8.23.2011

Building The Church According to God's Pattern

8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

                       Exodus 25:8-9

 
10 Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.”
11
Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat; 12 and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things; 13 also for the division of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the articles of service in the house of the LORD. 14 He gave gold by weight for things of gold, for all articles used in every kind of service; also silver for all articles of silver by weight, for all articles used in every kind of service; 15 the weight for the lampstands of gold, and their lamps of gold, by weight for each lampstand and its lamps; for the lampstands of silver by weight, for the lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand. 16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of the showbread, for each table, and silver for the tables of silver; 17 also pure gold for the forks, the basins, the pitchers of pure gold, and the golden bowls—he gave gold by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls, silver by weight for every bowl; 18 and refined gold by weight for the altar of incense, and for the construction of the chariot, that is, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the LORD. 19 “All this,said David, “the LORD made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.” 

                          1 Chronicles 28:10-19

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

                          1 Corinthians 3:10
 

Anything meant for God's habitation must be built according to His pattern. In this age, the church is His tabernacle or temple:  (1Cor. 3:9, 16; Eph. 2:19-22; 1Pet. 2:4-6)

Historically, whenever God's people built according to His pattern the structure was filled with His glory: (Ex. 40:33-35; 2Chron. 5:11-14)

      Prophetically, the Bible speaks of a time when God will once again fill His temple with glory:
(Ezek. 43:1-5; 10-12)

God in the past has been very specific when it comes to how He designed His Church. In the building of the Tabernacle we see this, in the building of the Temple we see this, and today we see this as God has chosen to use living vessels - His children.