Moses was commissioned by God to build Him the tabernacle in the Sinai Desert. It was of eternal importance that he would follow God’s architectural blue prints for its construction with exactness and accuracy. God’s spiritual architectural blueprint is referred to as the “pattern in the mount”.
Hebrews 8:5 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.
Why did God demand such precision? The purpose of the OT tabernacle was to manifest the invisible God in His glory so that His people, the Israelites, would know Him. Through His glory, God also revealed His laws to Moses to then be transmitted to the Jewish nation.
It would also be fair to say then, that the New Testament church has a “pattern in the mount” of its own. This model must be followed with the precise accuracy so that the world may see the glory of the Lord through the church.
Any local NT assembly must understand, and execute “the pattern in the mount” with meticulous care. This model is demonstrated for us primarily in the Books of Ephesians and Colossians. A congregation’s success or failure to do so will result in the same success or failure to manifest the Person of the Lord Jesus to a dying world.
Unfortunately most churches are ignorant of the New Testament model that must govern their operation.
Church for us is a place that we congregate to hear a Sunday sermon. It is Sunday school for adults and kids. It is a place for Christian fellowship, and Bible studies, programs, and committees. It is hardly ever recognized as the one society instituted by God to manifest Him universally and eternally.
The things that I have mentioned above are not bad in themselves. The problem occurs when we make all of these activities a means to an end. The purpose of all church activities must be to reveal the Person of Jesus Christ through them. John Brevere, a popular Christian speaker, says that we, the church, have minored in the majors and majored in the minors.
Jose and Mary Alvarez 