According to the Pattern

“According to the Pattern”

By: Shawn Daniels

I. Introduction: (Heb 8:4-5) “For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”

a. The tabernacle – A tent or cloth hut – Used in the worship of God

i. Shadow – Type

ii. Heavenly things – Church – Kingdom of God – anti-type

b. Pattern - “The pattern in conformity to which a thing must be made.” Thayer's Greek Lexicon

i. Must be made in the Fashion God Commanded

ii. How much more should the church be built according to the pattern that God has given

II. Is there a Pattern?

a. (2 Tim 1:13) “Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”

i. Pattern of Sound Words – The Word of God

b. (1 Tim 3:14-15) “These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

i. What things did he write before

1. Book of 1 Timothy:

a. (2:1-8) Prayer in Public Worship

b. (2:9-15) Women in Public Worship

c. (3:1-7) Qualifications of Bishops

d. (3:8-13) Qualifications of Deacons

2. These were written so that we will know how we ought to behave ourselves in the house of God.

c. (Gal 1:6-9) “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

i. Perverting the Gospel of Christ is going against the pattern

d. (2 John 9) “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”

i. Must abide in the doctrine of Christ

1. What is the doctrine of Christ – the Faith

a. (Jude 3)

b. As Revealed by the Inspiration of God in New Testament

i. (2 Tim 3:15-17) “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

1. All Scriptures include the New Testament – Inspired By God

2. (1 Cor 14:37) “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

a. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we know the Pattern that God wants us to use.

III. Pattern for the Organization

a. Congregational – Independent Congregations

i. Two uses of the Word Church – universal and congregational

1. (Rom 16:16) “The churches of Christ salute you with a holy kiss.”

a. Churches – different congregations

2. (Acts 20:28) “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

b. Not denominational – the use of the word church never used in NT in this sense

i. Denomination – Division

ii. (1 Cor 1:10-13) “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”

1. The cure for denominationalism is to “speak the same thing” – How can this be done?

a. Build by the pattern God gave us!

iii. The Church is not a denomination nor is it made up of denominations!

c. Universal Church has no Head but Jesus Christ

i. (Eph 5:23-24) “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.”

1. Christ is the Only Head of the Church

ii. (Col 1:18) “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

1. He has the preeminence – First in Rank

iii. We have no authority for an organized structure that governs the whole church – Christ and his word does that!

d. Congregational structure

i. Bishops, Elders, Pastors – Overseers

1. Not Rulers – they oversee the flock – keep false doctrine out of there congregations

a. (1 Peter 5:1-3) “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.”

2. Plurality – Never see where a congregation had just one Overseer

a. (Phil 1:1) “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:”

b. (James 5:14) “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:”

i. Elders – plural tense

ii. Church – Singular tense – Congregation – local church

c. (Titus 1:5) “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:”

i. Elders – Plural tense

1. Not one elder in every city but elders in every city

ii. Deacons – “One who executes the commands of another, especially of a master; a sergeant, attendant, or minister.” Thayer's Greek Lexicon

iii. Members – Serve God

iv. Preachers – to Proclaim the Gospel

IV. Pattern for Worship

a. The Church is The Realm of Worship

i. (1 Peter 2:5-6) “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”

1. We’re the Spiritual House in which we can worship God

2. Tabernacle and Temple were shadows of heavenly things

a. God doesn’t dwell in temples made by human hands (Acts 17:24) “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”

b. God dwells in the Spiritual Temple – The Church

i. (1 Cor 3:16-17) “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

1. The Church is the Spiritual Temple

ii. We that are in the temple are able to render acceptable worship

1. Cannot render acceptable worship outside the Temple

b. God wants to be worshipped the way that he instructs

i. Cain and Abel

1. (Gen 4:3-7) “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

a. Why did God have respect unto Abel and not Cain?

i. Cain didn’t do the command that God gave him – didn’t do well

ii. Why didn’t he do well

1. (Heb 11:4) “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.”

2. How do we get faith? (Rom 10:17)

a. If by faith then must have been commanded

3. Therefore Abel did what God Commanded and Cain did not

ii. We must do all things “by Faith” – (Rom 14:23) “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

1. Can’t have the attitude that since God didn’t say we couldn’t do something that it must be ok

2. We must do what is revealed and nothing more and nothing less

c. Sing as part of Worship to God

i. (Col 3:16-17) “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

ii. (Eph 5:18-20) “But be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

1. We are to perform these actions

a. Teaching

b. Admonishing

c. Speaking

i. All verbal actions requiring words

2. We are to use this type of media

a. Psalms

b. Hymns

c. Spiritual Songs

3. We are to accomplish this action by

a. Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord

b. Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord

iii. Many will say that “making melody” comes from the Greek Word Psallo – meaning to pluck

1. What instrument are we to pluck – the heart

iv. Never authorized to use Mechanical Instruments in worship to God in the NT

1. Can we force God to be worshiped in a way he has not commanded – or will he reject our worship like he did Cain’s.

v. What about David

1. We are not under the same system of Faith as David

a. He was under the old – We’re under the New

2. (Gal 3:19) “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”

a. The Law – the old was added – Till – Christ

3. (Gal 3:24-25) “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

a. Faith – System of Doctrine

b. Faith came – no longer under the Law

4. (Gal 5:4) “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

a. If we go back and try to justify our actions by the Old we have fallen from Grace

i. We are under a better system now – Salvation – Forgiveness of Sins

b. If we can bring in Mechanical Instruments then we Can bring in:

i. Incense

ii. Candles

iii. Animal Sacrifices

iv. Tithes

v. Circumcision

vi. Sabbath

c. We Can’t worship God under the Old Law when it has been abolished

i. (Eph 2:15) “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace”

d. Read and Preach as Part of Worship

i. (1 Tim 4:13) “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”

ii. Preaching is not passive – Active

1. Members take part by listening and taking heed to the truth

2. Members take part by “Trying the Spirits”

a. (1 John 4:1) “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

b. How can you know what the preacher says is if we don’t follow along and study along with him.

e. Partaking of the Lord’s Supper as Part of Worship

i. The Church at Corinth had perverted the Lord’s Supper with a common meal - (1 Cor 11:23-26) “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.”

1. It’s commanded How we are to Partake of the Lord’s Supper – How often are we to do it?

a. (Acts 20:7) “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”

i. Apostolic Example – The early church did this and so should we

f. Giving as part of Worship

i. (1 Cor 16:2) “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

1. How are we to give?

a. (2 Cor 9:7) “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

g. Prayer as a part of Worship

i. (Acts 2:42) “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

ii. (Phil 4:6) “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

1. By prayer and petitions we let our requests be made known unto God

2. We’re to pray with thanksgiving

V. Conclusion:

a. There is a pattern that we must follow

i. It’s found in the Word of God

ii. It has the pattern to govern the church in organization and worship