Romans 98
Fervent in Spirit
Brian Kocourek
ROMANS
Let’s bow our hearts and heads in prayer.
Dear Father, we have assembled ourselves this morning to gaze upon your Eternal Word for when we do so, we know that we are looking into the Face of You Almighty God, who are the Word. “For in the Beginning was the Word and the Word was God.” And we know that You have come to us in this hour with a Shout, which is a Message, and Your Great Presence is here and has vindicated Your Message to be The word for this Hour. Then, that being so, Father, we would ask that you would help us to seek that Word with al that we have within us, from the depth of our hearts in sincerity, to the very strength we have within every member of our body, grant Father that we might get ourselves out of the way, and that you might make known to us the un-searchable riches in Christ, for we ask it in Your name, the Name you gave your firstborn also, The Lord Jesus Christ. Amen…
Now, this morning I
would like to continue our study of Romans chapter 12, and we are looking at
verse 11 where we read that we are not to be slothful in business but fervent
in Spirit. Now, in reading this from the King James Version, it would appear
that this is speaking of having a certain way of approach in our business,
perhaps a sort of vigor, or energies, but then it seems to switch thought line
and then says, fervent in spirit. In our society when we use the word business we automatically think
of our place of occupation, or our vocation, and when used in conjunction with
our spiritual fervor, it seems quite odd that Paul would be telling us to be
focusing on our Occupation, and then to be
fervent in the Lord. Because a man can not serve two masters, as Jesus
taught us. Therefore, as you will see, the word used here that was translated
for business is not a proper translation. It is not speaking of business, but
rather zeal.
The Greek word used here that was translated as the word business by the King James Theologians, is the word, spoude (spoo-day) and it means haste or speed. Now, this might seem quite odd that Paul would say, do not be slothful or sluggish in your haste. So I think we should find a translation that would much better speak what Paul was attempting to tell the church here. The rendering used in the King James version here is not very accurate. On the other hand the NIV translation actually gets across the message much more accurately in this case.
NIV ROMANS 12:11 Never be lacking is
zeal, but keep your
spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Notice that both
parts of this verse fit very well when translated as such. Also, you will find
the Wuest Translation saying, “With respect to Zeal, never be lazy…”
So we are looking at
a mindset that would be on guard against getting lazy in our spirit, and
relaxing or getting too laid back. Because that is exactly what happened to the
Church at
THE MASTERPIECE 64-0705 170
The Alpha has become Omega. The first become last; and the last is the first. The Seed
that went in has come through a process and become the Seed again…. 172
The Alpha and Omega is the same.
He said, "I am Alpha and Omega." He never say anything in between,
"I'm Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last." That's it. The first
ministry and the last ministry is the same. The first Message and the last
Message is the same thing. " I was in Alpha; I'm in Omega."
"There'll be a day that won't be called day nor night, but in the evening
time it shall be Light." See? Alpha and Omega; it's become the first and
the last.
So we see that what
took place in the first Message must also come to pass in the last Message, and
what happened in the first Church Age? What was the first church Age? It was
the Ephesian church age, right? PARADOX A 65-0117 89 But
we're promised, according to Revelations 10, and according to Malachi 4, and
Saint Luke 22:17, and so forth, that there is got to come an Ephesians to this.
There is promised it, friends. There
must come an Ephesians, that these sevenfold mysteries of the Word of God
must be unfolded. And it's in the Laodicean age that this takes place. I
believe that we're there. I believe we're right in the shadows of the coming of the
Son of God. And as Joshua, just before the Ephesians raised up, so did John the
Baptist raise up just before the next Ephesians. And we're promised another,
another Ephesians. It's predicted here in the Scripture; therefore, I think that we are living in the Ephesians
again. Back again to... We are promised that what was left off during those
seven ages...
GOD WHO IS RICH IN MERCY 65-0119 29
And now then, we find out that we have
come to another Ephesians, another
And what happened to it? We must find out for if we are to know what is the outcome of this church age, we can simply look at the outcome of the first church age. For Alpha has become Omega, and Brother Branham told us we are in another Ephesians.
Then what about the
church at
I Timothy 1:1-3, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, Which is
our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from
God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at
Now, remember, Alpha
must repeat in Omega. And we see here that this first Age was an Age of
teaching. Paul was the Teacher to the Gentiles. In Chapter 2 of this letter to
Timothy, Paul calls himself a teacher to the Gentiles. I TIMOTHY 2:7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an
apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, [and] lie not;) a teacher of the
Gentiles in faith and verity.
II TIMOTHY
Notice Paul says he
is a teacher to the Gentiles, and then says for this cause I also suffer. For
what cause did he suffer? Because he taught, he was a teacher, and it was his
teaching that he was persecuted for. And then He speaks how that
And so we find great
things happening in
ACTS 19:10 And this continued by the space of two years;
so that all they which dwelt in
Paul was the
founding pastor of the church at
REVELATION 2:1 ¶ Unto
the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth
the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how
thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say
they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne,
and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first
love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the
first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that
thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that
overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the
paradise of God.
In the church age
book we read the following concerning the Ephesians church.
77-1 EPHESIAN CHURCH AGE -
CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 3 The very name,
Again
we find another word about this church in the church age book. 88-2 EPHESIAN CHURCH AGE -
CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 3 The fervent desire to please God, the passion to know His
Word, the cry for reaching out in the Spirit, all begins to fade and instead of
that church being on fire with the fire of God it has cooled off and become a
bit formal. That is what was happening back there to the Ephesians. They were
getting a bit formal. The abandonment to God was dying out and the people
weren't too careful about what God thought of them as they began to be careful
about what the world thought of them. That second generation coming on was just
like
So we see then that
there is a warning to us not to let slip our zeal for the Lord, because that is
exactly what happened to the first Church at
HEBREWS
Now,
we began here by looking at verse 11 where the Apostle Paul said, “Never be lacking is zeal, but keep
your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” And we have found that
the first church lost their first Love for the Word and became relaxed, and
began to drift spiritually. That is the history
of the church. When it thinks more of conforming to the world instead of
conforming to God, it isn't long until you see them stop doing things they used
to do, and start doing things they wouldn't do initially. They change their
manner of dress, their attitudes and their behavior. They get lax. That is what
"
Now, on the other
hand if our zeal is not based on knowledge it will also bring about our destruction. HOSEA 4:6¶ My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that
thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I
will also forget thy children.
And Proverbs 19:2 tells
us It is
not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.
Romans 10:2
For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God,
but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the
righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did
not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that
there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Then if we do not
have His Right-Wise-ness, we are left with only our own right-wise-ness and you
all know that there
is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
PROVERBS 14:12
Now, it is not that these men have no knowledge. It is just that the knowledge they have is not from God. It is a self made knowledge. As Jesus said, “Be careful how you hear for with what measuring instrument you use, so shall it be measured to you.” In other words, if you use your own measuring instrument to know and understand the Word of God, then that is all you will ever attain is what you already know, and you will never come into the Knowledge of God.
Brother Branham told
us that is what denomination is all about. They have a filter over their minds
and they filter everything through their denominational filter. Then everything
they see has a denominational slant to it.
In ISAIAH 50:11 we
read, Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves
about with sparks: walk in the light of your own fire, and in the sparks that
you have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
In other words, if you reject God’s light and make up your own
light, you had better expect to receive no help from God. But He also said, if
you walk in THE Light, as He is IN THE light, you have fellowship one with
another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses you from all your sin which is
unbelief.
Numbers 25:10-13 The LORD said to Moses, 11 "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of
Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as
zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an
end to them. 12
Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. 13 He and his descendants will have a covenant
of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and
made atonement for the Israelites."
In the book of
Isaiah we are told the Lord will come in such a way the it will appear that He
has wrapped Himself in a cloak of Zeal.
Isaiah 59:17 Truth
is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked
and was displeased that there was no justice. 16
He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to
intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness
sustained him. 17
He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his
head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. 18 According to what they have done, so will he
repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the
islands their due. 19
From the west, men will fear the name of
the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he
will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along. (I wonder if that
flood of 37 is what this scripture is speaking of here. ) 20
"The Redeemer will come to
Let’s just bow our heads in prayer. Gracious Father we recognize our day and it’s Message and the condition
of the age in which we are living. Help us Father to be over-comers in this
hour of darkness where the love of many is waxing cold. May we never leave our
first love and may the zeal of the Lord be our staff and our comfort. Gather us
to Your Word, and into Your Presence, and make us a people who are ready, a prepared people who are ready to leave this
dimension, in order to meet your first born Son, for this we ask it in Jesus
Christ’s name.