We are lingering, as it were, in our church studies at Mount Sinai, because God kept His people there, as we've noticed, for almost an entire year. teaching them lessons that would be of great value to them in the future. And not only was he doing that, but he undoubtedly was teaching things that it's well for us in this 20th century to know. Now we only had time in our last study to look at two things that happened at Mount Sinai. it because, as I mentioned at that time, it goes right from Exodus chapter 19 through the remainder of that book, all through Leviticus and into the tenth chapter of the book of Numbers, but we're just trying to condense it, take out some of the most important lessons for us. We only had time then in our last study to look at the endorsement of God's servant there. God speaking to him audibly, so that it was not a question of the people taking Moses' word for it that God had spoken these things to him, but they all heard it audibly from the mountain as God spoke to him. And then we saw that there was the enunciation of God's statutes. his commandments to them in what we generally speak of as the law of Moses. And we saw some very interesting and important things regarding that law that we're not going to go back over. Now, what I want us to think of now is the erection of God's structure, the tabernacle. some of you have sat through very profitable and edifying studies on the tabernacle in the wilderness not my purpose at this time to go into any detail it may be we can do that again later but all i want us to look at in connection of the tabernacle at this time is the pattern of it And so, I'm going to ask you to just look at a number of verses tonight that bring before us the truths in connection with a pattern of this tabernacle. Now, on Sunday, when we spoke two weeks ago, we were relating the events at Mount Sinai, which was really the book. birth of the nation of Israel, two events relating to our country as we celebrate our bicentennial year. And as mentioning the fact that when it came time to build a residence for the chief executive of our country, then several architects were requested to present their design for what is now known as the White House. And they did so. And, of course, all of these designs were rejected except one. And that original plan has been changed through the years, from that time to the present, on a number of occasions. So that while the basic plan of the White House is still that of the original, have been many additions to it. Now it's quite different when it comes to the leader of Israel because God himself was going to dwell in the midst of his people on their way from Egypt to Canaan and he himself presented the pattern for his dwelling place. He did not ask Moses nor Aaron nor else to make any suggestions whatsoever regarding the pattern for the construction of that dwelling place of God. Now that's the main thought we want to get across tonight. So if your Bible is now open at Exodus chapter 25, will you look please at verse 9? According to all that I show thee and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. Now, God is speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai. He has gone up to the mountain, and he is going to be there 40 days and 40 nights. During that time, as we saw in our last study, he received the first table of stone the law inscribed on it. But he also received the pattern for the tabernacle. And there are seven chapters here, from 25 on through 31. We have seven chapters devoted to God's injunction, such as we read here in verse 9, that everything is to be made according to the pattern that was shown to Moses. Now, it's quite clear when you read through these chapters and elsewhere that this pattern was spoken to Moses. It was all spelled out by God. But not only that, we are told seven times in the Old and New Testament that the pattern was shown to him. Now he must have been given on Mount Sinai not only these oral instructions as to how to make the tabernacle and everything connected with it, but he must have been given a vision of that tabernacle because I repeat seven times, four times in the book of Exodus, once in the book of Numbers, once in the book of Acts chapter 7, and once in Hebrews. chapter 8, we are told that he was shown the pattern. And this injunction is spelled out very, very forcibly that all was to be made according to the pattern that was shown to him. Look at verse 40, the last verse of this 25th chapter. And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount. Now, we shouldn't need to say any more about that. Seven chapters and you have the instructions given by God orally to Moses, seven times were told that he should make it according to the pattern that was showed him. Now, that's the injunction to make it according to the pattern. Turn to chapter 39, and you have, you come now to the time when it's being constructed. And we'll just glance down over this chapter and see how they did it. Chapter 39, the book of Exodus, look at the end of verse 1, as the Lord commanded Moses. This is talking about their construction of it. Look at verse 5, the end of the verse. As the Lord commanded Moses. Verse 7, as the Lord commanded Moses. Now we won't need to go through it, but seven times in this chapter you'll have that statement that they made these things, they constructed the tabernacle, not as they thought, but as the Lord commanded Moses. Now, that brings us down to verse 32. Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished, and the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they. So seven times you have the injunction, now do it according to the pattern. connection with the construction, it says they made it according to the commandment that the Lord had given to Moses. Now look at verse 33, just the beginning of the verse. And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses. Now you're going to have the inspection because, you see, whatever we do for God, whether it's in the Old Testament or the New, God is going to We're reminded of that in the closing message of our workers' conference, that ahead of us lies the judgment seat of Christ. Now Moses inspected everything that was done, what Bezalel did, he was the chief workman, what a holy up did, he was his assistant, and what all the men did, and what all the women They each had their part in making this tabernacle. It's a very, very instructive study to notice the people that were engaged in building this tabernacle. God gave some special gifts for it, but he also used the natural ability that some had. The women could spin. to spin some goat's hair. The women could spin. They knew how to do it. They had the natural ability, and God said the women will do that. And then it was all put together. Now that's a beautiful picture. I mustn't get tied up too much on that, but it's a beautiful picture of how God is carrying on his work. He gave a special gift to Benzaliel. He gave a special gift to a holy earth. And then he used all the men and the women that could give and could work and could spin and whatever they could do. They just put it all together and made the tabernacle. Now that's what God is doing. He does give special gifts, but I don't believe gives special gifts to everyone. But he uses natural ability, natural talent. He uses or acquired ability, that which a person has learned to do. God uses it in his service. But now it's all going to be inspected. And how is it going to be inspected? As to how much they Notice, we'll go down a little. We have seen them in verse 33. They're bringing it all to Moses now. He's going to look it over, verse 43, the last verse of the chapter. And Moses did look upon all the work. Notice. And behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded Moses. Even so had they done it. That's it, brethren. It's not primarily how much enthusiasm you put into it. That's good. It's not even how self-sacrificial you are. That's good. It's not how much you do. That's good. But are you doing it as the Lord commanded? That's what counted then, and that is what counts now. Now, notice what Moses did. They'd all done it as the Lord had commanded, and Moses blessed them. So you've got the injunction to do it according to pattern, seven times. You've got them doing it according to the pattern, seven times. And now you've got inspected. It's all according to what God had commanded and they're blessed. they're ready to put it up and so in chapter 40 you have the erection of the tabernacle and there again to me it's very interesting we'll just look down look at verse 19 they're they're rearing it up now they're building it everything's been prepared look at the end of verse 19 as the lord commanded moses look at the end of verse 21 as the lord As the Lord commanded Moses, we'll not go on, seven times again. You see, they were told to do it according to pattern. They did it according to pattern. It was inspected according to pattern, and it was erected according to pattern. Now, nowhere in the Bible are you told to work for the Lord, but you're told to do the work of the Lord. And there's a vast difference. A lot of people are working for the Lord, and they're way out somewhere that God never sent them. They hardly know what they're doing, they hardly know how they're doing it. This must be according to the pattern. Now, look at verse 33. In verse 32, you have the last one of the seven as the Lord commanded Moses. and he reared up the court round about the tabernacle, and the altar set up the hangs of the court, so Moses finished the work, according as the Lord had commanded. Now look at verse 34. Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. If you had been saving up your money for years, and thinking about what is generally called a dream home and eventually you have enough money to go ahead and build it. You've got the architect to draw up the plans and you said that's exactly what I want. Now you see that my house is built according to those plans and then the architect calls you up and says your house is all ready. I've to them. It's all ready for them to move in. I'll meet you there at such and such a time tomorrow, and we'll look it over. And you go in. And you walk into the living room, you say, I didn't want a fireplace there. Well, the man, you know, that builds fireplace, he knows a whole lot about fireplaces. And he thought it would be a lot better there than where you wanted it. What did you say? Who's paying for this house? I could care less what he thought. I want the fireplace over there in my house, and that's where it's going to be. And you walk through every room, and it isn't the way you had asked for it. It isn't according to the pattern. Would you pay for it and move in next day? Well, I wouldn't. I wouldn't. And God wouldn't. But you see, the great lesson here is everything had been made according to pattern. It had been inspected according to pattern. It had been erected according to pattern, and because it was according to God's pattern, God moved in. And you have that wonderful moving in in verse 34 of the usable presence of God in that cloud of glory. And the whole book of Leviticus follows right on there God speaking out of the house he's moved into, giving us what we have in the book of Leviticus. Now, I don't need to labor that anymore, do I? You should be sure on the word of God that tabernacle was made according to God's pattern. Now, when they got into the land. They were going to have a permanent building where God's presence would dwell in their midst. And I am just going to ask you to read one or two verses. That will be enough to give us to see the same thing about the temple. Turn to First Chronicles. Kings, Chronicles, 1 Chronicles 28, 1 Chronicles chapter 28. Now this remembers what we call Solomon's temple. There were other temples later, but this is the temple that God commanded. Look at verse 11. Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch and of the houses thereof, And so on, verse 12, and the pattern of all that he had by the spirit of the courts of the house of the Lord. Now look down at verse 19. Here's David, you see. He wasn't permitted to build the temple himself, but God gave him the pattern. Look at verse 19. All this. And had we read those intervening verses, we'd have had the description of the tabernacle. the temple, rather, and things connected with it. Verse 19, All this said, David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me even all the works of this pattern. Who designed the temple? God did. And he gave the pattern to David in writing that is the Spirit of God was on David as he wrote, and he wrote what God had given him so that Solomon was able to follow up the pattern and build that temple on Mount Moriah. Now, let me ask you this. I'd like to ask you two questions. First of all, how many plans of salvation do you believe there are? Every one of you says one plan. God has only one plan of salvation. Should everyone that wants to be saved go by that plan? You say they certainly should. They won't be saved. You're absolutely right. Now how many patterns do you think God has for his church? Now think about that for a minute or two. If God was careful to give the pattern for the tabernacle, a temporary building, if God was careful to give the pattern for the temple, a permanent building, but nevertheless just the building of wood and stone and gold and other materials, Do you believe that God left man to build the church any way he wants to? Well, I don't. I don't for one minute. I believe there's just as definitely a pattern for the church as there was for the tabernacle and the temple. Now, God gave Moses a pattern for the tabernacle, didn't he? God gave David the pattern for the temple, didn't he? All right, now I want to show you whom God gave the pattern for the church to. Turn first of all to Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1, we'll just begin reading at verse 20. 23 will be all right verse 23 if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope with a gospel now think of that the gospel which ye have heard which is preached to every creature which is under heaven whereof I Paul and made a minister so Paul was a minister of the gospel wasn't he Say, yes. It says so right there. All right, let's read on. Verse 20 of all, Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ and my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church whereof I am made a minister. So Paul was not only a minister of the gospel, but he was a minister of the church. that is concerning the church, which is his body. Read on verse 24, or 25, rather. According to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God. Now, that doesn't mean that Paul was the last one to write in the Bible. John wrote part of our Bible after Paul, but to fill up, and the fullness of truth concerning the church is given to us in the writings, the inspired writings of the Apostle Paul. I want you to read on verse 26. Even the mystery, which have been hid from ages and from generation, but now is made manifest to his saints. Now, I've explained to you that a New Testament mystery is a truth known to God, but hidden from man until a particular time comes in the divine purpose, and then he makes it known. Now, you don't find the church in the Old Testament, except in picture. and type and shadow. It was hidden from ages and generations and the bats. It was revealed to and through the Apostle Paul. I am going to ask you to turn to Ephesians chapter 3, we have this amplified a little. Ephesians chapter 3, verse 8. Unto, well, you'll notice, just glance up at verse 6. The last word in verse 6 is gospel, isn't it? Now verse 7, whereof I was made a minister. So we're on the same track. He's writing about being a minister of the gospel. and also we'll find he's a minister of the church as we learn Colossians verse 9 to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery that's what we're reading about Colossians 1 which from the beginning of the world hath been hidden in the Old Testament is that what your Bible says well that's what a lot of teachers say that Israel is the church. And they're entirely wrong because you read about Israel all through the Old Testament. But it says right here that from the beginning it was hid in God. Not in the Old Testament. Hidden God who created all things by Jesus Christ to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers and heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. Now there are other scriptures we could go to if we were dealing with a mystery where we are definitely told that it was not revealed to the Old Testament prophets but now it's made known And so, just as God gave to Moses the pattern for the tabernacle in which he was going to dwell in the midst of Israel while they were going to the wilderness, and just as he gave to David the pattern of the temple he was going to dwell in when they got into the land, he gave to the Apostle Paul the pattern for the church in which he dwells at the present Now, while we're in Ephesians, just glance back at chapter 2, I'd like this to have been the last scripture, but we're seeing where right here we'll look at it. Look at verse 20, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Now that doesn't mean the church is built on the apostles and on the prophets. It's built on the truth they taught. The apostles and prophets were failing men. And God didn't build a church on men at all. But he built it on the truth that the apostles and prophets of the New Testament taught. Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. It's all built on him. In whom? Now, no says. In whom? That's in Christ. All the building, claim together, groweth unto unholy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are built together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit. So that the church is God's present temple. Now this church you're reading about in Ephesians is the church which is his body, which again and again we have pointed out, is composed of every born-again believer from Pentecost, right on to the rapture of the church, whoever they are, wherever they are, dead, living, or still future. They're all eventually going to be in this church. That's why it says in verse 21, it grows. This temple is still growing. Because wherever a soul gets saved, that's another one in the temple. You see? And it's growing that will keep on growing until the Lord comes and takes his body home to be with himself. Now that's the church which is his body. This is the growing temple of the Lord. Again I ask you, would God go to all the trouble to give Moses the, the pattern for the tabernacle and David the pattern for the temple, they were just material buildings, important were just material buildings, and not give someone the pattern for his present temple, which is a spiritual building. Now, God doesn't give you a pattern for the Shonhill Chapel. You can build it according to your funds and your needs and your commons And what your architect suggests. God doesn't have material buildings now that he's given any pattern for. But God has a spiritual temple. And he gave the pattern to the apostle Paul. And in his letters, his inspired writings, he unfolds a pattern of the temple of God, the body, the church which is his body. now. A lot of the members of that temple are already in heaven, and a lot of them haven't yet been saved. What about those that are on earth? God gave local temples that should be little miniatures. Let me just briefly explain it. I must stop very soon. At Ephesus, there was the great temple to the heathen goddess Diana, as she generally calls, or Artemis. But that was the glory of their city. And pilgrims came from all over to see this great temple at Ephesus. If I see these Ephesian Christians, they've gotten saved and they didn't go there anymore. They didn't have a beautiful temple to go to. And God wrote to tell them that they belong to a far better temple than that great temple up there on the hill. The temple of God, which is the church. But you know, living there at Ephesus and making a good living were a lot of goldsmiths. And they were making their money from making little models And children coming from all over, you know how it is, and you go to visit some place, you want to bring back a souvenir. Well, all the children who made a pilgrimage to Ephesus, just as the Mohammedans do, to Mecca, these pilgrims, these heathen pilgrims, coming to Ephesus, they'd take back as a souvenir a little gold model of the temple. Now they couldn't take the big temple, but they took back a little replica of it. And they'd put it up on the shelf, and the neighbors would all come in. Now, we hear you in Daphne says, yes. Well, what's the temple like? He's just like that. Of course, it's bigger. But just like that, and you can imagine those neighbors going over and looking at that. Now, each one of those small miniatures was a replica of the real temple. Now, that's what a local church is. You turn to 1 Corinthians 3. I think I've been here long enough. You should allow me to preach over time once anyway. But I'll get through. But you see, I want you to get this. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. According, it says in verse 10, it says in verse 9, We are God's building. 1st 10, according to the grace of God, which is given unto me, as a wise master builder. I have lived the foundation and another buildeth thereon, but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon, for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now here is one of the classic passages on the judgment seat of Christ. I want you to note it. It primarily has to do with preaching. And, in connection with the Judgment Seed of Christ, there are three things going to be examined, the man, his motives, and his ministry. Those three things are going to be manifested. The man, just what he, was that Christian man just what he appeared to be down here on earth? Well, that'll all come out of the Judgment Seed of Christ. That man that's so busy in the work of the Lord, what are his motives? Is he doing it for what he gets out of it, financially or otherwise? What are his motives? That law come out of the judgment seat of Christ. That man's ministry that sounded so fluent, that was so stirring, was it gold, silver, or precious stones? Or was it wood, hay, and stubble? That's the primary teaching of 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Now it can be applied and should be applied to all of our service, but it very clearly has to do with ministry because it says in verse 11, other no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. And the tenth verse says, Paul says, I have laid the foundation. How did Paul lay the foundation at Corinth? He laid the foundation for the local church at Corinth by preaching Christ. That was the foundation. And he went says, I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. And he preached Jesus Christ and souls got saved. He said, now there's the foundation. Later. The rest now, Paulus, you build on that foundation and be careful what you put into it. Don't put a whole bunch of false converts into it. Wood hands stubble that'll just go up in smoke. a wonderful soul winner and a great preacher, but the day will declare it. Preach gold, preach the deity of Christ, preach silver, the redemption of Christ, preach precious stones that a man has to become a living stone in Christ, for he's not in the true church. Preach that, Apollos, and all the rest of you who come to court preaching, because the fire is going to try your work of what's thwarted is. Now please go down to verse 16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. I want you to notice in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 19, it says almost the same as this. But when it says almost, that isn't altogether. It says in 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 19, Knowing not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. It doesn't say that here because it didn't talk about that. Now when we're saved, as I believe all of you know, our bodies become the temple of the Holy Ghost. He moves in. Now when all these temples come together, In church fellowship, what have you got? You've got the local temple. That's what he's talking about here. And if there's one verse in the Bible that makes me quake, it's the next verse. Verse 17, If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are? you defile the local assembly of God's people and good will defy you. It's just the same word destroy or defy. You can make it any way you want to. It means corrupt. It means to mar. You mar a local temple of God and God will mar you. And brethren, sisters, in my 50 years of Christian life, I've seen it. week before I could tell you of men and women who marred God's local churches. God marred that. Some of them died tragic deaths. Some of them died so far away from God you'd wonder if they were ever saved or not. It's a solemn thing. Whenever I think of this verse, makes to the local assembly of God's people. Now this is God's temple. And remember, he gave a pattern to Paul. That's why Paul says in verse 10, according to grace of God, which is given to me, as a wise master builder. Now that word is literally architect. In fact, in the Greek, is just practically our word architect with O-N at the end of it. And so it's, he says, no, I'm God's architect. Not that he drew the plans, but he was given the plans. And if we want to know what a local church is to be like, we've got to read and study and obey what the apostle Paul writes. He tells you what a local church should be. He tells you what name it should have. He tells you what its ministers should be like. He tells you what its deacons should be. He tells you what its elders should be. He tells you about the Lord's sufferer. He tells you about discipline. Why? Because God gave him the pattern. And no one has any right to set up a local church that's contrary to the pattern of the New Testament. Now that is mistaken when you talk that plain and blunt, that is mistaken for sectarianism. But it's according to the book. We brethren and sisters in the If we're going to be rewarded the judge and speak of Christ, we've got to go according to the pattern. If you take any other name than what's in the New Testament, you're departing from a pattern. If you belong to any church that isn't according to the New Testament pattern, you've gone contrary to the word of God. What about these ones that are saved that are not the New Testament? Testament. They're saved. Certainly they're saved. They're in the church which is his body. There are brethren and sisters in Christ, and we love them. But we can't follow them because they're not going according to the pattern. And when you read about the reverence so-and-so, you know that's not according to the pattern. For the Scripture says in Psalm 111, holy and reverend is his name. And the Catholics took the holy and the Prousin took the reverend. Do you know what you'd think of me if I went around saying, Who are you? I'm the holy H. G. McKay. What an egotistical character he is. But they wouldn't give it a second thought if I said, I'm the reverend H. G. McKay. No. Well, how are you, Reverend? How are you? You say a little thing, wait a minute, wait a minute, God told them just how to make that little peg that was going to be driven down into the sand to hold the tabernacle. Just that little thing. Do you think God doesn't care about little detail? Oh, but he's a godly man. Good, thank the Lord for that. The Lord will take care of that. That's no excuse for going contrary to pattern. Bishop Stone so Well bishop so and so better just be a New Testament elder Or he'll find all of his bishop garb and everything else Burned up at the Judgment of Edo Christ A bishop in the New Testament Is an elder in the local church So we've got to go according to that Now we're living in lukewarm, easy days There's hardly any that's being preached I was brought up under this teaching that isn't why I believe it because I see it in the book and hasn't changed and if I think of Moses and they bring in the cords he looks at them yes that's the way the Lord commanded me that's the way I saw it on the Mount the Lord's blessing on you brethren sisters, as the time coming we're going to stand before a greater than moments. And he's going to examine your life and my life, your service and my service according to the pattern. And we're going to be blessed or we're going to suffer loss according to our obedience to the pattern or otherwise. God help us. to keep a large heart for all God people while we walk a narrow path that's according to the pattern. Shall we pray? Father, blessed thy precious bird, as we think of the solemnity of handling the things of our God.