Divine Design - Brett Hickey 10/22/06

There is abstract art, and there is realism there is street ball

and regulation basketball, there is chaotic worship and worship

that is decent. And in order, there is the if it

feels it, if it feels good. Do it lifestyle.

And then there is the walking in the footsteps of Jesus

lifestyle. And when it comes to building

projects directed and supervised by the father, a series of

well-defined patterns emerge, we see this in both the Old

Testament as well as in the New Testament and it becomes clear

as we examine the scriptures that the abstracts chaotic, do

it, how you like it approach is clearly not the mark. of our

divine architect, he likes his buildings built according to his

plan and he likes them built according to his specification

and since Romans 15 14 says that the things written aforetime

were written for our learning, one of the things I'm going to

do this evening is go back to the Old Testament and notice

This one of the most obvious lessons and that is that the

master builder likes a plan. He likes to form, he likes a

model, a blueprint, a pattern, if you please, that's going to

look at. And I want to read just

Deuteronomy 12. A few verses from Deuteronomy 12

to introduce our study. Before we go to God In Prayer,

Deuteronomy 12. Look at verse 13 and 14.

Their, the Bible reads as follows.

Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt

offerings in every place that you see.

But in the place, which the Lord chooses in one of your tribes

there, you shall offer your burnt offerings and there you

will do all that. I command.

You verse 32 whatever. I command.

You be careful to observe it. You shall not add to it nor take

away from it. Brothers and sisters, I declare

unto you that that is pattern lingo and it's not the only time

it is something you find all throughout the Old Testament and

the New Testament. In other way we've put this we

find in First Peter chapter 4 11 If any man speaks let him speak

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

as the Oracles of God and other way that we have praised, this

is that we will speak for the Bible speaks.

We're going to be silent or the Bible is science.

That's what the things that makes us unique as God's people

as members of the Church of Christ will notice little bit

about that this afternoon. Going to notice this idea of the

pattern to look a little bit more about this idea of the

Altar and how important it was that would be built in this one

particular place by the pattern by the book.

Seems there is a very strange disconnect when we talked about

the idea of patterns and blueprints and models and forms.

It's not that the world can understand that idea.

Not that man cannot fathom and comprehend.

This thought just recently, I was made aware that clean films

is one of these companies that will take movies and they will

clean them up. They will take out all of the

profanity, all the nudity and the inappropriate scenes.

Think it's a star. To buy a lot of these Mormon

groups and in Utah, and then they would advertise them, sell

these movies or rent these movies.

Well, this is just been declared illegal and all these companies

have had to close down and shut down their businesses because

these Hollywood screenwriters have felt as if they have been

violated. Listen to what some of the

words. This is from the president of

the Directors, Guild Association.

He says these films Carrie Our name and reflect our

reputations. So we have great passion about

protecting our work against unauthorized editing.

Another man was saying one of these people, in this industry

audiences, can now be assured that the films that they buy or

rent or the vision of the film makers, of course, with all

their filthiness, who made them and not the arbitrary choices of

a third-party editor. The judge in the case said film,

Sizing causes irreparable injury to the creative artistic

expression in the copyrighted movies.

So the sum it up, the complaint was about unauthorized editing

of the intellectual property of the Hollywood screenwriters.

Now, in this particular instance, I don't have much

sympathy for these folks, but they understand the principle

and the principle that's being upheld.

Is this is their product. And nobody else should have the

right to edit to add or to take away from it.

They've set it up and it should be Hill upheld in the way that

they have installed it. But you know, it's quite another

thing. When men decide that it's okay,

to edit the prize building project of the Divine, architect

of God our creator. But that's exactly what's

happened is the height of arrogance for men to assert

that, he can improve upon the master Model, but that's exactly

what's happening today in the world of religion.

Well, let's go back. We read Deuteronomy 12 or 13

through 15. I believe it was verse 31 and

how was very important than a very particular place.

God would tell them where that would be where they were to

worship. That gives a little insight to

the discussion in John chapter 4, I believe.

John 4 · chapter mention

Now, today it doesn't have to be in this particular or that

particular City, but they had a pattern back then that was set

up. It's a couple interesting

stories once found in Joshua 22. Last time I preached, I read

this but it's such a link to reading.

I think, I'll just sum up what happens in Joshua 22.

God's people have now entered in the promised land, the

two-and-a-half tribes that were settled on the other side of the

Jordan had come over and they helped to run out.

All of the invading are all the enemy people there and conquered

all of those Nations. And so God had told the original

two-and-a-half tribes, okay? You can go back to your

families. You can settle down now.

And everybody can live happily ever after.

And it should have been just a very glorious time in Israel,

but it wasn't very long until the sound of war was ringing

through Israel because they heard that those two and a half

tribes already have gone. And they've set up another

altar. They're going to worship God, in

a place that God has not assigned for them to worship.

They said suit up, boys. We're going to war and so they

loaded up. They packed up and they headed.

like they were going to fight it was gonna be a civil war, Unity

was threatened because at least their perception was Most folks

are Brethren have decided they're going to edit the

pattern. They're going to tear up the

pattern and and do their own thing.

Well, when they meet up, they find that, that's not the case.

Thankfully, they find out that they built this other altar, but

they never had any intention of worshipping there.

But they were only setting that up as a memorial to for them of

what God had done for them. But the point remains there was

about to be a battle there because God's people understood

that you don't change God's ways, you don't alter God's

patterns. And in another story, it doesn't

end quite so possibly read about a man that we don't read a whole

lot about in in second Kings. Chapter 16 verse 2 says, it's a

2 Kings 16:2

summary of his life. A has did not do what was right

in the sight of the Lord. His God, I don't know all the

things that he did wrong. I don't know all the areas in,

which he messed up and violated God's will.

But in the same chapter, we see the one thing, and perhaps the

big thing, In which he erred in second Kings chapter, 16, read

with me. If you will, in this this little

story and see what happened here.

How did he violate the pattern? Again, we're looking back to the

Old Testament at the things. Written, aforetime, what can we

learn from these stories? Verse 10, says, now King ahaz

went to Damascus. To meet tiglath-pileser king of

Assyria and saw an altar that was at Damascus and King ahaz

sent to your Raja, the priest, the design of the Altar, and

it's pattern according to all its workmanship.

He's over in Syria and sees their Altar and something about

it catches, his eye strikes and he says, you know what, I think.

I like that design a little bit better than the design we have.

And so he gets the pattern he gets the design.

He finds out all about the details of how it was built.

Verse 11 says, then your ride to the priest, built an altar,

according to all the king ahaz had sent from Damascus.

So your ride to the priest, made it before, King ahaz came back

from Damascus. And when the king came back from

Damascus, the king saw the Altar and the King approached, the

Altar and made offerings on it. So he burned his burnt offering

and his grain offering and he poured his drink offering and

sprinkled the blood of his For peace offerings on the altar.

He also brought the bronze altar, which was before the Lord

from the front of the temple from between the new altar and

the house of the Lord and put it on the north side of the new

altar. Then key hit King has commanded.

You ride to the precinct on the great.

New alter burn the morning, burnt offering the evening grain

offering the Kings burnt sacrifice.

And his grain offering with the burnt offering of all the people

of the land, their grain offering and their drink

offerings. And sprinkle on it all, the

blood of the burnt offering, all the blood of the sacrifice, and

the Bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by and Raja.

Did it like it was a big celebration a great and happy

time this new alter. But this is the reason why the

biggest reason, why his name goes down in infamy because he

decided he was going to switch things.

And when it came to the altar of the Lord, God had said there was

a very specific pattern but he decided to change.

That's one pattern, let's look at another let's go back.

Now to the Book of Genesis. And look at Genesis chapter 6.

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

Hey we're going to look at numbers are.

Now this was quite a building project ends up.

It's going to be just for men. Noah and his three sons that are

on this great project. But we find that there are

Specific Instructions give and there's not a whole lot of

details and Lisas, they're revealed to us in this chapter.

But there are some specifics. We do, get the blueprint, we can

see a pattern here. Genesis 6 verse 14, make

Genesis 6:14

yourself an ark of gopher wood, make rooms in the ark and

covered inside and outside with pitch now to go by the pattern.

Once again have to do, he's going to have to use go for

would. Now I've got to just said, build

it out of wood, he could have used any kind of wood but he

specified. Go for wood.

Couldn't use any other kind of wood or he'd be violating the

pattern. Verse 15.

And this is how you shall make it the length of the Ark shall

be 300 cubits. 450 feet. Its width 50 cubits and its

height Thirty cubits. Those were not arbitrary

numbers. That was God's plan.

That's how I want bill and if no one would have done anything

other than build according to those instructions were to

happen. That but would have sunk and had

been the end of mankind as we know it verse. 16 say you shall

make a window for the art and he shall finish it to a cubit from

above and set the door of the Ark and its side.

You shall make it with lower second and third decks or

stories. That's the way it had to be

built. And Noah did not have the right

to change it. He was given God's blueprint.

Well, we have a lot more instruction when we come down a

little bit further on the scene of time, and we come to Moses.

You know, Moses. Was given the great privilege of

building the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was kind of like

a tent-like structure was a temporary structure as they were

traveling from place to place, but every time they set it up,

it was to be set up. Just a certain way.

And it's really amazing to notice all the details that are

given, we're not going to read all those details.

Will read a little bit though, from Exodus 20:5, if you would

Exodus 20:5

turn to that place and here, he talks about the particular

Furnishings of the Tabernacle. He talks about the Ark of the

testimony, the table for the showbread, the golden lampstand

and all the details about the Tabernacle itself.

But in Exodus, 25 verse 9, we read the following words.

Exodus 25:9

According to all that, I show you, that is the pattern of the

Tabernacle and the pattern of all its Furnishings.

Just so shall you make it They get trouble understanding that.

You think he had any interest in becoming creative and doing

things his own ways? Moses.

No, not our Moses. Look down to verse 40.

Same chapter And see to it that you make them according to the

pattern which was shown you on the mountain. 26:30.

They've got at the beginning, got it in the middle and got to

the end of these instructions, verse 30 says and you shall

raise up the Tabernacle, according to its pattern which

you were shown on the mountain. If it's quite clear, isn't it?

God wanted Moses and the children of Israel to

understand. I have patterned, you hear what

my pattern is? You see what my pattern is.

And you don't change it, you don't add to it and you don't

take away from this is my way. Can you imagine Moses tweaking

the dimensions or changing some of the materials in the

instructions that God gave? The thought is shocking the

wall. Of course, not Moses wouldn't do

that. Let me come a little bit further

down the stream of time. When we come to Solomon, David,

of course, wanted to build the temple, but the Bible says that

he was a bloody man, and for that reason, he was not allowed

to build it, but his son Solomon was Solomon built that Temple.

Now we have a permanent structure, a place where God was

to dwell. The Mercy Seat again.

We see those instructions and carried out with great detail.

Thanks Solomon. Altered changed any of those?

Thank you get a improved. Do you think he thought he could

improve? No, not Solomon.

David though, when it came to some of the instructions given

concerning the Ark of the Covenant going back.

Now to the Tabernacle when it came to the Ark of the Covenant

made a mistake, you'll remember that with us up and after that

mistake and the correction was made.

I like the words that did David uses in first Chronicles chapter

1 Chronicles 15 · chapter mention

15 to describe the lesson that he had learned First Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:12

15 verse 12. Fifteen.

He said to them, you were the heads of the fathers, houses of

the Levi's sanctify yourselves and make yourselves.

Holy you and your brethren, that you may bring up the Ark of the

Lord, God of Israel to the place.

I have prepared for it for because you did not do it.

The first time, the Lord, Our God broke out against us because

we did not consult him about the proper order or after the due

order. So the priests and Levites

sanctify themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord, God of

Israel. And the children of the Levites,

bore the Ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles as Moses

had commanded. According to the word of the

Lord, they did it after the due order, they follow the pattern,

they did, they follow the instructions, according to the

blueprint, the form, the model and everything went.

Well, and so it is, we learned over and over and over again

when God says to build something he wants It built, according to

his plan, he wants it built a cording.

To his specification. If you don't learn anything else

from the Old Testament, that's one of the great lessons that

you should be able to learn. You know, many book, people

believe today. Now we're making a switch

because we've talked about some things were built in the Old

Testament, but in the New Testament, there's something

pretty special that God had designed to build, isn't there?

Jesus said, Matthew 16 Palm this rock.

I will build my church. Now these, these items here that

we see in the Old Testament were special.

They were holy, they belong to God, and he had special

instructions concerning them. But now, this was his crowning

creation. This was his greatest of all

designs. this greatest building project of all time, Would be

the church, his church. And so if after we look at the

altar and the are the instructions and the violations,

according to the pattern, the Tabernacle and the temple, we

come down to the New Testament even though yet we have not

noticed any new testament scriptures on the idea of the

pattern. Does it not stand to reason that

we come to the church, we look for pattern when it comes to the

Plan of Salvation it would allow one.

It's into the kingdom of God, the church when it comes to how

we would worship as we assemble as the body of Christ.

When it comes to the church government that we have within

the body of Christ, doesn't it stand to reason that we learned

something from the Old Testament?

And everything in the church. We look for the pattern.

Look for the model, we look for blueprint.

That makes sense, doesn't it? You know?

I read just the other day. In fact I see it in one of your

bulletins are one of your your works and quote about dr.

Leonidas Holland of Lipscomb University, talking about the

pattern even in God's creation. Maybe someone has mentioned that

here in a lesson before. But even then in the worldly

matters, you can see certain patterns emerge God's way and

how he likes things uniform and orderly.

Anyway, this professor from David Lipscomb, University

discovered that all rennes These little tiny birds, the South

Carolina wren, at least. Whistle thereto nor sing their

song or whatever you want to call it always in the key of G.

Peculiar thing, isn't it interesting?

I guess one of the beauties of that would be that they're

always on key and that would be nice.

Wouldn't it for someone with? We just knew that we're always

going to be on key disadvantage, I guess would be that it's

always the key of G but this is a demonstration of the

blueprint, God hadn't pattern and every single time you see

the same thing, but unfortunately, the religious

world doesn't look at things like that.

My mother sews and some of you sisters.

So here I assume If you had come up with a pattern of something

or you were using a patent, would show a certain amount of

disrespect. If you were to, I don't have a

pattern with me, just try to imagine this, you saw a pattern,

somebody asked you to sew it for them and you just ripped the

pattern that you were given torn apart, stomped on it.

Threw it in the trash. And I don't think I like that.

Design my own pattern. Or for those of you who have

worked on building projects, you've been given the blueprint

you're in charge of this specific aspect of the

construction. You see the blueprint and you

say I don't like that you just start scratching through this

particular design or these particular Dimension.

You start making changes How would the owner feel about?

That wouldn't feel too good about that the one who had asked

you or had contracted with you too.

So that particular outfit wouldn't feel too good about

that. Why is it that those are so easy

for us to understand? we can grasp those so readily,

but when it comes, to the Lord and his blueprint and his

pattern, all of a sudden, people think they can start ripping and

tearing and marking all over God's blueprint and God's

pattern, I hope everyone here tonight, understands Some of you

heard this so many times, but those of you who are young,

understand that God has a pattern, we've seen it in the

Old Testament. Let's look at it in the New

Testament, a lot of times in recent years.

I don't know how popular this is.

Now people go around saying, what would Jesus do?

What would Jesus do? And certainly that's a good

idea. What would Jesus do?

But in some of these things, when it comes to Salvation and

worship, what did Jesus say what did the apostles?

Say what did the church do ask those questions?

Find the answers to those questions and you have the

pattern that Jesus had provided for us in the church.

Let's look at a couple of new testament scriptures though.

That reinforce we've already learned from the Old Testament,

bring back some of these directly from the Old Testament.

The book of Acts. You remember in Acts chapter 7,

Acts 7 · chapter mention

Stephen gave that that sermon before he was became the first

Christian martyr die for preaching that sermon.

Here's an excerpt in Acts 7 verse 44, He said, our fathers

Acts 7:44

had the Tabernacle of witness in the wilderness as he appointed

instructing Moses, to make it, according to the pattern that he

had seen, it's brought to the New Testament.

Yes, it is because it's still important for us today.

Hebrews chapter 8, verse 5, beautiful book, comparing the

Hebrews 8:5

old and the new and how the old is perfected.

Under the new and Hebrews. 8 verse 5 Paul writes who serve

Hebrews 8:5

the copy and Shadow of the Only things as Moses was divinely

instructed when he was about to make the Tabernacle for he said

see that you make all things according to the pattern shown

you on the mountain and then Hebrews chapter 10 verse 1.

Hebrews 10:1

He shows that those those things in the old were shadowed, the

things better things to come and there's a connection made and

certainly we can see the connection between the old and

the new and the importance of the pattern.

And if you don't get that, then look at 2nd, Timothy 1 verse 13

there. The Bible says, Paul says, to

the young man, Timothy, hold fast.

Stay with it, hold fast. The pattern of sound Words,

which you have heard from me, in faith and love, which are in

Christ Jesus. It's not about a steadfast

adherence here, buying says, just as Moses made all things

according to the pattern and just as Noah built the ark.

According to all that God, commanded him Genesis 622.

So must we follow the Divine pattern found in the New

Testament? Colossians 3 verse 17, teaching

Colossians 3:17

the same truth about the pattern.

Whatsoever, you do in word or deed do all in the Name of

Christ, Jesus, or do all by the authority of Christ Jesus.

Everything we do. In our worship, everything that

has to do with church government and over and over again.

In many different areas, we need to have authority, we need to

have the authority of the blueprint.

So, is there a pattern when it comes to Salvation?

Is there a pattern? When there comes when it comes

to Salvation? My sure there is.

Every time you will notice something very interesting.

It's not a coincidence and it's not an accident.

It's part of the plant the pattern that God had designed.

Every time you find the Forgiveness of sins salvation

And baptism. You always find that baptism

precedes, the Forgiveness of sins.

We have the pattern laid out so beautifully for us.

In the book of Acts and Acts chapter 2 on the day of

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Pentecost, after that powerful sermon that Peter preached, the

men and women were astonished and the men cried out, they were

cut to their heart men and Brethren.

What shall we do? What was the response?

We see the same response. In different words with the same

facts are presented throughout the Book of Acts and throughout

the New Testament. Peter answered and said repent

and be baptized every one of you.

In the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and

you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, the remission of

sins, the Forgiveness of sins. We're talking about the same

thing and acts 3:19 again. We see the emphasis placed on

Acts 3:19

repentance as you go through the book of Acts time and time

again. Again you see the same truths

stressed and emphasized in Acts chapter 8?

Acts 8 · chapter mention

We notice the importance of the confession.

Remember Phillip was preaching to the Ethiopian unit.

He heard about Jesus. The gospel was preached to him.

He was Pete. He was preached Christ.

And when he heard Christ preach, what did he know when he saw

that water? He didn't want to wait till next

week or sometime when they grabbed up a bunch of bunch of

folks, 20 or 30. People would just go get

baptized sometime down the road. He says, I want to do this.

Now here is water. What doth hinder me to be

baptized? And it was something that had to

be done right now. Why?

Because He had to get his sins forgiven.

And so what was the response? If thou believest with all thine

heart, thou mayest, he had to believe and that belief was

something that needed to be expressed.

And he said in Acts 8:37, I believe that Jesus Christ is the

Acts 8:37

Son of God, and then he went down into that water.

He baptized them, they came both app out of the water and he went

on his way rejoicing. We see the same pattern over and

over and over again. So why would we want to see?

Or Why would we want to tamper with that?

Why we want to say that? Well, now actually, we've got a

new design and we think we can enlarge the membership rolls.

If we just turn this up baptism right here, not into an absolute

necessity, not something that is essential for salvation, but

let's just make that. Let's just make that optional

and let's just say instead of Being baptized.

Let's substitute something else in here.

We're going to put something else in here and we're going to

call it the sinner's prayer. How about that?

Now that change prayer is a big thing in the Bible prayers.

Talked about a lot, isn't it? I sure will just slip that in

there in the place. And that's a lot easier.

In fact, we can have people, just send us a little letter or

tell us over the phone that they put their hand over the, the TV

set or the radio. And they prayed that sinner's

prayer with us. And look at how fast fast.

Our ministry is growing, but would that be That would be in

addition to the patterns and a subtraction and addition we can

see that that wasn't tolerated under the new Under the Old

Testament and we can see when we look at the Book of Genesis and

the building of art that would be absurd to make any changes.

Why is it We try to make those changes or that we would accept

those changes in the New Testament.

Well, you know, one of the problems is the average

rank-and-file member some of our friends and Neighbors in town,

they don't know what the pattern is because where they've been

going, they hadn't heard what the pattern is.

That's why it's our job to get the pattern to them.

But what about when it comes to worship their pattern when it

comes to worship? Some people say what?

They don't have music. Beautiful music.

Then the body of Christ. We love music, God's people, in

the Old Testament, New Testament.

We have always loved music, we love music back home.

And I know there's people here that are down enough to do that,

we have professional musicians, make their living.

But when it comes to the worship, when we gather as God's

people, we don't just offer up God.

Anything we don't just do. We just don't do like a has did

and go. And look at that the Pagan Altar

and say, well, you know what? I I like that.

I think will bring that in, and I think we'll use that to

worship God. He act like he was still

worshipping God. And honoring God, great

celebration, a has stopped, but he wasn't honoring God.

Wesley, because he strayed from the path, when it comes to music

was the Bible. Tell us clearly we find it in

Ephesians 5:19. Colossians, 3:16 Hebrews 2:12.

Ephesians 5:19 Hebrews 2:12

First Corinthians 14 and 15 over and over and over.

Over again, the pattern. Call score singing.

So that's why that's all you're going to.

That's all you're going to hear it here in the Lord's Church.

Because it fits the pattern when it comes to the Lord's Supper.

Sometimes people will visit from. other congregations of the

Church of Christ, and they'll come in and they'll look And

when that tablecloth is lifted and they see only one cup,

they're confused. And some of them are startled.

What is going on here? These people are a little behind

the times. What are?

Why are they using just one cup? I'll tell you what.

We just use one cup because there's not any confusion

really. When you go to Matthew 26 and

you read verse 26 to 29 and you read, Mark 14, verse 22, through

Mark 14:22

25 and Luke 22, 19 and 20. And First Corinthians 11 23

through 29. There's not really any

confusion, you know, how many cups you find there.

You find one cup. Containing the fruit of the

vine. That's the pattern.

The Bible doesn't have to say what it does.

Say the Bible doesn't have to make it as clear as the Bible

does make it. Because we have a pattern and we

know what the Lord used in instituting that supper and

we're going to keep it just the way he kept is, what about in

the teaching. And First Corinthians 14 and

First Corinthians 11, their pattern.

There, when it comes to the teaching, you know, what

happens, they all came together in one place.

They all came together into one place.

That was a pattern established way back in.

They didn't divide up into a whole bunch of classroom.

With send the little kids over here, and let's put the women

over here and then the younger and it a little ones and divide

all up like that and do that. They all came together in one

place and one person was teaching at a time, not a whole

bunch of people and First Corinthians. 14 verse 34.

1 Corinthians 14:34

Of course, we have the pattern of just one man, speaking of at

a time but he also adds that it's a shame for a woman.

Even to speak in the church. There's a pattern there when it

comes to the teaching and you can follow this down when it

comes to the worship and you can follow this down when it comes

to church government. That's the last thing.

We'll notice that an idea that is just An area in which the

religious world has just totally abandoned the pattern.

You see this word? What do you think?

What do you think of it? When you see this word, what do

you think of? When you see either of those

words, one of the words that you should also think of is this

word right here? You know why?

Because the Bible makes it crystal clear that the pastor is

a bishop and the bishop is an elder in.

The Elder is the pastor and the Elders of Bishop are all talking

about the same office. But we've got, we've got

religious institutions, the largest Christian professing

institution that has turned this bishop into some ruler over

several churches. One man over several churches

listen folks That doesn't fit the pattern.

God has established his pattern when it comes to church

government. Just like he did in the Old

Testament. He's done it with the church.

Next 20, verse 17, through 31, you can see this clearly laid

out when the Apostle, the Apostle Paul called the Elders

of Ephesus to meet him at my letus pastor.

It's just the same form of words.

Shepherd, shepherd Pastor, Bishop, an overseer, same thing.

And that is what the Elder is responsible for doing.

He is a pastor, he is an overseer.

You know, we've got today. People say Pastor, you know,

they're talking about, they're talking about Pulpit ministry,

that's not going to get it. And sometimes I think in some of

our congregations, we think that a teacher is just a, somebody

who's a Pulpit minister. Because we got a lot of places.

Oh, let me teach. I want to teach.

Let me teach this time. I was in a congregation one

time. I thought we had a real good

meeting and I left and I called back about six months later to

see how things were going. And the brother said that I

called said, well, I've quit the church.

Something big something big is happening here.

So what happened? So well.

They still don't have me teaching on Sunday morning, he

quit the church because they didn't have him teaching on

Sunday morning folks. I'm talking about teachers, but

some of the greatest work that we can do is not going to be

done standing up in front of everybody here, but can be done

in private. Even the great Apostle Paul

said, I have taught you publicly and from house to house, and

we've got people lining up to teach publicly.

But in some places, we can't find anybody.

Who'll go house to house. We can't find anybody that will

be studying on a one-to-one basis or with a couple of

different people in a small setting.

And the church is suffering, when that's happening.

Listen, I'm Pastor is not somebody.

If we ever get to that point, we have them in our congregation in

the congregation, here, pastors, Elders.

Bishops are talking about people that are looking after the Flop.

Pastor is a Shepherd, he's caring for the sheet.

He's looking for the after the sheep and he makes sure those

sheep are okay. The religious world is totally

lost sight of the Bible pattern when it comes to church

government. There's suppose to be a

plurality of Elders. There's a religious group Very

growing religious group, even carries the name, the Church of

Jesus Christ. As part of their name, has men

calling themselves Elders at the age of 18.

Have not met the most fundamental of the

qualifications that are given in first Timothy 3 and Titus

Titus 1 · chapter mention

Chapter 1. Listen folks, God has a pattern,

God has a pattern, just like he had patterns in the Old

Testament. When it came to the art, the

alter, the tab Michael the temple.

He has patterns in the church. There is a particular pattern

for salvation. There's a special pattern that's

presented to us when it comes to the aspects of our worship.

There's a pattern when it comes to church government.

I'm sure you can think of other patterns and you need to look

for patterns in the New Testament.

In Jude verse 3, another scripture that teaches us the

pattern pattern concept. The writer says earnestly

contend for the faith. Once delivered to the Saints, it

doesn't change every hundred years.

Every 200 years again. In Matthew 28 verse 20.

Matthew 28:20

There's a pattern given Let me simplify it for you.

Th baptized teach when he sent them out before he ascended.

After his resurrection because I want you to go teach, I want you

to baptize those that you teach the receive the Gospel and then

I want you to teach them to observe all things whatsoever.

I have commanded you there's a pattern here.

This pattern should not change, should never change until Jesus

comes back, and we're not going to let it happen.

We're going to let it change here, we teach them, we teach

them the truth. Those who respond to the truth.

Baptized after they're baptized then we teach them to observe

not some things but all things whatsoever I have commanded you

and these people that have been taught.

All things. You know they're going to do.

They're going to start this over there, going to teach them,

they're going to baptize in, they're going to teach them at

what point can this cycle be broken?

Never never if we want to honor and we want to glorify God.

I hope this evening that the study has been helpful to you.

Been a reminder to you of how serious God is as an architect.

He's got his projects, he's got his projects in his most

precious building of all. It's the Church of Jesus Christ.

Are you a member of that church, that great institution?

You don't have to be voted on to become a member.

You don't join this church and Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

We find that those who are baptized were added to the

church. All you have to do is follow the

same instruction, the same thing that made Christians back.

Then I'll make you a Christian today.

You believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and you're

willing to make that confession before men, you're willing to

turn from a life of sin. In.

Now, you don't have to be the most wicked sinner in the world

to turn from sin. We've all sinned and fall short

of the glory of God. If you reach the age of

accountability, you have sinned. You need to turn from sin.

Turn your life over to God. That's what he's talking about.

After you've done those steps. You're a fit subject for

baptism. What if there's someone here,

who has not obeyed? The gospel plan.

God's Plan of Salvation. You've heard it tonight.

We encourage you, if you have not obeyed it to come forward,

as we sing this song and become a child of God.

We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the

Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you

would like any additional information or you would like to

receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.

Please email us at info at True Church of Christ

Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays

at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our

honored guest.