TEXT:  Exod. 25:40

INTRODUCTION:

A.      WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF MEASUREMENTS, PATTERNS.

          1.       Time, Speed Limit, Distance.

          2.       Dress Patterns, Recipes, Blue Prints.

B.      PATTERNS VITAL, THOUGH WE OFTEN TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED.

I.      PATTERNS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

A.      GOD-GIVEN MEASUREMENTS.

          1.       The Ark( Gen. 6:13-16 ).  300x50x30 cubits.  Gopher wood.  1 window.

                   Specified measurements limited Noah.

          2.       Tabernacle( Ex. 25-27 ).  According to the pattern( Acts 7:44;  Heb. 8:5 ).

          3.       Solomon's Temple( 1 Chron. 28:11-19 ).  "All the works of this pattern..."

          4.       Ezekial's Temple( Ez. 40:2-4;  43:6-12 ).  The  church.( Eph. 2:19-22 ).

                   a.       Measure the house so that they may know their sins( Ez. 43:9 ).

                   b.       Law of the House( vs. 12 ).  Holiness and conduct measured.

B.      DO THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE PATTERN MATTER?

          1.       Noah received grace( Gen. 6:8, 22 ).  Followed the pattern( vs. 22 ).

          2.       Israel enjoyed God's presence( Ex. 25:8;  29:44-46;  40:34-45 ).

          3.       Solomon( 2 Chron. 7:12-16 ).  Sacrifices acceptable.

          4.       Ez. 42:15-20;  43:10-12.  Holiness of God's People is Secured.

II.     IN THE NEW TESTAMENT( Rom. 15:4 ).

A.      HAS GOD GIVEN A PATTERN?

          1.       Rule( Phil. 3:16;  Gal. 6:16 ).  kanon-"a measuring rod, a rule,.. any rule or

                   standard, a principle or law of investigating, judging, living, acting"( Thayer ).

          2.       Form( Rom. 6:17 ).  tupos-"4 an example:  a) in the technical sense, the

                   pattern in conformity to which a thing must be made"( Thayer ).

          3.       Pattern( 2 Tim. 1:13 ).  hupotuposis-"an example, a pattern"( Thayer ).

B.      IS THE PATTERN IMPORTANT?

          1.       Heb. 8:5.  Typology.

          2.       2 Tim. 1:13.  Hold the pattern.

          3.       What we are talking about is Authority( Col. 3:17;  2 John 9 ).

C.      DOES THE PATTERN CHANGE?( Jude 3;  1 Pet. 1:23-25;  Heb. 4:12 ).

D.      IS ANYTHING MISSING?( 2 Pet. 1:3;  2 Tim. 3:16-17 ).

III.    ARE STUDIES IN THE PATTERN IMPORTANT?

A.      SOME ARE JUST NOT INFORMED, HAVE NOT THOUGHT.

B.      SOME AREN'T MATURE ENOUGH TO APPRECIATE.  "IT'S BORING."

C.      THE HERETIC DESCRIBE SUCH A STUDY AS IRRELEVANT, BECAUSE

          THEY SEE IT AS AN IMPEDIMENT.  See quotes on New Hermeneutic.

IV.   WE MUST RESPECT AND OBEY GOD'S MEASUREMENTS.

A.      PLAN OF SALVATION( Mark 16:16;  Acts 2:38 ).

B.      TRUE WORSHIP( Matt. 15:7-9;  John 4:24 ).

C.      ORGANIZATION AND WORK OF THE CHURCH( Heb. 8:5;  Phil. 1:1 ).

D.      MORALITY( Titus 2:11-12;  Judges 21:25;  2 Cor. 6:14-7:1 )..

E.      FELLOWSHIP( 2 John 9-11;  Eph. 5:11 ).

CONCLUSION:

A.      WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED WITH THE PATTERN GIVEN US IN THE

          NEW TESTAMENT.

B.      OUR SOULS ARE TOO PRECIOUS.