Comeback Words
“For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:3
Intro: There are certain words in the life of the Church that have always had significant meaning. But as with most fashions many of these words come and go out of style. Today we are going to talk about some very important words that we should pray that they make a return as “Comeback Words.”
The first word is I. Altar.
“And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar” Genesis 8:20
The appearance of the Hebrew word “altar” or “mizbeach” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance from the primary root: “zabach” slaughter the flesh of an animal) is surprisingly not found in the bible until Genesis 8:20.
It is however, certainly implied in the actions of Cain and Abel, who each brought choice gifts of their best and presented or offered them unto the Lord that an altar was used by the pre-Flood patriarch.
The Levitical laws (see Leviticus chapters 1-7) later more clearly described and defined the building of altars and their use to present grain, fruits and sacrifice animals for many different reasons including an offering for sin.
King Solomon knelt before the altar and cried out unto the Lord asking God to be merciful to his people. “When Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. I Kings 8:54 The altar was not only a place of sacrifice but also a place to pray.
In the New Testament the practice of animal offerings were part of the early covenant relationship between God and man for the forgiveness of sin had continued for thousands of years even until John the Baptist came and identified Jesus with the words: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29 The choice of John’s words was deliberate and on purpose. There is a big difference between the offering of bulls and goats which had to be done over and over again and God providing his own Son to be an effective, sufficient sacrifice once and for all sin. Jesus became our sacrifice and his death satisfied the holy justice of God.
Let us jump forward to a more modern understanding of the altar that came about in the late 1800’s. Studies on Revivals and the Great Awakenings teach us the origin of the "the old fashioned altar call." (See Steven Gertz article “When and why did the custom of conducting altar calls begin?”) Evangelist began to reserve the front row of seats for those who were “anxious” to come to the altar to pray. After the sermon there would be a challenge to respond to come forward to the Lord's side. Those who were anxious about their souls were invited to walk down the aisle and set in one of the "anxious seats" where pastors, counselors or laypersons who were trained in evangelism would meet them and lead them through some simple scriptures and to the altar to pray.
Charles Finney an early revivalist explains his view: "Preach to him and at the moment he thinks he is willing to do anything . . . bring him to the test; call on him to do one thing, to make one step that shall identify him with the people of God. . . . If you say to him, "there is the anxious seat, come out and avow your determination to be on the Lord's side," and if he is not willing to do a small thing as that, then he is not willing to do anything for Christ."
This method of evangelism by invitation was used by the early greats such as Dwight L. Moody, Peter Cartwright, Sam Jones, Billy Sunday, John R. Rice, and Billy Graham. Hundreds and sometimes thousands of people came forward to the altar of decision. The invitation to the altar had come to stay. Or so it seemed up through the late 1960’s and early 1970’s the growth of the church and invitation evangelism seemed almost unstoppable.
But then something happened, something that church historians can not exactly agree upon. The idea of a person walking down in front of everyone else became distasteful, revolting, and unattractive, to many even repugnant. Thus an important word “Altar” became less and less important in the life of the church.
There is one word. An important word. That we should pray to make a comeback and that is the word “Altar.”
Let us think back to our opening text: “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:3
The Greek word (kairos) or “time” means that there is a “proper season.” God is going to allow a time when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. This will happen to fulfill His plan and His purpose. But it will be only for a set time or proper season. This will be a time to watch for an opportunity for something to soon happen.
I am thankful for those who use the altar. But I am convinced the church is in this “proper season” today. A time when people will find it hard and difficult to be corrected. A time when people will not listen to a rebuke. A time when people will refuse to be told that there is a need for change. Timothy is telling us there will come a time when people only want what makes them feel and look good. He encourages us to be prepared for heavy resistance to right teachings.
Matthew 24:37 “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man.” People didn’t decide to make a change until the Flood started and then it was too late and it swept them away.
Christ will come again. We don’t know the day nor the hour. If we did we might be tempted to be lazy or wait and keep on sinning until the last possible minute and then right at the end try to get forgiveness.
There want be time to get in a line to come to the altar and repent. The second coming of Christ will be swift and sudden. There want be any last minute opportunity for repentance. There want be any last minute bargaining. The choice of where you will spend eternity in heaven or eternity in hell will have already been made. The only safe choice is to choose today. Church we need to pray that there is a “Comeback to the Altar.”
The second word or important words that we should pray that they make a return as “Comeback Words” is the words II. Holy Spirit
John the Baptist said “I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming ... he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" Luke 3:16. I would like to see the words “Holy Spirit” make a comeback in the life of the church.
John’s baptism with water symbolized an attitude of repentance or a decision to change in a person’s life. Acts 2:38 says, “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit empowers believers to publicly proclaim forgiveness through Jesus’ resurrection and deliverance from God’s judgment on those who choose to repent.
Jonathan Edwards said, “Time after time, when religion seemed to be almost gone, and it was come to the last extremity, then God granted a revival.”
There will be times of spiritual drought and spiritual famine, times of conflict, and great struggles between the sovereign outpourings of the Holy Spirit. I don’t think anyone can argue that the world is in a spiritual low.
Organizations such as Open Doors International and the Center for the Study of Global Christianity report that persecution and murder of Christians is on the rise.
Learn this lesson: With the silence and muting of Holy Spirit there also comes a silence and muting of Christian voices. John 15:26 says “But I will send you the Counselor—which is the Holy Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and tell you all about me. And you must also tell others about me.”
Jesus is offering us hope. That hope is through the Holy Spirit who gives us strength and courage and endurance to stand against unreasonable hatred and evil in this world. Now more than ever we need to be praying for a “Comeback of the Holy Spirit.”
Billy Graham wrote a book titled "The Holy Spirit" which was published in 1978 where he talks about how the Holy Spirit is almost totally neglected in the modern church. Again, I don’t think anyone will argue that things have gotten better since 1978.
It might surprise you that the 1976 General Conference of the United Methodist Church approved a statement that read “in the biblical sense there is no such person as a "non-charismatic Christian." It affirmed the necessity of the “baptism in the Holy Spirit.” We need more Holy Spirit. We need more of that third person of the Godhead. We need more of the manifestation of the Heavenly Father.
At one of D.L. Moody’s meetings he told the story of a shipwreck on a dark and tempestuous night, when not even a star was visible. A ship was approaching the harbor of Cleveland, with a pilot on board. The captain could see only one light as they drew near — that was the light from the lighthouse —asked the pilot if he was quite sure that it was Cleveland harbor, as other lights should have been burning at the harbor mouth. The pilot replied that he was quite sure, whereupon the captain inquired: “Where are the lower lights?” “Gone out, sir,” replied the pilot. “Can you make the harbor, then?” asked the captain, to which the pilot answered: “We must, sir, or perish.” Bravely the old captain steered the vessel upon her course. But alas! In the darkness of the harbor mouth he missed the channel, the ship struck upon many rocks, and in the stormy waters many lives were lost. Then Moody made his appeal to his audience: “Brothers and sisters, the Master will take care of the great lighthouse! Let us keep the lower lights burning!” Among Moody’s hearers that evening was Mr. Philip P. Bliss, the well-known hymn writer, and the striking story at once suggested to him one of his most popular hymns:
Brightly beams our Father’s mercy
From His lighthouse evermore,
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.
Chorus:
Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.
The light house is God in Heaven. But who are the lower lights? We are. I believe the lower lights are kindled by the fire of the Holy Spirit in us. Jesus is the lighthouse shining from heaven. But we are the lower light here on earth that need to shine so that the lost can find their way out of darkness and down to the altar of decision.
There are two very important words that need to return as “Comeback Words” the Altar and the Holy Spirit.
