REPAIRING THE ALTAR OF THE LORD
Study Text: 1Kings 18: 30 - 39
Introduction:
- The trouble in many churches is not the Pastor or the program. The trouble is "Broken Altars" in the lives of God's people.
- The purpose of an altar is: Worship; Sacrifice; Giving of Offerings; God's people gather together; Meeting God and Establishing Covenants.
- An altar is the meeting place between the physical and the spiritual. Everybody knows; Christians, non Christians, those who believe in God and those who does not believe in God, they know that the spiritual control the physical.
- That is why those who do not have Jesus Christ result to contacting forces of darkness for one thing or the other. So they bath themselves with special soap, rob themselves with special ointment in an attempt to attract the spiritual to come to their aid.
- The altar is where the physical contacts the spiritual that is the place where human beings goes to contact either God or demons. But the altar we are talking about is the altar of the Lord.
- Whether it is God or demons that you want to contact, you are expected to prepare a place, where the two of you can meet. The building of the altar is your own responsibility.
- Years before, unknown people had built an altar here, they had worshipped, offering up sacrifices to the True and Living God.
- That altar had stood as a visible sign of the reality of the True and Living God; and it had testified that people once worshipped Him as the Most High God.
- Quiker than anyone could have imagined , the people approved of new directions with progressive attitudes that demonstrated to the world that the nation was just like the nations about them.
- As increasing numbers of prophets compromised with wickedness, embracing the worship of the Baalim and the Asherim, altars that once dotted the land were torn down, replaced by Asherah Poles.
- The sacred places where the Living God had been worshipped were transformed into houses of prostitution. This altar, also, was torn down and the stones scattered.
- At last, one man consumed with a burning desire to glorify the True and Living appeared suddenly.
- As was true for Israel in the days of Elijah, the same truths hold for us. We must insist on inward transformation of the heart, not contenting ourselves with mere outward conformity to man-made rules.
- We must again see love for God revealed through love for His people. We must see a desire to know God and to discover what pleases Him. We must desire Him above all else. We must honour Him.
- As Elijah would need to build again the altar of the Lord, so Christians in this day are responsible to erect the altar of the Lord. Not that we must build physical structures to the glory of God; but that we must again do those things that reveal His presence among us.
- If there will ever be revival in our day, then we must prepare ourselves so that we can be used by God’s Good Spirit.
- We shall discuss the study under three sub-headings
1] Reasons for Repairing the Altar of the Lord
2] Requirements in Repairing the Altar of the Lord
3] Revival through Repairing the Altar of the Lord
1] Reasons for Repairing the Altar of the Lord
- An honest look at the condition of the church in many places today reveals weakness, lethargy, and decline.
- In many places the fires of revival and renewal have dimmed, or have been greatly hindered by the encroachments of sin, the flesh and the devil.
- As sin and lethargy abound in many places, God's call to His people is, "Repair My altar’’.
- The Holy Spirit is once again directing His people back to the altar, so that He can pour out his love, power, renewal, and healing.
- Asthe Holy Spirit brings us to a place of surrender, both in our own hearts and at the gathering places, glorious and powerful things will begin to happen in the Church of God.
- Some of the reasons to repair the altar of the Lord includes:
1) The altar is a place of consecration
- For those who are sincerely following Christ, there is power in fresh consecration.
- Re-dedicating our all to Christ will bring a fresh fire on the altar. In the Old Testament, the priests were reminded, "A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out." (Lev. 6:13).
- Let this remind us of the importance of the fire of total consecration to Christ; Come what may.
2) The altar is a place of confession and repentance!
- When the Holy Spirit is moving, people are brought to the altar in confession of sin and repentance. Fresh confession and repentance are so needed today!
- The worldliness and the sins of the flesh have become so commonplace around us; Lord, establish the power of your altar, to bring cleansing, confession and repentance into our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- When there is sin in our hearts, even if it is unrecognized as such, it hides the face of the Father from us. "For your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2).
- But through confession and turning from sin, the Holy Spirit cleanses us by applying the precious blood of Christ. Then the barriers are removed, and God promises, "I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel." (Ezek.39:29 , Acts 2:17,18)
3) The altar is a place of surrender
- As people come to the altar in surrender, lives are transformed.
- The altar is a powerful place for evangelism, as people are called to come forward to the altar to receive Christ as Lord.
- People coming forward to the altar under anointed preaching and the working of the Holy Spirit leads to definite conversions, as the Holy Spirit wondrously produces the new birth in the hearts of the lost.
- The altar is also a place for prodigal sons and daughters to come back to Christ.
- There is nothing sweeter than to see a prodigal son or daughter weeping their way back to God at the altar. Truly the altar is a place of surrender.
4) The altar is a place of prayer
- The Spirit is calling us to prayer, with an urgency and a compelling voice.
- 2nd Chronicles 7:14 has been a theme verse for seeking restoration, forgiveness and healing. May we apply it to our altars, both in our churches and in our private altars of prayer:
"If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land."
- We must "build an altar" today in our hearts. It is an altar of surrender, and an altar of prayer and confession.
- May we be a "people of the altar," who live daily at God's altar of prayer, and who gather together at altars of prayer in our churches. As we pray and seek His face, God will bring healing to our land.
5) The altar is a place to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
- Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!" (John 7:37). As we come to the feet of Jesus, He will pour out His Baptism of the Holy Spirit upon a hungry people. He will pour water upon the thirsty! (Isaiah 44:3).
- Truly there is an urgent need for people to be baptized in the Spirit, to receive power to witness, and to receive anointing for victorious Christian living. Lord, pour out your Spirit at our altars and in our hearts, in fresh power in Jesus name.
6) The altar is a place of healing
- As people come forward to receive prayer for healing, healing gifts of the Spirit can be given to those in need.
- Elders of the church can anoint with oil, following James 5:14-16, and the prayer of faith will result in healing of the sick.
- In times of seeking God and prayer, powerful miracles have occurred in people's lives through divine healing, opening the door for many people to come to Christ.
- God also sovereignly touches and heals people to demonstrate His compassion and glory. Are we seeking and asking for gifts of healing today? (1 Cor. 12:7-11,31; 14:1)
7) The altar is a place of worship
- As people enter into worship at God's altar, the presence of God becomes tangible.
- The atmosphere of worship invites the presence of the Holy Spirit to touch people's hearts. "Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise you, O God, my God." (Psalm 43:4).
- In our individual lives or in corporate worship, worshipping God for who He is brings us into an increasing awareness of God's presence and goodness. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).
2] Requirements in Repairing the Altar of the Lord
1. Those aspects that once marked the people of God as the Holy Bride of Christ will need to be cultivated in this day.
2. We must again accept the Bible as authoritative and accurate.
3. Christians will be required to affirm that salvation is God’s gift offered freely without merit on the part of any mere mortal.
4. We will find that we must insist that salvation is revealed through a godly life—it is possession and not profession that must be sought.
5. It will be necessary that the churches must insist that the saved must seek out a congregation where they can faithfully participate in the services.
6. Discipline among the churches will again be required if we will honour the Living God.
7. And among families, there will again be need to insist that fathers must accept responsibility to serve as Spiritual leaders for their own families.
- These are minimum requirements if the altar of God will be rebuilt.
Now this altar that you want to build to God must be a very special altar.
1. It must be an altar of faith.
- Stop doubting God, Hebrew 11 v 6 says those who come to God must believe that he exist and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
- Stop doubting him! Build an altar of faith. If God says it, it will come to pass. It doesn’t matter how impossible it may appear.
2. The altar you build must be an altar of praise. Psalm 65 v 1 says praise waits for you in Zion.
- You should be able to say God, come to my house you will find praise there. When God comes to some houses all he will get is murmuring, complaining, Queries; If God knows that in your home, in your heart, there will be constant praise, he will draw near.
3. Let it be an altar of thanksgiving,
- Learn to thank him; thank him for what he has done, because he has done something for you, you know!
- Psalm 103 v 1- 5 said bless the Lord oh my soul, forget not all his benefits, but then he began to list the benefits.
4. Build an altar of worship, Psalm 18 v 1- 2
- when you worship him and you begin to call Him His name He will rise for you.
5. Let it be an altar of prayer
The altar of God must be an altar of prayer, he promises to answer prayer. In Jeremiah 33 v 3 he said call on me and I will answer you, not I may, I will. In John 14 v 14, he said if you ask anything in the name of Jesus, it will be done. Believe him, you will get result, you will get result
6. Make it an altar of sacrifice.
- David said in 2 Samuel 24 v 18 – 25 he said I would not offer God something that doesn’t cost me.
7. Make it an altar of dedication and consecration. Roman 12 v 1 said you are to offer yourself as a living sacrifice.
- Many of us are ready to sacrifice money; ready to give anything, but not ourselves. Make yourself a living sacrifice! If you are too big to be a sacrifice on the altar of God, then you are not qualified for His blessings.
3] Revival through Repairing the Altar of the Lord
- What is needed among our churches is fire from heaven—a holy revival of the Faith. Revival will not come through organisation—we have about organised the Holy Spirit out of the churches in this day.
- Revival will not come through extended prayer, though prayer is assuredly a component of revival.
- Elijah’s petition was uncomplicated, consisting of a few, pointed words. “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back” [1 Kings 18:36, 37].
- The prayer that Elijah offered up before the watching Israelites was directed to the Living God. The Prophet sought one great thing from the LORD God—that He might be known as God!
- Elijah’s longing was for God to be glorified before His people. Just so, if we will ever witness the power of God in this day and in our midst, we must seek His glory above all else, even as Jesus has taught us, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” [Matt 6:33].
- Elijah was simply a man committed to God and to seeking His glory. Therefore, Elijah’s actions should be seen as exemplary rather than exceptional. James 5: 17-18
- The encouragement provided through the Word is that the powerful demonstration of divine power witnessed on Carmel was exceptional only in the sense that so few among us are prepared to act with sufficient courage to witness God working in power.
- We have become so used to the mundane that we believe that God is unable to work in like manner in our day! We have lived subnormal lives so long that when we actually see the normal Christian life we believe it is supernatural.
- Now, let us consider an important question: do you long for God’s glory? Do you long for Him to be honoured among us? Do you yearn for Him to receive praise, though it may mean you must be humbled? Until we come to that position, we durst not imagine that we shall again see the power of God displayed in our midst.
When you repair the altar of the Lord and build a new one like Elijah did, you can expect the followings:
1. Instant answer to your prayer Psalm 50 v 14 -15
- When you have repaired his altar, when your obedience to all his laws is complete, he said you call on me in the day of trouble and I will answer you
2. When you have repaired the altar of God and built a new one, then your offering shall be accepted of the Lord.
- In Genesis 4 v 3 -5 two people brought offerings to God; Cain and Abel. God accepted the offering of one and rejected the offering of another.
3. When you have repaired the altar of the Lord and built a new one, then your potentials shall be activated.
- When the fire fell on Mount Carmel, it was an answer to prayer. Inside you is a potential, there is something God put in you when he created you, God didn’t send you into this world to just come and eat and wear some dress, he wanted you to become a blessings to your generation and that will begin as you repair the altar of the Lord.
4. When you have repaired the altar of the Lord and you built a new one to him, hardship will come to an end in your life.
- When the fire fell on mount Carmel, it was not only the fire wood that he consumes, it consumes the rock; the symbol of hardship was removed.
Conclusion:
- Elijah repaired the altar of sacrifice when it was broken down. Oh, God's warriors must first be God's worshipers.
- If you want Heaven on your side, the broken-down altars must be rebuilt in your heart. Give yourself to God. Confess your sins.
- No matter what has broken down the altar, build it up. Maybe it is the breaking of vows, or neglect of prayer, or neglect of family worship, or failure to get anything worthwhile done for God;
- May be it is that you never go to prayer meeting, or that your business practices are crooked, or that you have been a coward about witnessing for Christ, you need to repair the altar.
- You will have to slay uncleanliness; you will have to slay lasciviousness; you will have to slay adultery;
- you will have to slay enmity; you will have to slay strive; you will have to slay jealousy; you will have to slay wrath; you will have to slay divisions; you will have to slay heresies;
- you will have to slay these infamous lies that men are preaching from their pulpits that lead people away from God. You will have to slay envy; you will have to slay drunkenness;
- you will have to slay lying; you will have to slay stealing; you will have to slay reviling. Before the fire from God comes, the prophets of Baal must die.
- As His called people, we must return to the power of God that is manifested at an altar of surrender! May we live by the altar, in daily consecration and surrender to Christ.
- - The power of God is more than a match for the worldliness, the sin, the complacency in churches and in our society.
- - As the fire of God falls on the altar, people once again will cry, "The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”
