How to Hear the Word of God
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14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Introduction
Introduction
Sunday Thanksgiving Dinner, maybe a worship service afterward?
Marty McComas Family and church
Trip to Arizona, thanks for your patience.
If faith comes by hearing and we are faithful to church, to read our Bibles, to listen to the Message, yet our faith is not increasing, I wonder if we are hearing the sound but not the voice?
The Israelites listened, but they refused to “hear”. They were in an atmosphere of disobedience.
Their eyes were blinded because of false teachers creating an atmosphere of unbelief by their traditions.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
in Matthew 13:10 Jesus gives the parable of the sower and his disciple have a question:
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
The Pharisees and Sadducees heard, but to them He was just another teacher with a story to tell.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
If the Word preached is heard in faith it increases faith, but unbelief does not receive it.
It must be mixed with faith.
An atmosphere of faith must be created for you to hear what is being said.
Where faith is taught in a church, you’ll find a church in that atmosphere.
That’s the reason people come among the saints where they’re praying, believers. Paul said he didn’t find any in the city, only Timothy, that was like precious Faith that he had, you know. The rest of them are all denominationalists.
But when he got into that atmosphere, see, he, you find things going on, that the atmosphere has created. You find people living by faith when you get into a place where it says, “My, why, the Bible is true. God heals.”
You walk around their congregation, you find, “Why, I was dying with cancer. I was healed.” “I was once blind. I see.”
The stranger say, “Whew! My! What, you mean…? What was the matter with you?”
“I’ll show you on my record. Come home with me. Come, eat dinner with me and I’ll show you something. I got a record up there. My neighbors know that I was in this kind of condition. I was paralyzed, for years. I was prayed for.” See? What is it? That Word in that church, that group of believers, has created that atmosphere.
256 Now, how is the Word, in Its simplicity but yet in Its completeness, ever going to grow in a place where knowledge overshadows That and says, “It can’t be so”? See? It can’t. So, where knowledge is preached from a seminary, the children die.
Where faith is preached from the Word, the children live. Amen. That’s the difference, just Life and death. 62-0401 - "Wisdom Versus Faith"
We can only truly receive what is being preached in an atmosphere of faith if it is the pure Word.
We know a preacher is telling us the truth when he preaches the Word.
Why don’t we just read the scriptures in church?
Why don’t we just read the scriptures in church?
Every Word in the Bible is inspired, but not every Word is in due season.
11 A word fitly spoken Is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Fitly is “timely”
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
I wanted to speak to you something, to bring something to enlighten to you the promise of God for this age.
But I thought I would try to bring something to your mind, with these Scriptures I got written here, that would enlighten you, to know, make you a better soldier in the field that you’re fighting in now; to learn the tactics of the enemy, so that you can block everything before it gets to you, see. 65-0829 - "Satan's Eden"
The Bible means just what it says, but it must be rightly divided.
Charles Spurgeon said this was like the priests dividing the sacrifice.
Now, you must not misinterpret the Word. You say, “Well, I believe It means this.” It means just what It says. It needs no interpreter. And you must not misplace the Word. And you must not dislocate the Word. And if we would do either of these, it throws the whole Bible in a confusion and in a chaos. 65-0822M - "Christ Is Revealed In His Own Word"
How many cults have been raised up because some man misinterpreted, misplaced and dislocated the Word!
Example: Ahab and Micaiah
Then, a prophet means not only to speak the Word, but also to forthtell, and a Divine interpreter of the Word, Divine Word written. “The Word came to the prophet.”
And now, when the prophet came on the scene, then and could foretell things and it happened exactly like that, God said, “Remember, I am with him then.” Then when he revealed the Word, what the other prophet had said before him, it come to pass, then they knowed that was true. 64-0206B - "Paradox"
Micaiah applied the Word of Elijah to the present situation.
Bro. Branham did not change what Paul preached, he preached what Paul preached, but He divided it to the current age.
If Bro. Branham rightly divided the Word to the age, why not just play Bro. Branham’s tapes?
If Bro. Branham rightly divided the Word to the age, why not just play Bro. Branham’s tapes?
Why did Peter not just read Joel on the day of Pentecost?
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Hear me!
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
God interprets His Word by bringing it to pass, and the preacher points to that and says “Hear me” “Listen to what I have to say”.
Someone has to stand in the hour of fulfillment, and declare “this is that”.
God called a prophet to the age, but He has called men with predestined gifts to rightly divide the Word to a specific congregation.
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
These are stewards of the Word, giving each particular audience meat in due season.
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.
These men must be faithful.
1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
All of us are stewards of whatever we have been given.
And now while we’re here together, and all of us longing the same thing, make us true stewards. May we shape our lives by self control, that we’ll know by the help of the Holy Spirit to have a full confidence that Jesus will say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.” at that day.
May we be upright, honest and true. May we be the kind of a Christian that would be a credit to any community. Grant it, Lord.
May we be men and women such as You could lay Your hands upon and say, “My servant. Behold, this is My servant in whom I am delighted. I can send them; they’ll go. They know how to speak and when to speak. And I can be with them.” 51-0509 - "Testimony"
Bro. Branham praying for preachers:
God, bless them men and anoint them with the Holy Ghost. Grant it, Lord. May they be good stewards, having great success of calling the people out of darkness, into the marvelous light. 54-0404E - "God Has A Provided Way"
Stewards must be faithful to preach the Word.
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
It’s becoming to us, as ministers today, to see that this Word is preached, to see that it’s done. It’s becoming to us, a man of these hour that we’re living in. Great men in the earth today, O God, they’re out there, let them see it and grab the Sword!
No matter what the opposition, if God be for you, who can be against you? We don’t care, jeopardizing our social living. We don’t care, jeopardizing this, that, or the other. We want to get the Water of Life back! 63-1214 - "Why Little Bethlehem"
It’s time to preach.
Now, in this New Testament age, the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses His Church and sanctifies It, that His Holy Spirit might continue to carry the work of God on through all ages.
And He’s just the same today, if it isn’t, then we’re false witnesses of this Bible. If it, if that isn’t true, then the Bible isn’t true. It’s time that men preach the Gospel, it’s time that the power of God was made known.
When heathens trying to step on that Word, we need men like the Hebrew children, “Our God is able to deliver us from this.” That’s right. It’s time. God remains the same. 60-0326 - "The Unchangeable God"
How will they hear without a preacher? That is God’s provided way.
He uses not the agency of any mechanical device, but the agency of man, a man that’s surrendered and consecrated to God. 62-0603 - "The End-Time Evangelism"
How should we hear the Word of God which is preached?
In an atmosphere of faith, drawing through the filter of the Bible.
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Many folks reject the preaching of the Word because it challenges their ideas or what they have been taught.
We are not supposed to use a filter of our ideas, but a filter of the Word, and try the spirits.
We are not supposed to discern spirits by whether or not a person agrees with us, or even if they have signs and wonders, but by their motive and objective.
I think it’s a good thing for us, as ministers, to follow our order, when we see such things in the world as we see today. And we have an order from God, is for the discerning of spirits, trying the spirit.
I believe that that is a very great lesson for the church today, is to try the spirit of anything, have discernment of the spirit.
(We do not judge by denomination)
We should never judge the man by the denomination that he belongs to. We should always judge him by the spirit he has, see, the spirit.
We are to discern spirits. Watch what the man has in mind, what he has…what he’s trying to achieve. 60-0308 - "Discernment Of Spirit"
That’s where we must discern, today, the spirit of a man. What’s he trying to do? What’s he getting at? Not what group he belongs to, or what this, that, or the other, whether he’s a white man, black man, yellow man, or whatever he is. Let’s see what he’s trying to achieve, and take that, see what he’s trying to do for the Kingdom of God.
He’s got odd ideas to ours, that’s perfectly all right if he’s trying to achieve something for the Kingdom of God. Discern that in him. If he’s wrong, and true in heart, God will bring him around to the Truth of the thing after a while. Let him alone, let him alone, see what he’s trying to do. 60-0308 - "Discernment Of Spirit"
I’d rather be wrong in my doctrine, and right in my heart, God will respect it more. 61-0428 - "Getting In The Spirit"
To hear the Word of God we must humble ourselves to the Word.
Look at the difference in how the Jews and Gentiles received the Word:
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
The Jews said they believed the written Word, but the Gentiles believed the present truth.
How should we hear the Word?
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words prŏthumia προθυμία
prŏthumia, proth-oo-mee´-ah; from 4289; predisposition, i.e. alacrity:— forwardness of mind, readiness (of mind), ready (willing) mind.
12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
If you want Deity in your midst, then welcome and receive the Word. Don’t ever let anyone or anything get between you and that Word.
I wonder if we are sufficiently impressed with the Word in our midst. An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages (5 - The Pergamean Church Age)
Conclusion
Conclusion
Illustrate: Bro. Branham eating Cherry Pie
Illustrate: Angel bringing present truth to Mary
