Are You Following a Godly Pattern?

Are You Following a Godly Pattern?

 

 

Good Morning Friends,

 

 

If you go online to http://devotionals.1by1leadershipfoundation.org/ you can read writings about how our hardwired personalities might be redeemed in the patterns of the Trinity and how God communicates with us through patterns such as the forms of music in worship that help us build community and harmony, and how we are to follow a Godly pattern in our relationships with others. I have written about how Paul asks us to imitate him imitating Christ and how patterns of our faith reflect the fundamental structure of the universe held together in Christ’s love. We have been given a model to live by. Are You Following a Godly Pattern?

 

 

Scripture: And see that you make them according to the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

 

Exodus 25:40 (NRSV)

 

 

They offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one; for Moses, when he was about to erect the tent, was warned, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”

 

Hebrews 8:5 (NRSV)

 

 

He said to me: Mortal, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will reside among the people of Israel forever. The house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their whoring, and by the corpses of their kings at their death. When they placed their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they were defiling my holy name by their abominations that they committed; therefore I have consumed them in my anger. Now let them put away their idolatry and the corpses of their kings far from me, and I will reside among them forever. As for you, mortal, describe the temple to the house of Israel, and let them measure the pattern; and let them be ashamed of their iniquities. When they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the plan of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, and its whole form—all its ordinances and its entire plan and all its laws; and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe and follow the entire plan and all its ordinances. This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. This is the law of the temple.

 

Ezekiel 43:7-12 (NRSV)

 

 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.  He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

 

Colossians 1:15-17 (NRSV)

 

 

He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

 

 

Matthew 22:37-40 (NRSV)

 

 

Message: Today we look at scripture to help us be firmly grounded in the truth of God’s plan for our salvation through a process of us emulating original patterns perfectly. And what we find is that we make mistakes in the copying. Our character types seem to be hardwired with desires. Some of us want to be happy. Others to belong. You may have met people that desire to achieve an expert mastery of a skill in a way that improves the world, while others are motivated to just help. The Bible is filled with character types and some are motivated by an individual desire to experience a better, more authentic, more fulfilling life and some want to overturn what is not working. Perhaps you are like those who yearn being in a relationship with the people, work and surroundings they love or those who have a deep aspiration to realize a vision. Others seem to crave a great time and lighten up the world in the process. Then there are those who have the life goal to use intelligence and analysis to understand the world or to create a prosperous, successful family or community. These models of behaving in the world are fundamental to our existence but what is even more basic is that they can connect through Jesus to create a new pattern of the new creation in communities that love God and love each other. We as dreamers, good neighbors, team players, helpers, seekers, rebels, friends, artists, jokers, teachers, inventors and managers are all to follow Jesus and through the Spirit be guided in knowing how to respond to God’s will. We are to appreciate the Bible’s teaching on God’s expectation, His wrath, His loving care, and His faithful guidance. And if that pattern sounds like the conviction, comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit there is hope for us yet. The beauty is that the Bible provides revolutionary insights for navigating the obstacles and realizations of our human journey. Friends, in the patterns of light and darkness, in the crosshatching and crossroad of life there are patterns of wisdom that can open the way to seeing the world anew and finding a radiant inspiration on each step. There are patterns of consciousness shaping our daily lives that when in balance can help us in the challenges of our existence. Life is almost always out of our control. The key is to follow Jesus.

 

 

Pray in the Spirit of God we develop the tools to find clarity in confusion, harmony in conflict, and comfort in the chaos. Pray we find in the Holy Spirit a balancing of our desires for freedom and order and for belonging and self-will. Pray
we acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of all creation and the pattern for the life abundant. Pray we acknowledge that Jesus brings order to the body of believers in community. Pray we acknowledge that the world can be a very dangerous place but that the safest place to be is in the Father’s will. Pray we follow the patterns of wisdom God has provided to us. Pray we experience the model of love as we were designed to from the beginning. Pray we gain insights into the motivations of others and how they can connect to glorify God. Pray we follow a Godly pattern for living the life we have been given.

 

 

Blessings,

 

 

John Lawson