“Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” -Exodus 25:40
As Moses was being instructed by God concerning the construction of the Tabernacle he was told to be sure to make it according to the pattern that God had given him. There were very specific details in these instructions that God wanted followed to the letter. The divine pattern, the blueprint of God, was not only for the Tabernacle itself but included all the things that would be put in it.
God has not left it up for us to decide how things should be done. He has a blueprint, He wants things done His way!
The Blueprint of God
God never intended His Word to be supplemental. He gave it as the essential blueprint by which everything is to be built according to the specifications found in it. He places so much importance on His Word that He places it above His own name!
“You have exalted Your word above all Your name.” -Psalm 138:2
The final authority for all things in the life of a Child of God is the Word of God.
Should it surprise us that God expects His blueprint to be followed?
It’s our failure to heed the pattern, and to make everything according to what we see in the Word of God, that has caused so much deficiency and confusion in the Body of Christ today.
Every sort of teaching imaginable has come into the church. Much of it has nothing to do with the pattern presented in the Word of God at all. It’s as if there are a thousand blueprints thrown on the table and we can just decide which one suits us!
We were warned that it would be like this in the last days.
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” -2 Timothy 4:3
We’re living in an age when people simply make things up as they go along. We take what suits us, we disregard what doesn’t. Our spiritual experiences are often valued over doctrine.
Living the blueprint
As a child of God I’m called to live the blueprint of the Word of God.
I love the revelation that comes from the Holy Spirit and the experiences that I have with Jesus, but if my “revelation” and “experiences” are truly of God, they will fit within the framework of biblical doctrine.
My experience does not define the blueprint, the blueprint defines me.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” -Hebrews 4:12
As I consider the divergent voices speaking from every direction it’s clear to me that we need to return to the blueprint, the pattern, of the Word of God.
Discerning an authentic move of God
Every genuine move of God contains the watermark of His Word.
If somebody gives me a $100 bill and there’s no watermark on it I know it’s counterfeit. I don’t need to look into the matter further! The real thing has the watermark, the fake thing doesn’t.
It’s not difficult to discern the real from the false if we simply ask ourselves, “Is the watermark present?”
The Word of God is the infallible watermark of authenticity- no exceptions.
The blueprint of God has been established in the Word of God. Our spiritual experiences and the Word of God need to come into perfect alignment. If what we experience disagrees with the Word of God, we don’t change the blueprint, we change what we’re doing!
Let me try to explain…
When I compare the present church to the the book of Acts it becomes immediately apparent that we are not following the pattern of God’s Word.
For example, the gospel preached by the apostles was heavily marked by the message of repentance. Today’s gospel is almost completely lacking in this aspect. This is just one example of failing to follow the pattern.
Do I conform to the blueprint?
Each of us runs in a “spiritual culture” whose practices and beliefs are largely influenced by the people around us. We tend to be swayed by the voices of authority that speak within our particular sphere of activity. Many of us may not want to admit it, but it’s entirely possible to be actively involved in a church, and at the same time be led astray. I’ll talk more about my own experience of this in another post, but for now I’d simply like to pose the question, “Are you sure that the doctrines that you believe, and the practices that you are involved in, are found in the Word of God?
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” -1 Tim 4:1
Demons have a Teaching Ministry! It’s time that we take that seriously.
Not only do demons have a teaching ministry but they they use the mouths of unwitting Christians to promote their lying doctrines! We need to understand that demons do not only use blunt force but they can be very seductive and subtle and offer attractive teachings that appeal to people. This is why it’s absolutely vital that we return to the Blueprint of the Word of God.
The Spirit of God searches out all things and uses the Word of God to establish us in the truth.
Not only do I want to be sure that I am believing core biblical doctrine, but I need to evaluate whether those doctrines are held in proper proportion in my life. Does my life resemble the balance found in Scripture? Are the various truths of God found in their proper proportion in my life?
A telltale sign of doctrinal error is exaggeration. Truth exaggerated becomes a lie.
Is it always God’s will to heal?
An example of exaggerated truth that is rampant in certain sections of the Body of Christ today is that it’s always the will of God to heal. This false teaching can be extremely damaging when it actually doesn’t turn out that way! The doctrine itself is built on a true premise- God does heal. But through exaggeration this truth becomes a lie, because nowhere in the scriptures are we told that it is always the will of God to heal. In fact, we’re given examples where people didn’t get healed!
Trophimus I left sick in Miletus. -2 Timothy 4:20
We have the Apostle Paul himself leaving somebody sick!
I’m grateful that things like this were left in the Bible. They pull us back from the cliff of exaggeration and help us to see things properly.
Commanding the weather?
Another example that comes to mind is an overexaggerated belief in Dominion and Authority. We have people running around with the idea that they can easily command the weather as surely as Jesus spoke to the winds and waves and told them to “Be still”. But is this true? If it is, it’s something the Apostle Paul apparently didn’t know about! He found himself in the middle of a violent storm as he sailed to Rome and we’re never told that he attempted to command the weather!
We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo. -Acts 27:18
Surely if there was ever a time to command the weather it was now, but that is not what happened. In fact, things only got worse. It got so bad that everybody thought they were going to die, but an angel of God appeared to Paul. Did he come to remind him that he had the authority to command the weather? No, the angel reassured them that they were all going to get through this thing alive, but that their ship was going to run into a sandbar and break into a million pieces!
So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me. However, we must run aground on some island.” -Acts 27:25
And that’s exactly what happened. No speaking to the winds and waves!
He [the centurion] commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land. -Acts 27:43
This was not exactly a display of the Believers Authority and Dominion that’s preached today. The ship broke up and they had to swim for their lives and float on the planks of their broken ship until they got safely to an island!
Truth exaggerated becomes a lie.
It is certainly true that if God had told Paul to speak to the storm that it would have halted immediately, but we can see from this example that there was no inherent authority or dominion that Paul possessed in himself to be able to do anything about the weather. Human beings do not have the ability within themselves to be able to speak things into existence or command anything and make it happen. These are the prerogatives and power of God.
It’s critical that we return to the Blueprint of God’s Word
Ask yourself, “Does my life, and my speech, resemble the Word of God in its content and proportions?”
What I see in my life, and what I hear coming out of mouth should resemble the Word of God in it’s content, and proportion of content, to one another.
All the great truths of scripture should be in their proper balance and proportion to one another in my life as presented in the Word of God. If there are glaring discrepancies, or exaggerated teachings, I can be sure that I am out of the pattern!
Coming into conformity
We must return to the pattern of God!
We need to remember that Jesus lived in perfect obedience to His Father! He lived the blueprint of God, and displayed the glory of God because of it!
There are no alternative blueprints in the Kingdom of God.
If you belong to Jesus, you’re the Temple of the Living God, and you can be sure that when it comes to your life, He won’t use shoddy building materials and He doesn’t take shortcuts. God is not into exaggeration and He hates false doctrine. He’s completely serious about the specifications laid out in the blueprint of His Word.
What He said to Moses, He’s saying to you and me.
“Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you…” -Exodus 25:40