1 Kings 18:20-21, 30-39 – How to Fix Broken Altars
A psychologist and newspaper columnist named George Crane told once of a woman who was full of hatred toward her husband, and wanted to hurt him all she could. He counseled her to act as if she really loved her husband, to tell him how much he meant to her, to praise him for every decent trait, to be kind, considerate, and generous whenever possible. Then, when she’d fully convinced him of her undying love, she’d make her move and file for divorce. With revenge in her eyes she said, "That’s perfect, I’ll do it." Some months later the wife returned to report that all was going well. She had followed the suggested course.
“Good,” said Dr. Crane. “Now’s the time to file for divorce.” “Divorce?” the woman said indignantly. “Never. I love my husband so much!”
You know, I don’t think anybody ever plans to fall out of love. It just happens sometimes. A pull away from the things we cherish the most. Whether it’s friendships, or family, or spouses, or our walk with the Lord, there’s a downward pull that tries to distract us with things that look just as good as, or better than, the relationship we already have. Today, on Valentine’s weekend, I’d like to talk about that downward pull that tugs on us, away from our loved ones, away from our spouses, away from our God, away from our first love. Today we will look at Elijah on Mt.Carmel again, from 1 Kings 18. Let’s read v20-21 and v30-39.
Now, we find Elijah in the middle of the contest with the false prophets of Baal. And he rebuilt an altar of the Lord. Chapter 19 tells us that the people of the land tore the altars of the Lord down. Apparently this was torn down because people did not want it around. Why not? What did it mean? What did an altar of the Lord stand for?
Noah built the first altar to the Lord. Just having survived the flood, Noah was grateful, and he sacrificed a burnt offering to god. Ever since that time, people have built altars. Altars were places of prayer, places of assembly. Altars were considered safe from your enemies. Altars were built out of thankfulness, and altars were often built to commemorate special events in the lives of God’s people. But by and large, the main and most important reason people built altars was for sacrifice. They were meant to be a place, set apart for God, to spill the blood of an innocent animal. It was through blood that people were made right with God – Hebrews 9:22 – “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” So, an altar represented being in a right relationship with God.
Therefore, for Elijah to rebuild a broken altar, that symbolized coming back to God. Being right with Him again. Getting forgiveness for wandering away, and then re-committing in a fresh new way to live for God. It wasn’t always about getting back to Him after the people had wandered. It was about maintaining that relationship.
We have what we call an altar in this church. Other churches call it different things. When it was brought back into use in churches 200 years ago, the originator, evangelist Charles Finney, called it the “anxious” bench or the “mourner’s” bench. It was where people could reconnect with the God who had made them.
Other churches don’t like the term “altar”. They say that the sacrifice was made by Jesus on the cross, and no more sacrifices need ever be made. While it is true that the blood that takes away our sins is the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross 2000 years ago, and we need ever make another animal sacrifice to be right with Him, it is not true that sacrifices never need to be made again.
Romans 12: says these words: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” That is, instead of offering sacrifices, we are the sacrifice. We are to offer ourselves on the altar. We are to lay our own lives down. We are not our own; we have been bought with a price. The altar today is about giving ourselves away.
But when Elijah rebuilt the altar that day, it wasn’t just about getting right with God. There was another message too. The altar reminded them, yes, of their spiritual backsliding – it was built in the name of the Lord. But the altar reminded them of broken relationships, too. Elijah took 12 stones, one for each of the original 12 tribes of Israel. The altar is not just a place where we get right with God. The plan is, to be right with others too. Sometimes that’s harder. But on this Valentine’s weekend, can we honestly deny the truth of the Word? Can we say that how we treat others doesn’t affect our walk with God? Can we really say that we can hate the people around us and love God at the same time? After all, Jesus Himself said these thoughts about the altar: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matt.5:23-24)
So it seems that we come back around to see how we drift out of love towards God, as well as towards other people. Someone compiled a list of what that drift looks like.
What does a “broken altar” look like? What does a broken relationship look like?
1. When my delight in the Lord is no longer as great as my delight in someone else, I have lost my first love.
2. When my soul does not long for times of rich fellowship in God’s Word or in prayer, I have lost my first love.
3. When my thoughts during leisure moments do not reflect upon the Lord, I have lost my first love.
4. When I claim to be “only human” and easily give in to those things I know displease the Lord, I have lost my first love.
5. When I do not willingly and cheerfully give to God’s work or to the needs of others, I have lost my first love.
6. When I cease to treat every Christian brother as I would the Lord, I have lost my first love.
7. When I view the commands of Christ as restrictions to my happiness rather than expressions of His love, I have lost my first love.
8. When I inwardly strive for the acclaim of this world rather than the approval of the Lord, I have lost my first love.
9. When I fail to make Christ or His words known because I fear rejection, I have lost my first love.
10. When I refuse to give up an activity which I know is offending a weaker brother, I have lost my first love.
11. When I become complacent to sinful conditions around me, I have lost my first love.
12. When I am unable to forgive another for offending me, I have lost my first love.
Is this you? Have you lost what you once had? Have your altars been broken down? Towards God or towards other? How do you find that first love again? I want to suggest 2 things: a change of habit and a change of heart.
1) You need a change of habit. Change your actions. This is found all through the Bible. Rev.2:4-5 – “I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” Remember! Repent! Turn! Change your habits. Do what you used to do. Jeremiah 2:2 – “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown.” That first love, early devotion to things like prayer, church, the Bible, telling others. Folks, if you want to feel close to God like you once did, you may need to do again the things that you once did.
That applies for relationships too. Like the opening story, the woman had to do the right things again to feel love. You may need to court your spouse. You may need to hang out with your kids. You may need to have a cup of coffee again, in order to feel close to those people.
But that’s not all. You also need 2) a change of heart. Let me share a scripture from Hebrews 13 with you: “We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.” The OT priests were unable to have the same privileges as the Christians. Why? Because they were doing the wrong things? No, certainly not. They had not received Jesus as their forgiver and leader. They had no change of heart. They were doing the things they thought were right, but God wanted a change of heart. You have to aim your heart in the right direction. Jesus spoke a lot about motives and the condition of the heart. Do you do the right things because you have to, or because you want to? You can ask God to clean your motives. “Lord, right now, I don’t want to do this. But I am willing to obey. I don’t want to do the right thing. But if it’s what You want, and I know it, I’m willing to listen to You.” That is obedience. That is a change of heart. That is following Jesus.
One more thought about Elijah’s altar. He dug a trench around it. Let’s assume the altar was maybe 3’X2’, even 4’X3. Maybe the trench then, was 5’X3’. Let’s say 15 square feet. V32 says it would hold 15L of water. I figured out that for those dimensions, the trench would only be about 2”X2-1/2”. Not very deep, and certainly not capable to holding much water. Why bother digging it then? Because the trench became a line in the sand. It was as if the trench symbolized a commitment, or a recommitment, to God and to others. The altar, built with the unity of family and loved ones, built in the name of the Lord, was to the people a challenge. Cross this line to commit yourself to what matters most.
Folks, what line exists for you? What challenge has God set up for you? What is He asking you to do? Is He asking to change your habits? Lifestyle choices that separate you from Him, or separate you from others? Is He asking you for a change of heart? You’re doing things right, but your heart is so far away? What line has He drawn in the sand for you? What is He asking you to do?
