They couldn’t believe their eyes. The altar had been torn down! The altar, the very core of their spiritual life and spiritual heritage and now it was just rubble. They had never actually seen the Temple and the Altar it housed themselves, but they had heard the stories and their parents and Grand Parents delighted in telling them how glorious it was or had been. On their trip back to Jerusalem they spoke often of the day they would arrive and how they would be able to worship at the altar that Solomon had built and dedicated to the Lord and how they would finally be able to present offerings and sacrifices just as their forefathers had done, but it was not to be. What had once been a beautiful tribute to the God of Israel was now nothing it was just, just a mess.
Actually the damage wasn’t limited to the altar, then entire temple had been devastated and would never be restored to it’s former glory, but the altar was the where the people directed their attention because it was here that the priests offered the sacrifices to God. Sacrifices of wheat, oil and animals. It was here that their sins were forgiven. And now it was gone. And so they started to work to restore and rebuild the altar so they could once again make offerings to God. It was only after the altar had been finished would they start the task of rebuilding the temple.
So what has happened? Last week we looked at King Solomon, David’s son, building the temple. This week the temple is in ruins. Well actually there were many things that happened in this period. The temple was built around 966 B.C. About 30 years later after the death of Solomon Israel was divided into two sections, the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom, also referred to as Israel and Judah. During the next 400 years the two kingdoms were alternately blessed and brought under persecution depending on their obedience and faithfulness to God. In 586 B.C. the Southern Kingdom and Jerusalem fell to Babylon and the victors took the people of Jerusalem captive and transported them back to Babylon where they served as slaves until Babylon fell to the Persians around 538 B.C. Under the rule of Cyrus the Persian the Jewish exiles were allowed to return to Jerusalem and that’s where our story picks up. Just to clear things up a little bit let’s pull up a map and take a look at where everything was happening.
This morning we are looking at the book of Ezra which is 15th book of the bible. Written by the prophet Ezra around 440 B.C. this book was originally linked with the book of Nehemiah in the Jewish scriptures as a single volume. Why was it written? Ezra uses the book to contrast purity with compromise.
So where were we? Oh yeah the temple and the altar have been destroyed and now the first of the exiles have returned to Jerusalem.
If we read the description of the temple we discover that there were two altars mentioned. A small Altar just outside the Holy of Holy, which was called the Incense Altar and here the Priest burnt incense each day . And then there was a much larger altar which was located at the entrance to the temple. This altar was thirty foot square and stood 15 foot high, it was constructed out of bronze and it was here that offereings were made to God. And this is the altar that had been destroyed and was rebuilt in Ezra 3.
But what does that have to do with us? Good question. If you look around you discover that we do not have an altar at Bedford Community Church, traditionally Wesleyan Churches do not have altars. In the Catholic and Anglican tradition, the altar is where the Eucharist or Communion is served from, what we might refer to as the communion table. In some Evangelical Churches, you will hear the rails at the front of the church referred to as the altar or the altar rails and people are encouraged to come to the altar to pray and when people are invited to come and pray for salvation that is called an altar call. That is a good idea, but that is a fairly recent term that is to say in the last 150 years. It originated in the camp meetings of the late 1800’s where people were encouraged to come to the front to pray and they would kneel at the front pews. The front pews became known as the mourners bench, because people came and were remorseful about their sin. The mourners bench eventually became the altar, but it’s not really the altar that’s just what it’s called. How confusing is that?
Within the New Testament there is no reference to the early church having altars, altar rails, or altar calls. However we read this reference in Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Temple on earth have no right to eat. What do you think that is? Two verses later we read Hebrews 13:12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates in order to make his people holy by shedding his own blood. And then only three verses further along this is written Hebrews 13:15 With Jesus’ help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. The altar that we as Christians have is a personal altar; we no longer need the priests to offer up sacrifices for us, it’s been done. Our relationship with God is a personal relationship and that is the altar at which we need to worship. You can’t worship at my altar and I can’t worship at your altar.
But sometimes have you ever felt like your altar had fallen into disrepair? That your relationship with your Saviour isn’t what it once was? In the book of the Revelation Jesus is addressing the church in Ephesus and he says Revelation 2:4 But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! They had lost their first love, their altar had fallen down.
What causes that to happen? And is there anyway to correct it or better yet keep it from happening?
Let’s start by saying that in most cases this isn’t something that happens all at once, you know you wake up and think, “Wow, my altar has fallen down. That was kind of sudden.” Instead it usually happens gradually, a little bit of erosion at a time. Not a lot of people suddenly decide to just walk away from their spiritual commitment. “You know I don’t think I’ll be a Christ Follower anymore, no reason I just think I’ll stop believing.” That’s not the way it happens, altars don’t just fall down.
1) Sometimes it’s Neglect. Like most relationships, our relationship with God requires a commitment. If you tried to sustain a marriage relationship without putting any time or effort into it what would happen? What do you mean you’ve tried it?
What happens is that gradually you drift apart, not because you no longer love each other but simply because you neglect to spend time together. And regardless of what the old maxim says absence doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder, instead absence sometimes makes the heart go wander.
If a relationship is going to survive there needs to be communication, you need to talk to one another and you need to listen to one another. Neglect communication and you neglect the relationship and it won’t be long before it’s in ruins. Why? Because without communication we don’t know what the other person is looking for, what their expectations are and where they want the relationship to go. So instead of their being a relationship you simply have two people occupying the same space but going in separate directions. And while that is the way too many marriages end up that’s not the way most marriages begin.
Do you remember during your courtship how you wanted to be with each other all the time. You would talk for hours about nothing, just to talk to one another. And then after you were married there seemed to be more and more outside activities, children, work and friends. Pretty soon the energy and time you had for one another was being spent on others and there wasn’t any time or energy left for the relationship. And one day you wake up and you don’t know the person who’s sharing your bed and your life.
In our spiritual life the same thing can happen. We make a commitment to God, accept the gift of forgiveness and eternal life that he offers and we are so keen. We want to be in church every time the door opens, we’re reading our bibles and spending time in prayer. We want to tell everyone about the wonderful change that has taken place in our lives.
And then other commitments arise, and perhaps it’s work that keeps you away on Sunday or the kid’s hockey games. By the time the day is done you don’t time to study your bible or to pray and you don’t want to hear the “all you have to do is get up an hour earlier” line because you’re not getting enough sleep as is.
And before you know it Church is a once in awhile endeavour and prayer is what you do when you need help or when the kids are sick or you might get down sized at work, and you know you have a bible you’re just not sure where it is.
And one day you look and the altar of your relationship with Christ is nothing but a pile of rubble. British Author Owen Felltham said “Negligence is the rust of the soul, that corrodes through all her best resolves.” And the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 29:11 to not neglect our duties and in Nehemiah 10:39 not to neglect God’s house and in 1 Timothy 4:14 to not neglect our spiritual gifts and in Hebrews 10:25 to not neglect meeting together as believers.
2) Sometimes It’s Sin Neglect is something that happens when we’re not paying attention but sin is a conscious decision. It happens when you as a believer decide that even though you know that you shouldn’t take part in a particular activity. Even when you are fully aware that it is wrong and is diametrically opposed to God’s will and God’s word you are going to do it anyway.
Perhaps you are aware of Canadian Economist and Author Laurence J. Peter and his principle which is called strangely enough “The Peter Principle” which states The Peter Principle: “In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.”
You understand how that works right. A guy starts off as a part time sales person does great and gets promoted to a full time sales person, he does great in that job and is promoted to sales manager does a pretty good job there so he’s promoted to general manager and doesn’t do a great job there. He doesn’t perform so badly that he gets fired but he performs badly enough that he’ll never get promoted. He just stays there, stuck.
Here’s one that you may not be aware of it’s called the Guptill Principle and it says “Every believer tends to rise to his level of disobedience.” You come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, you confess your sins and ask for forgiveness and you are obedient to what God asks of you, you are walking in the light. And you begin to grow in your spiritual life. Then God requires something from you that you aren’t willing to give, perhaps a habit that you enjoy or simply a refusal to surrender to God’s will. Jesus’ brother wrote these words in the book that bears his name James 4:17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
And when you consciously disobey God you put a wall up between you and God. Listen to what God says in Deuteronomy 31:18 At that time I will hide my face from them on account of all the sins they have committed . . .
And you stop growing, God won’t let you move ahead while you are disobedient and you are too committed to just turn your back and walk away from God and so there you are stuck and miserable. And you cannot worship God while you in that position. Your altar has been torn down and it’s nobodies fault but your own. Eric Butterworth defined sin as “SIN: Self-Inflicted Nonsense”
And the only way you can continue to grow in your faith is to surrender to his will, become obedient and get back on track.
3) Sometimes it’s the Company We Keep You’ve all seen the T-shirt that says “It’s hard to soar with eagles when you have to work with turkeys.” It’s hard to maintain a vibrant healthy spiritual life when you’re always hanging out with people who are indifferent to the claims of Christ or worse are hostile to the claims of Christ.
And I know you are thinking “Oh yeah well Jesus hung out with sinners and was even called a friend of sinners.” That’s true, but remember they weren’t his primary relationships. Jesus’ primary relationship was what he had with the disciples, and Jesus motives for hanging with the grotty people was so they would stop being grotty people. What are your motives?
The Bard said “Company, villainous company, hath been the spoil of me.” And the bible says in Psalm 1:1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers.
You hand out too long with the wrong people and and pretty soon you find that you are doing more of what they do then less of what you should be doing and one day you look and can’t find your altar.
Here’s the question, if’n you find that your altar has been torn down, through neglect or sin or bad company can you rebuild it?
Oh yes you most certainly can. And what is the secret? Ezra 3:3 Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. In other translations it says They rebuilt the altar on it’s “foundation.”
4) You Need to Rebuild Your Altar on the Old Foundation.
If you find that your altar has been torn down or has fallen down then you need to rebuild it, not on a new foundation but on that original foundation and not by yourself but with God’s help. The foundation of repentance and forgiveness. The foundation of faith and grace. The foundation of His word and Prayer. The foundation of obedience. The foundation of fellowship with other believers and regular corporate worship. Listen to the words of Jesus’ younger brother Jude 1:20 But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit.
So where you at this morning? How’s your altar? Is it doing alright? Is your relationship with God on a solid foundation? If not it can be.
Hope you enjoyed the message, PowerPoint is available at www.powerpoint4preaching.com or by emailing me at denn@bccnet.ca
