Masterpiece 36

The Flaw

December 4^th, 2005

Pastor, Brian Kocourek

THE MASTERPIECE 64-0705 37 And then when it was completed, he stood back with the hammer (the sculptor's hammer) in his hand, and he looked at that monument. And the inspiration of the vision that he'd seen of how to do it, inspired him so much, till he... The inspiration struck him till he got beside himself and struck it across the knee and said, "Speak!" And now there's a flaw on that great image, on the knee, on the right knee. Just above the knee about six inches is the place. I put my hand on it, about that deep.

Now, this morning I would like to address this Flaw that brother Branham is bringing to our attention here. You see it is that flaw that was left when that hammer struck that statue that tells the story behind this great piece of art.

That flaw that was left in that otherwise perfect statue, is the only evidence that we have that the statue met the vision. That flaw that was a result of the Michelangelo’s exultation and shear delight for having brought into reality what he had seen in his mind.

And the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5: 21 For he (God) hath made him (Jesus, the Son of God) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

So we see a flaw is a defect which is sin. It is the missing of the Mark. And He took upon himself our sin, our missing of the mark, our defects of the soul. Then when we see that flaw that others look upon as an imperfection, in that statue of Moses, we can see how that the Perfect Son of God was made imperfect by being nailed to the Cross, for it is written in the Book, Cursed is he that is nailed to the tree.

Galatians 3: 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

And Jesus took upon him the curse for us all. Therefore the flaw is what tells us the story of how perfect that image struck the vision. In other words, had that statue not been exactly what Michelangelo had pictured in his mind, he never would have struck that image with a hammer and said the word, “speak”.

How ironic that the flaw that was a result of the perfection of that Masterpiece, left in that Masterpiece an imperfection.

How ironic that an imperfection could reveal perfection. The dictionary tells us “a flaw is an imperfection that is often concealed”. But how ironic that this defect was not concealed, but rather this defect concealed the perfection. This defect hid the perfection, until an understanding came as to why there was a flaw to begin with, then the understanding of the flaw revealed the perfection.

And that is what I would like to address this morning. Perfection revealed through imperfection. How great is the plan of God that we knew us before the foundations of the world, and yet had he not let us fall we would not know His perfect Grace, nor would we understand His Perfect Love. So in essence when we look at the believer, and when we come to understand the truth about Justification, Sanctification, and then the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, then it is that we will begin to understand how that an imperfection can reveal Perfection.

All we have to do is to look at the Saved and sanctified examples that God has given us all down through the ages, to see how that once man receives the revelation of Jesus Christ, and comes into the presence of the Perfect One, he no longer is focused upon his own imperfections, but comes into the image of the perfect One.

Look at Jacob. He was born a sheister, and yet when he came into the presence of the Perfect one, and wrestled with Him all night trying to hold onto Him and not let Him go, he was transformed from a little sheister of a man, into a Prince who had power with God.

And what about Peter, a man that even denied Christ three ties, and yet when He received the Spirit of Christ on the day of Pentecost, he was transformed from Simon, meaning little stone to Peter, the Rock and entered into perfection by the Righteousness which only comes through Faith.

Romans 9: 30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. And we know that righteousness is right-wise mess which is having the perfect mind of God.

Hebrews Chapter 5 and 6 57-0908M P:71 There's only one righteousness we have, not of our own, but His righteousness. He has perfected our salvation. Therefore, being in Him, God does not see our mistakes. When we do anything wrong, there's a spirit in us screams out, "O Father, forgive me." Then God does not see it. And we are brought into fellowship and grace with Him.

Second Handed robe 56-1125M P: 14 Now, notice in Elijah. Then after he threw his robe on him and tried it on him... In other words, Elijah the prophet, who had the mantle of God on his shoulders, he came down and laid it across Elisha, the farmer, to see if it would fit him. And it taken about ten years to get altered to fit that mantle. You know, God usually puts us in the shop and trims us up. Now, He didn't alter His robe to fit Elisha; He altered Elisha to fit the robe. And that's what He does today. He alters us to fit the robe, not the robe to fit us. Sometimes we want to make the robe fit us. But we can't do that. You've got to be altered yourself for the robe. It's God's robe and He made it perfect. And He's got to bring us into that realm to make the robe fit us. So we can't be perfect ourself; we know we can't. There's no way for us to be, and yet He said for us to be. So, but what He did, He made appropriation for us, the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness. That's where the perfection comes of ignoring our own holiness, of which we have none, and our own thoughts which ought not to be, but we rest solemnly upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus. God sent Him to the earth, and it was in Him that we rest.

You see it is not him that runneth, or even him that has a will to runneth, but it is God that showeth Mercy. It is His righteousness that is perfect.

Romans 4: 9 [Cometh] this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

The truth of Justification shows to us that imperfection can be viewed as perfection, And the truth of sanctification is revealed in that ”all have come short of the Glory of God, and that there is none that is righteous, not even one”.

Romans 1: 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Yet through the bruising and death of the perfect one, other sons that were born in sin, shaped in iniquity and came to the world speaking lies, could become perfect.

Romans 4: 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Now, stop for a moment to think about that . he took on a flaw that we might become flawless. He took on our sin that we might take on His righteousness.

When God looks down through the blood of His Son what He sees is the Blood covering us and then God sees us as perfect as He sees His own Son.

Hebrews 10: 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Romans 3: 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

James 1: 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Imperfection made perfect through the process of perfection becoming imperfect.

What a paradox. And yet in this hour the Perfect One has come that we might also become perfect. When Christ who is our Life shall manifest in His True Character, we shall also manifest in our true character with him in Glory, in Doxa, with the very mind of God. That’s Colossians 3.

And Perfection has come in this hour because we have received the perfect Word. 1 Corinthians 13: 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When they asked brother Branham what this Scripture meant he said God is the Only perfect and He is the Word.

Questions and answers COD 64-0823E P:82 302. Please explain I Corinthians 13:8-12. Now that the perfect Word is restored to the church are--are these verses fulfilled? Now, I think I just went through that, didn't I? "And when that which is perfect has come, that which is in part shall be done away with." Paul said, "Though I speak with tongue of men and angels, and I do all these things here... But when that which is perfect is come..." Now, is there anything perfect but God? No, sir. Is God the perfect? In the beginning was the [Congregation replies, "Word."--Ed.] and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word's still God. See? All right. When that which is perfect is come, that which is in part is done away with.

1 Peter 5: 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. How are we made perfect? We are called unto the eternal Glory which is the Doxa or mind of God. His Opinion, His Assessment and His very Judgment. Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

James 3: 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

And notice what this perfect word will produce in you. Hebrews 13: 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus commanded us to Matthew 5: 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. But how could we be perfect in this flesh?

You see your own works could never bring you unto perfection, and neither could the laws of do this and don’t do that’s. Therefore it is not the action we do, but the heart that is doing it that becomes perfect. Why, because it has the mind of God in it’s control tower.

Hebrews 10: 1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

But Jesus who learned obedience by the things he suffered became perfect and thus then once perfection was realized in His Body, God took Him up and adopted Him and he became our perfection. Hebrews 5: 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Hebrews 2: 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

2 Timothy 3: 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. So we see then that God has given us His Own Word to perfect us through Faith which is Revelation of Him. For there is only One Faith and that is the Faith of Jesus Christ.

That is why we preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified to the people, a the Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 1: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Romans 8: 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

And our perfection came by Jesus Christ’s once for all sacrifice and brings us to the place of having one mind, the same mind that was in Christ. Philippians 3: 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

That is why Paul could tell us the role of the Five Fold ministry is for.

Ephesians 4: 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 fullness of Christ:

Therefore perfection comes by the Word and the Word alone, and the Word was made flesh, became imperfect that we might be made perfect. Galatians 3: 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? You see, our flesh could never bring us to perfection, but by One Spirit we are all baptized into One body, and that body was made perfect, and then suffered on the cross taking on our imperfectness which is the flaw we are talking about. And that flaw is us. And that flaw being a part of that Glorious body, points to one thing, the Perfect One.

That is why the Apostle Paul could say, 2 Corinthians 12: 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Romans 12: 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

John 17: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

1 Corinthians 15: 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. Notice he is telling us that the knowledge of God leads to righteousness and not to sin which is unbelief.