"Abram: The Altar Builder" Series

Iliff and Saltillo United Methodist

May 29, 2005

Graduation Sunday

Memorial Day Sunday

“Abram: The Altar Builder”

Genesis 12:7-9

INTRODUCTION: Throughout the Old Testament people built altars to offer

sacrifices, a ritual through which the Hebrew people offered the blood or flesh of an

animal to God in payment for their sins. Sacrifices originated in the Garden of Eden. An

altar, usually made of stones or other rough materials, was built on which to offer the

sacrifices. Both Old and New Testaments confirm that sacrifices were symbolic.

Because of their sins, the Hebrews presented offerings by which they gave another life in

place of their own. These substitutes pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus

Christ (Hebrews 10:1-18) who laid down His life for the sins of all people.

Although we probably think of altars primarily as places of sacrifice in the Old

Testament there are SIX REASONS why Abram and others built altars. It actually

symbolized COMMUNION with God and commemorated notable encounters with Him.

You might wonder, “How is an altar relevant in any way to my life today in the

year 2005? What do I have in common with Abram of the Old Testament times? What

does it have to do with me as I sit here this morning?

In my research I found that we can apply all six of these things to our life today

because they are all relevant to the Christian life and to each of us today. Let’s see what

we can learn from this scripture.

Today most churches have an altar at the front of the church. It is used for

different things such as for weddings, baptisms, kneeling down for communion, for

prayer for salvation, healing or other types of things. Perhaps in past years the altar was a

more significant part of people’s worship experience than it seems to be today, but in this

church the altar is an open place where you can come and kneel to pray whenever you

want to. On Sunday mornings when I get here I usually kneel at this altar to ask God to

bless the service and to help me to do my best.

1. Purposes of the Altar: In verse 7 the Lord appeared to Abram and as a

result Abram built an altar. It was a significant time for this man. Some of the rituals of

the church serve as a special time to us to mark the place and to

(a) remember where we met God just as Abram did.

ILLUSTRATION: I remember when I was 7 years old I went to an altar at a

church and received Jesus as my Savior. You can receive the Lord many different places

and times, but for me this still stands out in my mind as the SPECIFIC place where I

knelt. Abram built an altar to signify that He had met God that day. It stood as A

REMINDER of God’s promises to him. Maybe when this day seemed to fade in his

memory, he could look back at the altar, the specific place and say, “I met God here.”

REMEMBERING your baptism, or your wedding vows or any number of things having

to do with the church altar is a significant milestone for you. Graduates, receiving Bibles

or gifts today marks a time you can look back on as you journey forward into your future.

STORY: Jack’s wife asked him how his golf game went that day.

He said, “Well, I was hitting pretty well, but my eyesight’s gotten so bad I

can’t see where the ball goes.

“But you’re 75 years old, Jack. Why don’t you take your brother Scott

along? “

“But he’s 87 and doesn’t even play golf anymore,” Jack protested.

“But he’s got perfect eyesight” his wife said. “He could watch for the ball,”

his wife pointed out.

The next day Jack teed off with Scott looking on. Jack swung and the ball

disappeared somewhere down the middle of the fairway. “Do you see it?” asked

Jack.

“Yup,” Scott answered.

“Well, Where is it?” yelled Jack looking off into the distance.

“I forgot”

Too often we forget important things and we need a REMEMBRANCE of the

place we first met God and a REMEMBRANCE of his promises to us just as Abeam did.

(b) prayer--Abram built another altar as he traveled toward Bethel and Ai.

The purpose of this altar was different in that verse 8 says that “he built an altar to the

Lord and CALLED ON THE NAME OF THE LORD”--Abram built this altar for the

purpose of prayer. In Genesis 13:4 he again used the altar as a place of prayer.

Each of us needs this altar of prayer in our lives not just once in awhile at specific

times or certain events but DAILY. Do not attempt to start out after graduation or on to