
be over very soon, my brother so be very careful not to organize what God is
doing. Just let go and let God have His way. Now, let’s follow through with
what brother Branham is saying here because he really nails down the attitude
that let’s you know the attributes and characteristics of organization.
Brother Branham continues, Jehovah Jireh 61-0209 P:49 49 I'm looking in the face there of one of the
best there is in the nation. That's right. A historian of the historians is
setting right with us. And I'll ask that man, or any other man, to ever show me
one time that a church ever organized, but it didn't die and stay dead. It
never did rise again in the history of the churches of the world: never did.
God don't want that. God wants us to be free in Him. He wants us to a place
where we can accept all of God. Not stay on this mountain; move out. Abraham's
seed. Now, you say, "You're against organization?" No, sir. Organizations is all right, but you draw a
boundary line, cut everybody out but the fellow that don't believe just like
you do. The thing we got to do is stretch out our arms to Lutheran,
Methodist, and all, to a place where we can have fellowship one with another,
while the Blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sins. Till we get to that, we'll just die.
Sit right here and shrivel up like and old shriveled-up apple. And there you
become as puckery as a persimmon, and sit around, "Well, I belong to so
and so." Oh, my. No more life
coming into it. You see? We just can't do that. No, we've got to come and be in Christ Jesus. We're heirs, joint heirs
with Him. Now, till we separate our self from the things of the world...
Now, in getting back to the Sermon Masterpiece we pick
up at the next paragraph where brother Branham said, THE MASTERPIECE 64-0705 138 How many ever seen
a seed--a seed of wheat start to grow? What's the first little thing? It's just
exactly like the seed, but it's the husk. See the three stages? Stalk, tassel
or the pollen, then the husk. And then, out of the husk comes the original
seed. Not a seed, it was the Life of the seed growing through this to come to
the seed. Amen, amen. Do you see it? What is it? A resurrection, coming back to
a Masterpiece again, like the one that went in. Pentecost came out of the
Wesley, because Wesley was an organization. Pentecost come out as no
organization and then turned to one. It had to to make the husk. The true Word
of Life on it was on its way then to the original grain through these stages:
through the stalk, then into the pollen; from the pollen into the husk; and
from the husk it made seed. No... Stalk, tassel, husk.
140
Living, they produced in their early revival a holder of a certain
portion of the seed Life; but when they organized, the Life moved out of it.
That's proved by all history. Never an organization ever done a thing after it
organized. It was dead. That's right. Watch, the life's traveling on now. It's
moving on. Notice. What they have done, all these have done, is proved by
history just exactly the way the church has come, never to be useful to Him
again. Organization is laid on the shelf. There never has been in all the
history of church after it organized, but what it died. And the organization
died and never did raise again. Can't you see it? Men who are blind, open your
eyes. Nature and the Word coordinating together and proving it right here that
this is the Truth, that it is the Truth: That Life leaves the stalk to make the
tassel; from the tassel it makes the husk; and from the husk it goes into the
original again. Notice, never again to be useful to Him.
143
How noticeable this life is in its travel in the corn of wheat than it
is in the tree. God called His people like a tree. See? The life goes down in a
tree and comes back up again, goes down and comes back up. See? It goes down
and comes back up. But in the corn of wheat it goes up from the original stalk
through the stalk, tassel, and husk; and the thing that it passed through dies
so it can't get back through it again. What is it? It's no use any more. It
goes on to its perfection. Amen. Don't you see why He never used an
organization? He can't get back in it again. It's dead. But the Life passes on
from one to the other. See? They put creeds and inject... "Whosoever shall
add one word or take one word out..." See? He's blocked off from it. It must
be the Life seed traveling on.
Now, notice how much
in this Message of the Masterpiece brother Branham is hitting here against
organization, and the sad part is, that people who should know better end up
organizing around a certain ministry or personality instead of holding only to
the word of God, and focusing on that Word and drawing the Life from that word.
But to organize he
said is death, and to organize then is no different than to denominate. To do
so is to die spiritually. Even Jesus taught us that. He said those that
organize are to be gathered for the burning. YOU don’t burn fresh green things.
You burn old dried out things, whether wood or stalks, or husks, or whatever.
Green shows life, and it does not burn easy. But that which is old and dried
out burns quickly.
MATTHEW 13:24 ¶ Another parable put he forth unto them,
saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in
his field: 25 But while men slept,
his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up,
and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the
servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow
good seed in thy field? From whence then, hath it tares? 28 He said unto them,
An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go
and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye
root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest:
and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together
first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the
wheat into my barn.
Notice Jesus points out the
fact that two very different types of life (seed) will be planted alongside of
each other in the same field. The field represents the world, and the sowing is
done first by the owner of the field, and then his enemy comes into his field
and imitates his sowing, but with a different life (seed).
Now if we are interested in
the facts of this parable we see the following:
1. There is one field that the
seed is placed; ie, a woman, we are husbandry,
2. There are two sewers, or
sources of seed the owner of the field, and his enemy.
3. There are two seeds sown,
identifying two different life forms and natures. Wheat and tares.
4. The tare seed is an
intrusion but is allowed to grow up alongside of the wheat until the harvest,
for the sake of the wheat, until the wheat is mature enough to withstand a separation.
5. Separation warfare always
6. There is to be a binding and
bundling of these tares.
7. The tares are destined for
burning.
8. The Wheat is to be gathered
but not bundled and is to be placed in the storehouse of the owner.
Notice two seeds are allowed
to grow up side by side until the time of the harvest. Then a separation is to
take place. First there will be a gathering together of the seed, which the
enemy sowed. The Tares will begin to gather together first.
Jesus uses the word "deo"
in describing this binding together. The word actually means “to bind by placing under obligation.” Now, this binding is needed in order to
control the assembly of tares. And by
placing the people under “obligation,
or binding them through fear”, takes the people from having a focus on the Word, and turns
them towards organization. So we see from this parable that organization binds the
people, keeping them from searching further for more light than what is
available in their church. This is done through programs. Look at every big
church and you will see that the people are not content to come and hear the
minister preach, but you will find many programs going on in those churches.
The larger the congregation, the more programs to keep the people content.
After the tares are bound,
Jesus tells us they are then placed into bundles. Now in using the word bundle,
Jesus is telling us that there is a certain characteristic concerning the
binding together. Although the word for bundle, is a word which can mean "binding,"
Jesus used two different words in describing the process which is to take
place.
He says the reapers will bind
them into bundles. He never said into one bundle, but into bundles.
Thus we see the word "bundles" further defines the process
that these tares must go through, before they are ready for the burning. They
are bound first and then bundled. The use of the plural tells us that there
will be many different bundles, just as we see there are many different
denominations. They are gathered first. This gathering could suggest a very loose
coming together, but by adding the word bundle to further define the binding
process, Jesus shows us "form and symmetry"
and "purpose" will be involved in how they will be
presented for the burning.
A bundle is not just a
rag-tag collection of sticks thrown together in any old direction. But a bundle
suggests to us that all the tares in each bundle will be lined up together, all
going in the same direction, all the same value, measure or purpose. Their
And so we see how
organization, is the means by which the tares are gathered and assembled
together. The church is bound first by a false word, and then by organizing
around that false word, they assemble the people into a more efficient, and
profitable means by which the whole group can be readied for the burning. And
thus when they have captured the minds of the people through fear or
organization, they cause the people to receive in their mind a certain
assessment, or a certain valuation, and that valuation or assessment is
denomination. Thus we should see clearly that the False-Vine is the organized
church. For organization is what binds them together. Then, if this be so, one
of the main attributes of the false vine will be its ability to organize in
numbers and thus utilize efficiencies to preach their false Gospel.
Now a bundle does not
represent a loose knit organization, but one, which has structure and
symmetry. Every stick is heading in the
same direction, and they are there for the same purpose, and they must conform
to some standard in order to fit within the bundle. Now, let's see if this is
not exactly the picture Jesus Himself speaks of concerning the two seeds.
To Fear is not of God.
Paul said in, 2 Timothy 1: 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,
and of love, and of a sound mind. So then we can see by this that to
have fear shows you don't have a sound mind.
In paragraph 118 Lean not to Thy Own Understanding 65-0120,
brother Branham said, You know, the Bible
said you can believe a lie and be damned by it. See? That's exactly the truth.
They form, no matter what the Word of God says, they lean to their own
understanding. They lean on it; they believe it; they think it's the Truth. You
can keep believing a lie over and over and over till it's the truth to you.
That's right. But how do we know whether it's Truth or not? God proved it's
Truth, 'cause it's in His Word and He a-vindicates It. He does His own interpretation
of It. How do they do, get to this? They do it by their culture, their
education, of their understandings of their--the degree of doctor's degree, and
so forth, that they have come from some certain seminary and learned these
things.
Because it is not of
God to fear. Every time the Angel of the Lord came to man, the first words out
of His mouth would be "Fear not! For I have come from the Presence of the
Lord." We find also in 1 John 4: 18 that perfect or mature love casts out fear because
fear has to do with punishment.
Fear causes damage,
because when a person is afraid they become bound by their fears. We read in 1 John 4.
That perfect or
mature Love will cast out fear because fear
has a penalty, it has to do with you freezing and crystallizing
in your thinking. Joseph began to fear that Mary had not been faithful and so
God sent His Angel to tell him not to fear to take Mary as His Wife. What did
fear do here? It caused Joseph to doubt and it caused him to stop moving
forward with the plan of God for his life.
Then when they stop
walking in the Light as he is in the Light the Life goes out and they dry up
and become like the shuck that the wind drives away.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto
them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk
in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 1: 4 In
him was life; and the life was the light of men.
MAN THAT CAN TURN ON LIGHT 63-1229M 74 So life is only by the Word of God made manifest. Life comes
only by the Word of God made manifest. As long as it is just in the Book like
this, it still can be questioned; but when it's made manifest, then you see the
product of what It spoke of being manifested; then that is Light on the Word.
See? That's what brings... The Word said so, and then when it comes to pass,
that is Life in Light, Light bringing Life. Light brings life. Plant the wheat
out here, it'll... You put it in a basement, cover it all over, and it'll never
bring forth anything, because it can't; there's no light there. But as soon as
light strikes it, then it'll bring forth life if it's a germitized seed. That's
the same thing it is in the Word. See, the Word is God, and when the Light
strikes It, it brings the Word to life again. Every age has always been that.
How else could we
Manifest with Him. He is the Word. Then we must become a perfect reflection of
that same word in order to manifest as He Manifests. "IN HIM WAS LIFE AND THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF
MEN". Notice that he said, “the Life is the Light of men, His Life is His
Light or Word. If He then is our Life, our Life must come from His Word. Then
When His word shall manifest Itself, our Life must also manifest the same
thing. Then as Paul said, it is not really our life but His Life in us that is
manifesting. Jesus said, MY WORDS ARE SPIRIT AND THEY ARE LIFE. Then what
is manifesting? It can only be His Word.
And where does fear
fit in? Not at all. Fear has no place in the
Let us pray.