Rising
of the son no 9
Seed
for Every Season no 8
Attributes
of God Seed pt5 - Obedient to God
October 16, 2016
Brian
Kocourek, Pastor
The next
attribute of God seed that we will examine this morning is The Seed of God is Obedient to the Word of God. And if he is obedient to the Word of God, then I
would like to say, he will Do nothing
but what the Father shows them first.
We know this
because Paul tells us in Romans 8:29 Sons of God are to be conformed to the image of the first
born son, and in John 5:19 and 5:30 Jesus tells us that the Son can do nothing of himself, but
whatsoever he sees the Father do that the son does likewise.
Therefore this
morning we will examine many Scriptures and quotes whereby we will be able to
have a Scriptural understanding for this Attribute and characteristic of God
Seed and also through this study of Scripture we will form a standard by which
we may make our own comparison to measure our own lives to the standard set
before us.
To begin we read
in Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Let us pray:
You may be
seated.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man,
he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross.
Notice Jesus
was totally obedient to the Father in all things.
In John 5:19 we read, "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, The Son can do
nothing of himself, (Jesus is
speaking in total Truth, and total humility. He did not see himself as some
great person, he saw himself through the eyes of a man, a son, an obedient son.)
but what he (the
son) seeth the Father do: for what things soever
he (the Father) doeth, these also
doeth the Son likewise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all
things that He Himself doeth: and he will shew
him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
In his sermon Super sign 59-1227M P:49 Brother Branham said, "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 that 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.
So we see the
main attribute of this First Born Son was that he was an obedient son.
From the Emphatic Diaglott:
Philippians 2:5 we read, "Who, though
being in God's form, yet did not meditate to usurpation to be like God, but divested Himself, taking a bondsman's
form having been made in the likeness of
men, and being in condition as a
man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross.
Amplified: Philippians
2:5 Who,
although being essentially one with God
and in the form of God (possessing
the fullness of the attributes which make God, God), did not think this equality with God was a
thing to be eagerly grasped or retained: But stripped himself
of all privileges and rightful dignity so as to assume the guise of
a servant or slave, in that He became
like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form He abased and humbles Himself still
further and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death
of the cross.
Now, this
obedience was not to men, nor to the Temple, but His obedience was to His
Father who is God. And that same Attribute is to be found in all sons of God.
and that attribute is what God is looking for in each son to see whether that
son will be worthy of adoption and placing as a son.
After all, did not God promise us in the Book of
Jeremiah 7:23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and
ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you,
that it may be well unto you.
So we cannot
even claim Him to be our God if we are not obedient to what He tells us in His
Word.
Once more we read this same verse from
yet another translation called the New international Version or NIV: for short.
Philippians 2:5 Who
being in very nature God; did not
consider equality with God something to be grasped. But made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in the appearance of man, he
humbled himself and became obedient to death, - even death on a cross.
And this Obedience to the Father was not
a demonstration of fear, but rather a demonstration of how much He loved the
Father.
John 8:29 And he
that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
So Jesus
entire motive and objective was to please the Father.
2 Peter 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from
the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.
In fact nothing
Jesus did was to please self, but to please the Father.
Romans 15:3 For even
Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them
that reproached thee fell on me.
And Since as Sons
we are to be conformed to the image of the first born son, the apostle John tells
us in 1 John 3:22
And whatsoever we ask,
we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
We even find that
was the testimony of Enoch in Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he
should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for
before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Colossians 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto
all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the
knowledge of God;
And we find that
God will even separate Himself from those that are not pleasing to Him.
1 Corinthians 10:5 But with many of them God was not well
pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Therefore
we must know how to please God, and the answer is found in the Book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 11:6 But without
faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Now in getting back to Jesus obedience to
the Father, we see in John 14:31 But that the world may know, may Ginosko
May have a knowing based upon an experiential knowing. That the World may know that I love the
Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.
Notice, this demonstration of Jesus
obedience to the Word and Will of His Father was an outward manifestation to
us, and therefore showed others through his obedience, that He fully understood
His relationship with the Father was that of a son, an obedient son, fully
subject to the Father, and thus through this act of obedience, we have an
outward expression or example that tells us that Jesus knew and understood
exactly His position under His Father and in being obedient he showed us that
He knew who he was and who His Father was. And when we become totally and
completely obedient to the Father's commands, His Word, our body is confessing
to all that we too know who we are in relation to our Father.
Therefore, the
"manifestation
of the sons of God" that Paul speaks of in Roman 8 is not
for the purpose of showing the world our power, but rather is for the purpose
of letting the world "know that
we know who we are" and "who our Father is".
From his
sermon, Identified with Christ 59-1220E 78 brother
Branham said, "And now, if you can see it by faith, before the real desire
ever strikes you, come forward, be identified with Him in baptism. And then, as
you're planted in the likeness of His death, you shall also share in His likeness in the resurrection.
For when He come from the grave, He was the same Jesus that went into the
grave. And if we be in Christ (how do we get in? By Holy Spirit
baptism.), at that day we'll come forth and share in His resurrection.
There used to be a little song that I used to sing years ago. To be like
Jesus, to be like Jesus, On earth I long to be like Him. All through life's
journey From earth to Glory, I only ask to be like Him. ...79 Share in
His meekness, you'll share also in His power. Share in His obedience, and you'll
share in His resurrection. Do as God says do. In my heart the greatest thing
that I could think of is to be like Jesus Christ, to be identified with Him.
There's why I baptize the people in the Name of Jesus Christ, because He is
our Identification. We pack the identification. "Whatsoever you do in word or in deed do it in the Name of
Jesus Christ, giving praise to God for it."
And we are identified with Him in baptism.
And from this sermon we are studying, brother Branham's Rising of the Sun 65-0418 1M
pp:127 he said, "And now (see?), now you are already resurrected.
When God raised Him up, He raised you; the Son is just now on you. And now
you're growing into a blossom Life like He was, to be resurrected completely in
that last day. Your potentials you have now. Why do you know? Your
soul changed, didn't it? Your body come in obedience to It, didn't it?
Into obedience to
what? A Church? The Word, which is the Life. Then you are now
resurrected from the dead. You
potentially have the Earnest, the waiting. Now, when you get the Dynamics, you have been quickened from
mortal to immortality. It makes the whole body come subject to the Word.
It'll make you act different, look different, live different; It'll just
make you different. Then (notice
now, as we close; notice this) notice, it's just like a little seed laying
in the ground. Now, potentially, you are resurrected. You're resurrected
when you receive the Holy Spirit in you; you're resurrected right then.
Your body's potentially resurrected.
In other words,
our soul is already made alive, and we are just waiting for our body to become
commensurate with the Life that has quickened our soul.
Romans 8:11 But if
the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up
Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are
debtors, not to the flesh, to live after self. 13 For
if ye live after self, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of self, ye shall live. 14 For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;
but ye have received the Spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself (God's own
Spirit) beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God:
And how does God's Spirit bear witness
with your spirit? When His Spirit tells you in your spirit to do, and then you
do what He has told you to do. That is why He says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God. And then immediately after that he
says, but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption ... And when you have received the Spirit of Adoption, all you want to do
is to please the Father and so Paul adds, then "The
Spirit itself (God's own Spirit) will bear witness with your
spirit, that you are the children of God.
From his
sermon, Hear ye Him 58-0209A P:32 brother
Branham said, "You brethren know that from the Scripture. But if he was
an obedient son, and when he become to a certain age, that same son was
taken out into a public place, before the public, and he was put up on a high
place; and there the father put a robe on him, and he adopted his own son into
his family.
And from
another sermon he preached by the same title, Hear ye Him
59-0424E P:40 Brother
Branham said, "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 I... 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.
41 Then, if
that child was obedient, then there's set a certain day when he become of age.
Now, the Pentecostal church ought to be of age; forty years old or better,
about fifty. So, it should be of age. Then there comes a day when that son
becomes... He's going
to be adopted or placed. (You brethren, what I'm trying to say,
placing of a son. You understand what I mean.) He's to be placed, positionally.
He becomes heir.
Now, they take him out in the streets, and they put him, on a certain garment.
And they have a ceremony. And after that ceremony, this child is placed or
adopted into the same family he was born into, and his name's just as good
on a check as his daddy's is. That's right. He falls heir. He's positionally placed.
42 And that's
what God was doing here for His son, because He had found Him...
Hallelujah! He found Him: "This is My beloved Son." God took Him up there on the
mountain, brought down the witnesses from heaven, brought up the witnesses from
earth. And what did He do? He dressed Him in a robe of immortality. His raiment
shined like the sun. Hallelujah! (Don't let that scare you; that means
"praise our God.") Robed Him in a robe of immortality, and spoke,
"This
is My beloved Son." What? "I'm placing Him. I'm stepping back from
the picture. This is My beloved Son. Hear ye Him."
Again from yet
another sermon called Hear ye Him 57-0807 P:25 brother
Branham said, "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.
Again from
still yet another sermon he called Hear ye Him 57-0519A P:40 Brother
Branham said, "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.
And the Apostle
Peter who was one of the earthly witnesses said in 1 Peter 1:14
As obedient children,
not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
In the old
testament we see this as well in Deuteronomy 11:26-27 Behold, I set before
you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the
commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
And again we
read in the book of Acts that God will give His Spirit to those who obey Him.
Acts 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
And why is that?
Because he can only give His spirit to His children, because when he gives us
His Spirit, His life, we then are born into His family.
1Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and
peace, be multiplied.
Remember, it was
the first born son of God who said, 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.
There's your son
of God attribute, there's that characteristic of God Seed.
In fact Jesus
said in Matthew
12:50 For
whosoever shall do the will of my Father
which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
1John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of
God perfected: (matured) hereby know we that
we are in him.
2 Corinthians 10:5-6 5 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; 6 And having
in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your
obedience is fulfilled.
From his
sermon Is your life worthy 63-0630E P:122 brother
Branham said, "But Paul, when the Light struck him, let's compare his life
and see whether it's worthy. What happened? When Paul, the Light struck him,
he forsook all of his knowledge and got away from that intellectual group, and
he walked in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. (Glory to God.) But as smart as he
was, he never even used big words. When he come from amongst them Corinthians,
he said, "I never come to you with the
wisdom of men. I never come to you with swelling words, because you'd put your
faith in that, but I come to you in simplicity, in the power of the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, that your faith would be in there." There's a life. Watch it. He never used his
education. He never walked with the intellectual bunch. He walked in the
Spirit of Christ, humble,
obedient to the Word of
God when It was very much contrary to their creeds. But Paul
saw the Light and walked in it (That right?), letting the Life of Christ
reflect Jesus Christ to the age that he lived in, that the people might
see the Spirit of God in him. And the humble believed it so much
till they even wanted to bring handkerchiefs in. They'd take them off of his
body. And they believed it so much... He was such a representation of Jesus Christ till
whatever he touched they believed was blessed. Yes. What a man that
was. Give his life, his riches, his everything he had, his education,
forgot all to walk down with fishermen, and beggars, and bums on the street,
to let his lights
reflect the love of Jesus Christ. He said, "I've been striped across the back forty and nine times. Don't
bother me, 'cause I bear in my body the marks of Jesus Christ." The poor little fellow in such a terrible condition,
he said, "I bear in my body the marks of
Jesus Christ." What a different from
this great dignitary with the priests all around him.
Easter seal 65-0410 P:75 Watch the
action of those disciples: a-scared? They knowed Jesus was the truth; but you
see, it was against the popular idea, the popular religion of the hour. The
most strictest religion--Pharisees, Sadducees, and so forth (their cults, clans
and denominations) they were against that heresy; but Jesus was the
identified Word, and Jesus is the Holy Ghost in Spirit. "A little while and the world seeth Me no more, you shall see Me," not the
body, the Life that
was in Him: God is upon the church to call sons like He did
then, obedient;
"I
always do that which is pleasing to My Father. Which one of you can accuse Me
of sin." In other words, sin is unbelief. "What has the Word said about Me that I
haven't done? (There it is.) Show Me what the Word said that I'd do that I didn't do? Which one can accuse Me? Which one can lay your fingers on Me and
say that I haven't fulfilled My Father's Word?"Oh, when
the Pentecostal church gets to that spot, "Who can accuse Me of unbelief?"
That is exactly
what Jesus said. John 6:38 For
I came down from heaven, not to do mine
own will, but the will of him that sent me.
1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
John 7:16-18 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If
any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God,
or whether I speak of
myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh
his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no
unrighteousness is in him.
Seed shall possess the gate
61-0212E P:20 Then God was so pleased with complete obedience.
God had tried his patriarch. He had tried his servant. And every son that cometh to God must be what?
Tried. Chastened. That's where that many fall away, because we can't
stand that trial. A person come to the altar in time of revival. And you'll
watch just a little while, and the hot trials begin to come. Jesus plainly
taught it, said, "The sower went forth sowing seed. Some fell by the wayside,
some fell into stony ground, and amongst thorns and thistles, and the others
fell over in good ground." And He said that's the way the Word went,
goes out. Some hears the Word, go out; birds come along, pick it up. See, they
don't--don't do no good at all. Others come up overnight. Oh, they're going to
do great things. But when the trials begin to come, it chokes them down. But
some goes all the way over into good ground, and that brings forth a
hundredfold.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the
will of my Father which is in heaven.
Token the 63-1128E P:78 When you fully obey the Word of God, in full
surrender to It, you're entitled to the Token. Yes, sir. Obedience, "Not he that saith,
'Lord, Lord,' but he that doeth the will." And
when we pray, we must have the Token to present with our prayer. Just exactly
like we do when we go to the bus station and say, "I want to ride." "Where
you going?" "So-and-so."You've got to have the token, if a
token's required. You must have the token. You say, "Well, wait a minute,
I'm Mr. Jones. Now, let..." That don't make a bit of difference; you've
got to have the token. "Well, I tell you what; I'm in a hurry to my work. I
ain't got time to fool with it." You'll either have the token or you
won't have the token. If you don't have the token, you won't ride. If you got
a ticket and go out here to the airplane, and say, "I want to go to New
York City.""Ticket? Token?"You say, "Well, I'll tell you, I
haven't got it. I'm a pretty good sort of a guy. I'll pay you someday."
No, sir, you have the token; you have to have it in your hand. It has to be
displayed. It has to be. Oh. You see what I mean? You've got to have It. You ain't got to just think so;
it's got to be
identified Token. Right. It entitles you, when you pay the...
When you accept the price that's been paid... Yes, sir.
Token the 64-0208 P:9 That's what He
was requiring that night to separate the believers from the unbelievers. The
believer worshipper was identified with his sacrifice. He must apply the blood.
It wasn't take and kill the lamb, set the blood out there somewhere, or keep it
in a charger, take it down to the neighbors. He had to apply the blood.
That's the way it is tonight. We could come and sympathize with everything
God does, that isn't what He requires. You've got to apply it. It's not sufficient until you
apply it. The blood must be applied. That shows that you are
identified. The worshipper laid his hand upon the lamb and then killed it,
identify himself with the sacrifice.
Court trial 64-0412 P:29 Like we claim
to be saved. They say, "Well, show me how you're saved." My life
proves I'm saved. The
way I act proves whether I'm saved or not. No matter how much I
testify, about a year you'll know how I live, whether I'm saved or not. Same
way it is by healing. If you accept it and believe it, you're going to act
like it. There's going to be such a change in you, there's nothing can take
it out of your mind, no more than your salvation. It's God's Word. You've
got to accept it on the same basis. By faith you are saved. Jesus said to
the woman that touched His garment, He said, "Thy faith has saved thee."
Shalom 64-0119 P:34 Your life proves whether Jesus is with you or not. Your life
shows whether He's occupied here, or whether He's still in His heavens or not,
whatever you are. "The
works that I do shall you do also." How could you have Christ in
you, and then the very Spirit in you deny His Word, take up a creed instead?
It can't do it. He would defeat Himself by denying His Own Word. Just because
somebody put a wrong interpretation to It? You got a Bible, you can read like
anybody else. Be sincere. David said, "Put Him always before your face." Know that when we're meeting this
new year, we're meeting it in the power of the resurrection of Christ. "He's always before me. I shall not be
moved."
Why little Bethlehem 63-1214
P:98 Somebody said the other day, "Why, we believe you to be a
prophet."I never said that. I don't tell. I ain't no prophet; I'm just
God's servant here trying to tell you the truth. That's all. Let me tell you;
the Word of God stands for that. He said, "The daughters of Zion, the branch that
escaped in that day of all its contamination, it'd be glorious in the sight of
the Lord." Cut through, women; you got your place to
cut through, worldly Hollywood and picture shows, and all this television stuff
that you try to pattern after, dress yourself sexy out on the street. And
someone said, "Why, the people want you to teach them how to receive the
Holy Ghost and how to get..."Say that you got the Holy Ghost, and then
deny the Word? Your own life proves you haven't got It. See? Now, I'm not
angry. I'm just telling you what's the Truth. Look at yourself and find out.
Paul said, "If an
angel from heaven taught anything else, let him be accursed," Galatians 1:8. That's right.
Perfect faith 63-0825E P:54 Now, watch. Perfect
faith is pure, just as pure as love is. See? Now, when you love somebody,
and you love your husband, or you love your wife... Now, there's no need of
anybody telling you you don't do it, because you do do it, and you know you do it. Now, if I'd ask you,
"How can you prove you do it?" "Oh, I prove it by the way I live
to him. (See?) I'm a true, honest wife. I'm a loyal, honest husband, and that
proves to me that I love my wife, or I love my husband." See, your life proves what you
are. It's the same thing Christianity does. See? Your
faith, you have confidence in one another; it's pure. And there's something
real, that you can't show it to somebody else, yet you got it, and your actions
prove it.
Obedience is not saying yes, I will do it. Obedience is doing it whether
you say you will or not. Many say they believe the Message but how many are
actually living it. Many say I am crucified with Christ but how many have Christ living in
them?
Investments
63-0803B P:42 Now, there's where we find the great trouble today
is, the church knows the Scripture. Here this institution that this
young fellow here just come from, and this Baptist brother setting here, they
know that Word. They are students of the Word. And yet if they say, "Well,
we believe it; we accept it."It's just like a bottle of medicine, a cure.
See, not morally cure; it
reproduces the Life of Christ. See? If you take the Gospel,
then you become part of the Gospel. And if you become a part of it, like
Peter, James, and John, and them, did on Pentecost, your life is another
living Book of Acts. There's no way out of it. Jesus said, in Mark
16, "These signs shall follow them that believe." But the people are learning, and go through
seminaries and schools to learn it, but don't want none of it themselves, yet they think that they got it.
See? They think that they got it, but the actions speaks louder than all the
words. See, your life proves it, whatever you are.
The
Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your
life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (And then he
said if you indeed have died to self, and are living the Life of Christ, then) 5 Mortify
therefore your members which are upon the earth; and then he lists a bunch of attributes
of self. And he says if you really got
the goods, you will die first to self and all the attributes of self. Then the
Life of Christ will live itself out in you. And if you have not mortified or
killed off the attributes of self, then you have not died to self. and if you
have not died to self, then you Christ is not living in you.
Let us pray...