Spoken Word no. 235
“Where there’s great need, there’s passion”
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
March 23rd, 2011
Let’s open our Bibles this evening to the Book of Luke
and we will read from the beginning.
Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered
together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon
another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the
leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 For there
is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid,
that shall not be known.3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light;
and that which ye have spoken in the ear
in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
Now, look, if the
governments fear a little website like “Wikileaks” so much what about the day
when the secrets of the heart shall be made know unto all men. For there is nothing covered, that shall not
be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall
be heard in the light; and that
which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the
housetops. And one of these days you will have to give account
of all your idle words.
That is exactly what
Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 where
Jesus said, But I
say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give
account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be
justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid
of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they
can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath
power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Now, surely there is
only one who has power over life and death of the soul and that is God, so fear
God. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter: Fear
God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Now, in getting back to Luke 12 let’s continue with
our reading. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two
farthings, and not one of
them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all
numbered. Fear not therefore: ye
are of more value than many sparrows.
And is not that what God said about his saints? Psalms 116: 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
As we mentioned a couple weeks ago, this word precious was
translated from a Hebrew word “Yaqra”
pronounced yaw-Kawr and it means costly,
highly valued, valuable. So we see that our Lord considers it very
costly to Him when one of His saints dies. Costly in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. And
Jesus said, not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all
numbered. Fear not therefore: ye
are of more value than many sparrows.
Now verse 8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess
me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the
angels of God: Now, we know this word
confess was translated from the Greek word homologeo which was made up of two Greek
words, homo which means the same and logeo which is the Word. So Jesus is saying, Also I say unto you,
Whosoever shall say the same Word about me before men, him shall the Son of man
also say the same Word before the angels of God:
9 But he that denieth me (he that says no to
me, he that will not speak of me) before men shall be denied (disowned) before the angels of God. 10 And whosoever shall
speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him
that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto
magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same
hour what ye ought to say.
Now, Jesus is talking about our confession here and
the importance of that confession and that walk before God and man, and yet the
people listening to him were not even listening to what he was talking about.
You can see that very plainly in the kind of questions that they asked of him
immediately after speaking of them about the importance of our confession and
taking our stand. Notice the very next verse…
13 And one of the company said unto him,
Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. Now, how well did
that question align itself with what he was just talking about?
That is the thing I have noticed over the years when I
travel, is what kind of questions the people or even the ministers ask. You can
tell those who are fixed on the doctrine of Christ and the importance of
understanding the doctrine for the hour. Their questions are not trivial, and
they are not about the ABC’s, but rather they are questions that delve deeper
into the relationship that God had with His son, that they might better
understand what it is that God is doing in this hour, so they might be a part
of what God is doing.
But this guys question was not on wanting to know in
order to please the Father in a greater way, but rather what can I get out of
this for myself? Master,
speak to my brother, that he divide the
inheritance with me.
And that is what that Laodicean spirit is all about.
What can I get for myself? Not knowing that they only think they are rich and
have need of nothing, but in reality they are naked, miserable creatures and
don’t even know it. Let’s continue with Luke 12 and then we will see the spirit
on man in this hour.
14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15 And he said unto
them, Take heed, and beware of
covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth.
But to those in
Revelations 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14 And unto
the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the
Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know
thy works, (or lack of them, and I know) that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that
you were either cold
or hot, because at
least there would be some evidence of life there.
16 So then because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I
am rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Oh, if the church only knew where it stood in
this hour, and if she only knew how wretched, and miserable, and poor and blind
that she was then perhaps she would stand a chance. For you see where there is
a great need, there is passion.
When you have not
eaten for a great while and you are starving, you will have great passion for
food, any food. And when you have not had anything to drink for a few days, and
your body is dehydrating, and your lips are parched and your tongue is stiff,
and your mouth feels like sand, oh, you talk about a passion for water.
And that is the
condition of the church in this hour, but because she is blind, and ignorant to
her own condition, she thinks she has need of nothing, and she has no passion
for the Word of God.
This is the hour that the Apostle Paul prophesied that the of the condition of the church would be as we see in 2 Timothy 3: 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: and that is exactly where she is tonight. Having a form…just a form, not knowing the difference between the Church spirit and the Holy spirit, and Paul warned us and said, from such turn away…
Oh, but the Apostle Paul also said that as far as
intellectual understanding goes? He said they would be 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth.
The
apostle Paul further said in Romans 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken
none effect. For they are not all
And again
in Romans 2:28 Paul
said, For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly;
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But
he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in
the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
That is why Jesus said
to the church at Laodicea, 18 I counsel thee to buy of me
gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame
of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint
thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
In each of the seven
church ages God has promises abundance to them that would just overcome the
pulls of their age that they live in and overcome themselves.
To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of
the paradise of God.
To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the
stone a new name written, which no
man knoweth saving he that receives it. (That's to the overcomer of the church
age.)
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
And in his message How can I overcome 63-0825M P:50 brother Branham said, in Noahs day
there were only Eight
overcomers... In the days of Daniel's time there was four overcomers that could stand the
test of fire and lions. Now, we're expected to be tested. That's a good lesson
for my brother back there also. He that cometh to God must first be tested.
Tested what? With the Word. That's God's test. Do you believe it? He that
cometh to God must be tested. That only
shows a true child (See, see?): be tested. And when the test comes on, you can't overcome 'less there's a test
give to you. And when a test is given, it's to see whether you can overcome
or not. And Jesus said, "To him that overcometh," the test. The test is the greatest thing that ever
happened to you. And I believe it's written in the Scripture, Peter said
that our trials are worth more to us than precious gold. It's a testing time;
it's... And one good evidence to us that
God is with us, when we're tested, for all children of God are tested and
tried.
Luke 12:16 And
he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:17 And he thought
within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow
my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will
pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits
and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much
goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be
merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul
shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be,
which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure
for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Notice, he did not say that it was wrong to lay up
treasure for yourself, He said it is wrong to do so if you are not rich towards
God. In other words there had better be a laying up treasure in heaven where
moth doesn’t eat not rust corrupts. Because where your treasure is there your
heart will be also.
Abraham was a wealthy man, but the wealth in itself
meant nothing to him. It is not what you have that counts. It is what you do
with what you have. “for where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”
So where is your heart tonight, my brothers and sisters?
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I
say unto you, Take no thought for your
life, what ye shall eat; neither for
the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is
more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
In other words get
your priorities right. When I see the abundance of food and clothing going to
waste in this Country and then as I travel overseas and se the desolate
condition of your brothers and sisters in those countries, and then see the
lack of desire on the part of the Western church to give of what they have to
help those less fortunate, it shames me.
Sisters even in this
Message with dozens of pairs of shoes over here and yet in
Things that we take
for granted, yet our brothers and sisters in the same family of God have not
the things you throw out in the garbage. The Scripture teaches us, “where much is given,
much will be required”
Then Jesus continues, 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow
nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much
more are ye better than the fowls? 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not
able to do that thing which is least,
why take ye thought for the rest? 27 Consider
the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you,
that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If
then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is
cast into the oven; how much more will
he clothe you, O ye of
little faith? 29 And seek
not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye
of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do
the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that
ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide
yourselves bags which wax not old, a
treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approaches, neither moth corrupts. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights
burning;
Do you have that burning passion for the Light that
you are walking in? Are you so aware of God’s presence that you fall to your
knees several times a day to pray and to worship Him. How is it that the Muslim
who serves a false god can have so much passion in him to worship his God and
yet in this message we who are aware that God Himself, the very creator of the
heavens and earth, and yet we can count on one hand the times we fall to our
knees in thanksgiving and prayer. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves.
When are we going to begin to be conformed to the
Image of the first born son who many times a day slipped away to pray to his
heavenly father.
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait
for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and
knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37 Blessed
are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I
say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat,
and will come forth and serve them. 38 And if he
shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so,
blessed are those servants. 39 And this know, that
if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would
have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken
through. 40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man
cometh at an hour when ye think not. 41 Then Peter
said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even
to all? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise
steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their
portion of meat in due season? 43 Blessed is that
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of
a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that
he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord
delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and
to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord
of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour
when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant,
which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to
his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But
he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with
few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:
and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the
more. 49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I,
if it be already kindled?