Spoken
Word no. 150
Until
Christ be formed in You
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
March 27,
2010
This evening I would like
to take our text and thus our subject from Galatians chapter 4.
But before I do, I
want you to know that unless you are ordained to see what I am going to teach
you , you will never get it. It will pass right over your head.
Brother Branham said from his sermon, Leadership
65-1207 P:63 Now, you're
ordained to Life. You see It if you're ordained to see It. If you're not ordained to see It, you won't
see It. Said, "They
have eyes but they can't see, ears and can't hear."
How thankful you should be, church. How you should straighten yourself up from
these things. How you should be on fire for God. That your eyes beholds what
you see, your ears hears the things you see. Leadership. Why did you come here
tonight to hear a message like This? I'm branded across the world by the
churches as a fanatic. Why did you come? The Holy Spirit led you here (See,
see?) to listen. Circumcise, cut away your things of the world, accept the
leadership of Jesus Christ, or you'll perish as sure as the world.
Now, as you are aware,
in Chapter 4 of the book of Galatians the Apostle Paul speaks to us concerning
our adoption as sons of God, and it is in this chapter also that Paul stresses
to us the path we must take on our way to the adoption of sons. He speaks of
the Adoption whereby we are placed under tutors and governors until the time
appointed of the Father.
Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith
in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Now, let’s also skip ahead to chapter 4 and read from
verse 19 as well for our text and for our subject tonight.
19 My
little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in
you,
Let us pray, Dear
Father we see here that we are commanded not only to put on Christ, but we are
also informed that Christ is to be formed in us. Therefore, we know there is
something special about this command that we are not to take lightly. For we
must be like Him, if we are to reign with Him. Therefore help us to better
understand what it is that you have for your children to know in this late
hour, concerning putting on Christ and Christ being not only visible outwardly
in the way we act, dress and conduct our lives, but also as he said, until
Christ be formed in us. we need to know father what it is that is going on
today, as we see the world falling apart and as we see so much corruption in
the world through politics and even politics in the church world. People so
caught up into what is happening in the world that they are unaware of what you
are doing in your elect at this very moment. Help us Father to see what you see
and hear what you hear for we ask it in Jesus Christ’s name, amen!
Now, we have read two
very important passages of Scripture this evening, from Galatians 3:27 and from Galatians 4:19.
I would like for you to write that down these two verse to keep them before you
in this last hour as the one thing you must be focusing upon, for this is the
hour when the spirit of adoption must be overtaking the elect if we are to be
ready for the next phase of the rapture which is the voice of the resurrection.
We have already
received the Shout which is the Message. Paul told us in Ephesians 1:17-18 that the spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of the Father would come to us in order
to get us ready for the adoption of sons.
In Ephesians 1: 3 Paul begins by
speaking of our being in God and thus a part of Him before the world was even
fashioned. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love:
Then Paul tells us in
verse 5 that we have already been not only selected out, but our destiny has
been predestined to the adoption of children.
5 Having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will,
Then in verse 10 he tells us that we have been invited
to a big family gathering where we are to receive our inheritance as sons.
10 That in the dispensation of
the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in
him: 11 In whom also we
have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of
him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
He then tells us that at that time, the time of this
great gathering of the family, we will by that time, be completely manifesting
the values, opinions, and judgments of our Father.
12 That we should be to the
praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Now, praise is something that you do outwardly with
your lips and your actions. So we will be expressing the great Glory of God,
His Doxa which is His opinion, His values, and His judgments.
Then of course he tells us how that this will all come
about, because in verse 13-14 he speaks of our being born again, which we
must be part of the family by birth before we can be adopted into the family as
the right kind of son.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after
that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise
of his glory.
Then in verse 17-18 he tells us how that after we have
heard the word of truth, after we have received been baptized into one by one
Holy Ghost Spirit, then we are to receive the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
in the knowledge of the Father.
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, That’s Jesus’ God and
your God, 17 That
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, (the Father of Doxa, the Father of Opinion,
values and judgments) may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (So who is going to give us this spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Himself? God has come down to give it
to us. and why is he to do this?) 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, 19 And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his
mighty power,
Now, in getting back to
our text from Galatians
3:27 and Galatians 4:19 this is important for us to
understand seeing that He is speaking of Children, and then swings into the
adoption of children. After all, did not Jacob present himself to his Father as
the first born son in every way in order to receive the blessing of the
firstborn? Did not Jacob come looking
like Esau and smelling like Esau, and even doing the works of Esau when he made
the pottage that he was famous around the camp for making? And did he not come feeling
like Esau when he placed hair from an animal on his arms, and he smelled like
Esau when he put on Esau’s clothing, and he spoke like Esau and even came in
Esau’s name. And that is what Paul speaks of when he says that as many as were
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. So we are to put on Christ. And yet
Paul will let us know in the next few verses that it is not something that is
to be done outwardly, but inwardly, and that is the difference between what
Jacob did and what we are to do in this hour.
And in Galatians 3:28 Paul
tells us this adoption of children is a universal thing, He says, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
So as children we will all be equal. There will not be
any big ones or little ones, we will all be about the same age, between 16 and
20 whenever the height of our life in these mortal bodies.
Thirsting for life 57-0613 P:70 And we're no more, we're not greater than
one another. We're all the same. If
a person isn't no more than a little housewife, she's just as much in the
Notice then in Galatians 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long
as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be lord
of all; So even the apostle Paul tells us that we are no different than the rest
except that we are children of our God and Father. Oh if the children of God
could ever get that into their thinking, you wouldn’t see squabbles in the
church of the living God. There is so much name calling and things because we
don’t yet understand that we are all one big family of sons and daughters of
God.
2 But
although we are sons and daughters,
our Father who happens to be God has set us under tutors and governors until the time
appointed of the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were
in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the
time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under
the law,
5 To
redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption of sons. 6 And because
ye are sons, (God your Father
does something,) God
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son
into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. (Not a separate
spirit but the spirit of His Son, a son-ship spirit, because if the Son of God
was the original seed, then every seed must come forth after the image of the
original seed. That’s God’s law of life in Genesis 1:11) 7 Wherefore thou art
no more a servant, but a son; and if a
son, then an heir of God through Christ. 8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not
God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 9 But
now, after that ye have known God, or
rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly
elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you,
lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. (In other
3ords, Paul says, hey you guys, quit acting like a bunch of loused bound
heathens. And start acting like sons of God which you are.) 12 Brethren, I beseech
you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. 13 Ye know how through
infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the
first. 14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised
not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as
Christ Jesus. 15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for
I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out
your own eyes, and have given them to me. 16 Am I therefore become your
enemy, because I tell you the truth? 17 They
zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they
would exclude you, that ye might affect them. 18 But it is good to be zealously
affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
Yeah, they would exclude you, but that is always the
way when a son is on his path to adoption, he is always excluded, rejected by
his brothers, because no one knows what God is dealing with you except you
yourself. So they get all kinds of ideas and try to insert their own motives
for what you are doing when the only motive you have is to be an obedient son.
You remember our sermons on the path to adoption? How Joseph when he came to
recognize his position in the family, jealousy caused his brothers excluded
him. Not just exclusion but total rejection.
SHALOM 64-0119 173 078 "Because I believe the Bible, you
don't have fellowship with us no more. We can't accept you because thatt you
believe such-and-such." And you know it's exactly the way the Word's
written. God's duty bound to you to back that up then. He certainly is. Don't
matter about that, why they say to make fun of us. God's a jealous God. Remember,
suffering for His Word's sake is growing pains of His grace. When you suffer
for His Word's sake, it's just growing pains. You know how
a little kid, ten, twelve years old, gets pains. Come in, say, "Mama, my
arms hurt and my legs are hurting," so forth. It's growing pains. It shows
he's got some good vitamins. He's growing up.
Not just exclusion but total rejection. And we saw that with David, and Daniel, and Moses,
and Paul, and Jesus and William Branham. But every son that cometh to God must
first be tried and tested, that is God’s way with every son so you better get
used to it.
Now, let’s read from verse 19 because this is where I
want to focus the rest of our time this evening.
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be
formed in you,
Notice that Paul tells us that Christ is to be formed
in us. That word formed was translated from the Greek word moorphoo which means to
form , fashion or sculpt.
The word form means 1.
a. To give form to; to shape the form of b. To develop in
the mind; conceive: 2. a. To shape or mold into a particular form. d.
To fashion, train, or develop by instruction or precept: form a child's
mind. 3. To come to have; develop or acquire: form a way of life.
So the Apostle Paul is telling us that there is a
process going on right now, that Christ is being formed in us. But the problem
is that some have sat around this Message and haven’t changed a bit in the 20
or 30 years that they have had access to the Message, and that means something
is very, very wrong with that picture. Brother Branham said from his sermon, Anointed ones at end time 65-0725M P:168 You think that Life would ever go back after
that old shuck's dried up, ever go back and live in it again? It never does.
"For it is impossible for those
which were once enlightened and didn't move on with the Word as it come to pass..."
They're dead, gone. "And the thorns and thistles which is nigh unto
rejection, whose end is to be burned..."
And Paul told us in Ephesians 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the
whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That
he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened
with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That
Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May
be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and
depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of
Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye
might be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power
that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
From his sermon, Divine healing 54-1219M P:59 brother Branham
said, Now, you notice those people who set and
say, "Well, I accept the Lord." You take their word for it. I would
too. I can't judge. God does. But in ten years from now, they've never progressed a bit, just staying right in the same old
place. See? We grow daily. Each
day our heart hungers, keeps moving on. There's
something growing inside of you. Amen. You get bigger, spread out, can take
more,… Paul said, "When you..." Told the Corinthians church, said,
"You're maturing growing. But when you ought to be teachers,
you're still babes needing teaching (Is that right?) when you ought to be teachers,"
something in there growing out, pushing out, making bigger, the Holy Spirit,
growing. The new birth... If a birth is born from the outside, from the
inside out, the child, it grows if it lives. If it doesn't, it remains. Is that
right? Well, when a birth is on the
inside, shouldn't it grow? The Christ in your heart ought to be growing daily,
getting bigger, more powerful, understanding things better, forgiving, walking
on as God would, till Christ be formed in you, the hope of glory.
2 Corinthians 13: 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be
reprobates?
Now, as I’ve been teaching, “Christ Jesus died for you that you might
live, therefore, Your Father wants you must die to self, that Christ might live
again in you”. That is what the Father wants to see in every son that
cometh to Him? He wants to see His first born son living again in you. And as brother Branham said, when Christ begins to
come alive in you the world will hate you for it. Mary never suffered until
Christ begin to form in her, and you haven’t got a clue to what it means to
suffer until Christ be formed in you.
Paul said in Romans 8:14 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 bears witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God,
and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we
may be also glorified together. 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. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature
waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
All creation is waiting for the sons of God to
manifest The Son of God in them. For the Son of God manifested Himself as God’s
Uniquely begotten son through His obedience. “Though he was a son, yet learned he obedience
by the things he suffered.”
So suffering is in the process of becoming sons, my
brothers and sisters, whether you want it or not. Every son that cometh to God
must first be tried and tested.
Joseph wasn’t rejected until God bore witness with his
spirit that he was a son. David, was just a kid left to himself until God bore
witness to his spirit that he is a son. Daniel, Paul, Jesus, William Branham. Every
son that comes to God must be tried and put to the test through suffering. That
is the path to adoption and that is how God separates you out from all the
rest.
Let me share a few
quotes here that br. Joar passed along to me. They fit so well with what I’ve
been teaching, I think you will enjoy them. Brother Branham said from his
sermon…
WE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR 63-1216 109 052 Now, notice as we go on now. I won't
take too long, try not to. Notice when we find going on, when Jesus... Now, I
think if... The little children here won't
understand, but I got to say something here so the adults will... When
Christ Jesus was being formed in Mary, that's when the persecution set in.
That's right. That's right. That's
when her persecution started. And it's the same thing in you. Galatians 4:19, says that when Christ the hope of glory formed, formed in you... Christ
is being formed in you, when you are dying and Christ is coming to
Life. Watch the persecution set in; watch trouble start on every
hand; watch the Devil go on a rampage, certainly, when Christ is being
formed in you.
Let me read that
again, because that is what I have been preaching for the past three years now,
and we are coming into a greater understanding of this Life that is being
brought to birth in us more and more as we progress towards our adoption.
Galatians 4:19, says that when Christ the hope of glory formed, formed in you... Christ
is being formed in you, when you are dying and Christ is coming to
Life. Watch the persecution set in; watch trouble start on every
hand; watch the Devil go on a rampage, certainly, when Christ is being
formed in you.
That’s what the battle
is all about friends. That’s what we are coming more and more into.
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. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon
the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence,
and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which
things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger,
wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie
not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is
renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where
there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian,
Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put
on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing
one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any:
even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the
bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your
hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 18 Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 19 Husbands,
love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20 Children, obey
your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 21 Fathers,
provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 22 Servants,
obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as
menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23 And
whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the
inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 But
he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there
is no respect of persons.
PAUL A PRISONER OF CHRIST
63-0717 22-6 068 Moses become a prisoner, confessed he couldn't even
talk. Finally, when God got him in His hand where he could only move where God
moved him... Where... He told him the Word. He knew it was the Word. Then he
submitted himself to the Word, and the Holy Spirit
there, God, harnessed Moses to the will
of God. That's the same thing He done to
Paul. That right? He harnessed Paul, little crooked nose, sarcastic
Jew. Paul, with Ph.D., and LL.D.'s wrote all over him, but He said, "I'm
going to show him what he's going to suffer for the Word's sake."
Paul a prisoner of Christ 63-0717 P:82 Listen, we're at the end time, and I would
say this with reverence and respect as the last couple of minutes is floating
by. Look what God, to my opinion, will
do and must do and will do in this last days, is to find a tool for the harvest.
He's got to find a tool to thresh the floor. Any farmer, when he goes to his
harvest, he has to have a tool to do it with. Certainly. He's got to have a
sharp sickle or something, some instrument to thresh out the grain. And the
harvest is ripe." God, take us in
Your hands. Make us bond servants of Your love. Use us for tools to bring
the realization to this sinful cursed earth that we're living in today, that
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. For myself: God, let me
be a prisoner. If all my brethren turn
me down, if all my friends turn me down, I want to be a prisoner of Jesus
Christ and His Word, that I might be harnessed to His Word by the Holy Spirit,
to see the Holy Spirit make the Word of God be confirmed by the same things
that He said would be done. I want to be a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
Paul a prisoner of Christ 63-0717 P:70 Harnessed himself, and he went down.
Finally God had a man that was subject to Him, harnessed to Him and could not move until the Word of God moved him.
If people would just do that today...Then
he was His prisoner--a prisoner of love,
yoked up in the bond of love with God, as Paul was yoked up in the bond of
love to God, just like Paul. Both of them trained the same way... Moses
trained, you know, to deliver the children of
Paul a prisoner of Christ 63-0717 P:69 And then Paul setting there and seeing the
Word and seeing that that was Jesus, then he raised up his hands and become harnessed to Him. The love of God harnessed him to the Word.
"He's going to bear My Name before the Gentiles." There he
went." Moses, I am the God of your fathers; I'm the God of Abraham, Isaac
and of Jacob. I remember, I promised them; and the time of the promise is near.
And I see the afflictions of My people. I remember My promise. And I have come down to harness you. You
know what the Word says. I harnessed you
to go down there, harnessed you with power to go down there and deliver My
people. Take that stick in your hand as a witness, 'cause you seen a
miracle done by it." Just like David with the sling shot.
Paul a prisoner of Christ 63-0717 P:41 And
today, as servants of Christ, we
become harnessed, hooked up. We
can't go anywhere without It being with us, harnessed to the Word. No matter what anyone else says, you're
harnessed to It. There's something about It that you just can't get away from It. You been yoked up with It by the
Holy Ghost, and yoked you to the Word. And no matter what anyone else says,
It's the Word that is always. Harnessed up with It, put in the yoke with It...
To the Word by the Spirit, he was harnessed. He had learned on the back side of
the
Let’s pray…