"BUILD YOUR OWN ALTAR"
Joshua 22:9-12
(9) And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
(10) And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to.
(11) And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel.
(12) And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.
Now turn with me to verses 23-27
(23) That we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himself require it;
(24) And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel?
(25) For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the Lord: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord.
(26) Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
(27) But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord.
Recently I was asked by one of our Sunday School teachers to fill in for her. She was to have some surgery done and was unsure if should would be able.
She is one half of the best 2-teachers that can be found anywhere. Both these ladies have helped to “grow me in the church”. From childhood I have watched the lives of both these ladies. I thought of what a wonderful example they both have been to me.
As I began to reminisce of early years of my life I thought of another pair of teachers. I thought of another pair of teachers who greatly influenced me as a child. These pair of teachers;
Once took our children’s class horseback riding
I recall them taking us to Carowinds
Once they gave of their time to take all of us kids to the beach.
I then begin to think of the great work they had done for the Lord. I remember of how they would tell me, “Jesus loves you”. These two teachers were a wonderful blessing to me.
And then I begin to think of the fact that they, are no longer here. No longer, taking time with the children. No longer, planning trips to Carowinds.
No longer, driving the children to the beach to ride the Roller Coasters. No longer, taking the kids on Horseback Rides. No longer giving of their time to the Lord. No longer, telling our children that Jesus loves them. I began to think of how they were no longer here.
They are not, helping with our toddlers. They are not, working with our children’s church. They are not, teaching our youth classes. They are not, ministering to our teens. They are no longer here. As I thought of these two individuals that influenced me so early on, and of how they eventually turned back on God, I began to think of how important it is for each of us to “build our own Altar.”
These two who once walked close to God, now no longer in church. They are divorced today. He has been disabled and can only get around by a wheel chair. He has since remarried. As far as I know, both are still in a back slidden state today.
Now, I have no reason to believe that any of our teachers would turn back on the Lord. Especially these two ladies who asked me to teach their class recently.
I have confidence in them both today. If I had a burden, I wouldn’t mind either of them praying for me.
But one day, they too will no longer be here. Now it may not be “The World” that takes them away. But death someday will. So then, I can’t depend on their altars.
I have to build an altar for myself.
We cannot place our own experience with God on somebody else’ altar. We must build our own!
We must build our own Prayer life! We must build our own relationship with God! We must build our own altars! There will come a time that somebody else’ altar is going to no longer be there. We must not rely on someone else’ altar, we must build one for ourselves!
Let’s go back to our scriptures:
From our scriptures we find that;
The 12-tribes of Israel were about to enter in the Promised Land.
2-of those tribes (Ruben & Gad) and one half of another tribe (Manasa) came to Moses.
They told Moses upon crossing the Jordan, the land on the East was good land.
(Fertile & be able to raise children)
They asked Moses if they could settle on that Eastern Side.
Moses said on one condition. If the men of those tribes will go in and fight with us on the other side until the victory is won, we will allow you to return over to the Eastern Side of Jordan. He said, if you do not fight with us, “be sure your sin will find you out.” What is he saying? He’s saying everybody must fight in the battle for God.
EVERYONE MUST FIGHT IN THIS BATTLE FOR GOD.
You have no right not-to fight and allow others to fight for you.
You have no right to let someone else tithe and you not have to.
You have no right not to pray and depend on someone else to do it for you!
He said, “All of us will go and fight,” and they agreed and they done so.
The war is now over. These two tribes and the half of Manasa tribe, come back over to the Eastern side of Jordan. But they do something very interesting.
They build an Altar on the Eastern Side. Now there was already an Altar on the West Side. The West Side was where the altar was to be. Hold on now, stay with me:
The other tribes that were on the West Side didn’t like it. They readied for war because the Eastern Side built their own Altar. But the tribes on the Eastern Side said, “Wait a minute, hold on.” The tribes on the Eastern Side said, this altar is in case you turn back on God.
They said, you may no longer believe in our God?
They were kinda’ saying:
What if we hear, that you don’t believe in the Bible anymore?
What if we hear, that you no longer preach from the KJV of the bible?
What if we hear, that you folks no longer Praise & Worship God?
What if we hear, that you no longer have church on Sunday nights any longer?
What if we hear, that you left the very faith of our fathers?
They said, we built this altar, “just in case”. And you had better do the same thing. You better “BUILD YOUR OWN ALTAR.” Someone may let you down. That dear Saint will not always be there for you. You can’t survive forever on someone else’ altar. The day will come when you will need your own.
Those who taught you when you were young; Those who teach you today; They may someday change or may no longer be around and you will need your own altar.
I could tell you of those who were once Sunday School teachers here in this church; I could tell you of those who were once Sunday School Superintendents here;
Who once taught their children the truths of the Bible, yet who have fallen to sin. The saddest thing is, that some of their children hadn’t yet built their own altar.
Young people, do not depend of the altar of your mom & dad. But you “BUILD YOUR OWN ALTAR”! Have an altar of your own. Have your own Prayer Life! Have your own Walk with God. The day will come when Mom & Dad are no longer here. And you need to have your own altar!
WE CANNOT ALWAYS DEPEND ON
THE ALTAR OF OUR PASTOR
Our Pastor;
For some 27 years now, we have enjoyed the sacrifices and the prayers of his altar. Our Pastor has shed many hours, many tears upon his altar for our church. Most of you would agree, we would be unable to find anyone who loved this church more. But the time will come when our pastor will no longer be here for us. I’m certain that our pastor would agree with me tonight in saying we need to “BUILD OUR OWN ALTAR!”
There have been other churches, a lot like ours who was once strong.But sometime thereafter the pastor would pass and then the churches would dry up. Why?
Simply because the church, (the people) had not built their own altar.
If we are to survive and to continue we must build our own altar.
We must have an altar in our homes!
We must have our own time in prayer with God!
We must have our own time of fasting!
We must have our own time of soul winning!
We must have our own time of proclaiming the Gospel!
We cannot continue to get by in this world depending on someone else’ altar! One day our pastor will be gone.
The day may come when; some slick-tell-you-what-you-want-to-hear, preacher will hold this pulpit in his lace underwear, that won’t preach the word.
The day may come when; the one applying for the pastorate will wear a dress, heels & red lipstick.
The day may come when; someone preaches from behind this pulpit that is here just to entertain you.
The day may come when; someone preaches to us of Hell but not a literal Hell.
The day may come when; they may preach from something other than the KJV.
The day may come when; they in this very pulpit and try to convince you that these other versions are for today. And if you are not careful; if you havn’t built your own altar; it might just happen.
‘coarse I will be dead too!
If you are depending on someone else’ altar, “build your own!” There is no altar any stronger than the one you build for your self! The day I got saved I looked up to God and said, “From this day I will be a different man!” What did I do? I built an altar!
I made up my mind to serve God! I didn’t depend on someone else altar to save me, I built my own!
I said, I built my own! There isn’t an altar any stronger than the one you build yourself!
About a week or so ago I had a man enter the place where I worked. He had mentioned to someone in the store he was in need of prayer. He came back to where I was working and said that someone sent him to me.
He told me of how he was a Christian. He told me of his background in the church and how he was a faithful man. But he also began to tell me of how he and his wife was now separated. He told me that it was in part due to the way she treated him. He stated that he had talked with other ministers and they advised him to “stay away from her for a while.” He said, they told him, “let her see what she is missing for a while.” And then he asked me for council. And this is what I told him;
First of all I reminded him of his vow to God, “…for better for worse.” My telling him the opposite of what other preachers had said, startled him. "For better or worse”. I told him when he got married he didn’t say, “If everything goes well.” But, “no matter what!”
So you’re not getting along very well, ride it out anyway! For Richer for Poorer; you told God! In sickness & in Health; you told God! For Skinnier or Fatter! Uh-oh, wait a minute. Did we say that?
Listen, “For better for Worse” you said!
How many of you remember making that same vow? I told this fellow, “the first thing you need to do is that which you know to do” “Go back to your wife!”
I came home yesterday to discover that Sister Marcia had taken my game cards I had collected since I was a kid, dumped them out of my safe storage cooler into a cardboard box, just so her sister could take home a pack of hot dogs! I want to tell you, there were a lot of things that went through my mind. A few of them were;
1. For Richer for Poorer
2. In sickness & in Health
Then I thought, ah-ha; “TILL DEATH DO US PART!”
How can God help us if we do not do honor him?
Ecclesiastes 5:5 says; (5) Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Stick with what you say! This gentlemen later asked me that I ask the church to pray for him.
Immiadetely, I grabbed him by the hand and begin to pray that God would direct his path. After I had prayed, I looked up to him in his eyes and scolded him more or less. I told him to do what was right first, then to pray for his self! What was I saying? “BUILD YOUR OWN ALTAR!”
There’s some of you here tonight who have depending too long on someone else’ altar. Tonight it’s time for you to build your own! It’s time for you to start depending on God for yourself! It’s time you started expecting God to hear & answer your own prayers! For too long now, you have relied on others prayer to keep you. I say it’s time to pray for yourself.
It is time to “BUILD YOUR OWN ALTAR.”
The West may turn back on God. Those who we have seen walk close with God may turn from him. Those who have lived for the Lord may backslide and fall from grace.
And if they do, we will need our own altars!
If I we’re to die tonight, and there was one thing that I could leave with you, it would simply be this;
“BUILD YOUR OWN ALTAR.”
© Rev. James W. Bryant
Monday 05-20-02 @5:11pm
