Hello there and thank you for stopping by my blog. Have you ever wandered What Is An Altar Call and what is the purpose of an altar call? In this sermon I am going to cover the history of the altar and what can take place at an altar call.
“The Altar Call – Third Wave”
Exodus 20:24-25
This evening I would like to speak a message entitled “Building an Altar”
First let’s take a look at the history of the Altar and how did the Altar come into being in the first place.
Someone once said that the kneeling altar along with the communion table and pulpit is the most important piece of furniture in our churches.
The first mention in the Bible about the building of an Altar is found in Genesis Chapter 8:18-20…
Genesis 8:18
18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.
19 the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on the earth—came out of the ark, one kind after another.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
There are approximately 400 references to altars in the Word of God.
Altars symbolized communion with God and reminded the people of notable encounters with Him.
Most of the Altars in the early days were just a pile of stones or maybe even a mound of dirt.
In Bible days God Himself even commanded that The Altars be built with uncut stones.
Exodus 20:25
If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.
Joshua 8:31
As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up [any] iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
Deuteronomy 27:5
And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up [any] iron [tool] upon them.
Deuteronomy 27:6
Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God:
God gave special instructions on how these Altars should be built.
Now why would God ask that these Altars be built unto Him of uncut stones and ones that had no tool used upon them? After all these are Altars unto The Almighty God…
Well, maybe because He wanted the people to focus on what was on the Altar such as the sacrifices, rather than how the Altar looked. If they were to get caught up on how the Altar looked, then the people could've ended up making an idol out of the Altar.
Perhaps if an altar were made of stones that were nice and cut, the stone carver's work could have ended up being the center of attention.
WOW look at how good that Altar looks, rather than what was on the altar and God did not want the glory of the stone carver to be the center of attention at His altar.
The beauty and attractiveness would be found only in the provision of God, not in any fleshly display.
Ok so we were talking about how God wanted the Altars to be built of uncut stones.
Now let’s talk about why people back in the day would build an Altar?
Back in the day people would build Altars unto the Lord to remind them of an encounter or an experience that they had with God…
*** Since the time Noah first built an Altar, those who have encountered God in a special way, would also build an Altar to remember those experiences…
The list of those who built altars to God is amazing –
Noah, Isaac, Jaob, Moses, Balaam, Saul, Elijah, David, Solomon, and Ezra.
But nobody built more altars to God than Abraham…
So, Altars were built in a response to an encounter with God and they were set up to be used as a Memorial of what God had done.
Let’s take a look at some of those experiences.
- Altar of Promise
Genesis 8:18-20
18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.
19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on the earth—came out of the ark, one kind after another.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
God told Noah in verse 21 of Genesis Chapter 8, that I will never again flood the earth.
That was a promise from the Lord.
Thank God that we can receive promises from the Lord at this Altar.
There have been plenty of times when I have come to the Altar in my Christian experience that God has given me a promise at the Altar.
Maybe I needed some direction, or maybe I needed some assurance, or I just needed to hear from God and God spoke to me at the Altar.
Has anybody else ever got a promise from God at the Altar?
Such as direction, comfort, peace, or even a Word for the situation or circumstance that we were facing.
I got that promise at “The Altar”
- Altar of Forgiveness
[Gen 33:1-4 NIV]
1 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.
2 He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear.
3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.
[Gen 33:20 NIV]
20 There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.
What happened was Jacob was afraid to encounter his brother Esau because he had cheated him out of his birthright and his blessing.
So, Jacob left his family and lived in exile for many years, because he was afraid of being killed by his brother.
So then one day Jacob and Esau meet up after many years.
Jacob sees Esau coming toward him with 400 men and Jacob is expecting the worse, but as we see in verse 4 – But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.
So, Jacob had been forgiven by his brother Esau.
Even though Jacob knew he was in the wrong and he expected his brother to make him pay for what he did, his brother forgave him and didn't hold it against him.
In verse 20 of Genesis chapter 33 we see that Jacob set up an Altar to the Lord.
Jacob set up an Altar that can represent the Altar of “forgiveness.”
How many times have you and I had to come and set up an Altar of “Forgiveness”?
How many times have you and I had to come to this Altar and ask God for forgiveness?
Even though we were in the wrong and we deserved to be punished for our sins, God still comes to us wraps His Arms around us and says I forgive you.
Thank you, Lord for the Altar of forgiveness…
Maybe tonight it is not forgiveness that we need, but there may be some of us that need to forgive and leave it here at the altar of forgiveness.
We have been holding that grudge against that person for a while now, but maybe it is time to give it to God.
Isn’t it amazing that we love when the forgiveness comes our way, but when it is time for us to give it out, it can be a challenge?
When we are forgiven much, we should love much.
The Altar of Comeback…In Genesis 13:1-4
1 – So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
2 – Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 – From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier
4 – and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.
See what happened is Abraham had built this Altar a while ago.
You can see this in Genesis 12:8-9
8 – From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
9 – Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
So, then a famine hit so he made his way to Egypt to live for a while because the famine was so severe.
Now in Egypt he almost lost his family, told the people his wife was his sister, and did some things that could have made this trip disastrous.
So, what happened in Genesis 12:17 Pharaoh gave orders to his men to get Abram and his family out of there.
That then takes us to Genesis 13:1-4
Now we find Abram back at the place where he first built this Altar to the Lord.
After experiencing some setbacks and mishaps, now he finds himself making a comeback to the place where God wanted him to be.
I like to look at this Altar as representing a comeback.
How many times have you and I been where God wants us to be, but then we find our self in a place like Abram, making mistakes and doing things that we shouldn't be doing?
Thank God that we can come to this Altar and get it right with God.
Somebody say, “The Altar of Comeback…”
Now the place where Abraham built this Altar between Bethel and Ai is significant.
Why because:
Bethel means house of God
Ai means ruins
Abraham came to this Altar that he had built between Bethel and Ai to remind himself, that he needs to stay away from the ruins and keep himself in the House of God.
These two mountains Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim are well known to every Israelite, and they know that it was between the two mountains of Ebal and Gerizim that Abraham first stopped when he entered Caanan.
When the children of Israel crossed over, Joshua had built an altar on Mount Ebal and placed a copy of the commandments of Moses there.
He had Israel there with the half of them on one side over against Mount Gerizim and the other half against Mount Ebal and read the book of the law with the blessings and the cursing.
It was Mount Ebal that had the law, the curse and the cursing and Gerizim who did not have the law but had the blessing.
We are under the new covenant now with the law upon our hearts.
We need not stand between these two mountains today, Mount Ebal was replaced by Mount Calvary, where the blood of Jesus Christ was shed and Mount Gerizim is replaced by the hope given us in the blessing at the Mount of Olives, where Jesus will come back to claim his own.
This evening this Altar is going to represent a comeback for someone in the House of The Lord.
You may find yourself in Ai, but you are about to build an altar of comeback and get to Bethel, the place where God wants you to be.
See not only can we build an Altar of Promise, not only can we build an altar of Forgiveness, but we can come to this Altar and make a comeback when we find ourselves in a place that we shouldn't be.
Who of us have ever had the need to renew our commitment to live according to God's will?
I don't know about you, but I need to get me some breakthroughs every once in a while.
- Altar of Worship and Gratitude
Genesis 8:18-20
18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.
19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on the earth—came out of the ark, one kind after another.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
Here the Bible says that Noah came out of the Ark with his wife, his sons wives, all the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds, everything that moves on the earth- came out of the ark.
Verse 20 says then Noah built an altar to the LORD and taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
Perhaps this altar had a symbol of gratitude. Not only did Noah get a promise, but Noah was expressing his gratitude to the Lord for providing a means of salvation from destruction.
Noah was grateful to the Lord for sparing his family from the destruction that came upon the earth at that time.
How many know just like Noah set up an Altar of Gratitude, you and I can build an Altar of Worship and Gratitude for what God has done within our lives.
See not every time someone comes to the Altar are they struggling with sin, or going through a test, or need a healing.
Sometimes you and I can come to this Altar and give a sacrifice of praise, a prayer of thanksgiving and a song of Gratitude to the Lord.
How many are grateful to The Lord this evening?
See the cool thing about worship is:
- We can worship without a title.
- We can worship without a position.
- We can worship when your best friend isn’t around.
- We can worship if you only been saved one day.
- We can worship in the fire. (Just ask Paul and Silas or the 3 Hebrew boys Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego)
- We can worship because we are grateful.
Please leave your comments below, I would love to hear what stood out to you.
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