Altarations
Encountering God In Fire & Sacrifice
Private Altars & Public Shifts
February 27, 2022 • Jeff Lyle • Judges 6:19–32
Have you ever considered that God might call you to be one whom He uses to raise up an altar to His glory in your generation? Do not be too quick to push that thought aside. Gideon was the last person you would have called to enter into a life of tearing down false altars, raising up new ones in their place, and initiate a move that would crush the enemies coming against his people. In this present generation, the eyes of the Lord are seeking those who have enough loyalty to Him to obediently expose and bring down false altars before which people have been bowing for too long. He is also imparting courage to men and women to raise up new altars - from their words, their works and their ways - so that His glory might once again be central among His people. Some who hear this message need to receive this assignment form God as we approach the end of the age.
An Altar Of Ignorance
February 20, 2022 • Acts 17:16–34
There is a difference between being religious and being a Christian. There is a difference between being spiritual and being born-again. There is a difference between owning a concept of a higher power and living in faith toward a real and interactive God. All across the land, there are multiple millions of worshipers. We are all worship-factories - giving our hearts, minds, wills and lives for something greater than ourselves. But most people rarely stop to consider what they worship. Even fewer ask themselves why they are worshiping that thing, that idea or that person. This is nothing knew. In Ancient Greece there was an altar built to The Unknown God. Paul came across this altar one day and seized the moment to take this awareness among the people that there was a God whom they didn’t know, and he made known to them the God whose name is Jesus Christ. In our secularized culture, we can and must do the same. We can make known to the ignorant the God of the Bible.
Four Altars For Us All
January 2, 2022 • Jeff Lyle • Genesis 22:6–12, Genesis 12:1–7, Genesis 13:1–4, Genesis 13:8–18
Abraham is the only person called “the friend of God” in the entire bible. Many follow. Many serve. Many worship. But God said that Abraham was His friend. One component of Abraham’s friendship with God is seen in his committed lifestyle of building altars at important moments where God revealed Himself to Abraham in new ways. Abraham made time and took the effort to throw down markers where his relationship with his God went deeper. Abraham learned the value of worship and sacrifice as the means to go deeper with God. From his story, we can discover four altars that we also must all build in our own lives. Friendship with God is not limited to building altars - but it cannot be absent of building altars either. If these four altars are built by us, we are well on our way to enjoying God in similar ways that Abraham enjoyed Him.
An Altar Of Highest Honor
January 9, 2022 • Jeff Lyle • Joshua 8:30–35
Altars in the Bible are most often places where a believer raises up a standing memorial connected to some encounter they have had with God. In one instance, God moved upon Joshua to build Him an altar - but Joshua was sobered and careful to do so in a precise manner that he knew would honor the Lord. What can we learn from God’s instructions about how this altars to be built? If altars represent a surrendered and sacrificial life today, we need to take an intentional look at the clear instructions He gave about how Joshua’s altar must be built. Here’s a hint: God wanted something kept off the altar, and He commanded that something be engraved upon the altar. So must it be with the altar of our own lives as we live to honor Christ.
When The Government Builds An Altar
January 23, 2022 • Jeff Lyle • 1 Kings 13:1–10
In the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, we find the language that establishes the concept of separation of Church and State. In summary, this amendment prevents Congress from either establishing by law or prohibiting by law the expression of religious beliefs and practices by the citizenry of the United States. Americans are free to worship as they choose. Increasingly, how the First Amendment plays out in our culture is being questioned. When churches were deemed nonessential by the government during the initial Covid pandemic, we all witnessed the diverse opinions about where the government could and could not regulate worship. Does the Bible help us at all concerning the issue of what to do when the worship of God is hijacked by government? While specific instructions to us on how to respond are not found in this passage of scripture, 1 Kings 13:1-10 may reveal some helpful components of what it looks like when human government seeks to modify God’s altars of worship. May be wise to discern what is taught here. This will be very important in immediate seasons to come.
Not Your Daddy's Altar
January 30, 2022 • Jeff Lyle • Genesis 26:17–25
The story of Issac in the Book of Genesis is one filled with drama. When his daddy, Abraham, laid Isaac on an altar and was willing to sacrifice him to God, the stunning incident must have impacted Isaac for the rest of his life. Interestingly, Isaac followed in the footsteps of his daddy in many areas - both good and bad. Yet, when it comes to building his own altars of worship to God, Isaac was seemingly unwilling to model the faith of his own earthly father. This message highlights the reality that each of us must come to our own understanding and encounter with God before we can truly worship and sacrifice unto Him with a genuine faith. Our parents' altars, our spiritual leaders’ altars, or our denominational altars won’t suffice for us. We need to build our own in meaningful worship to God. Isaac’s first altar helps us to see when it’s time to start building our own altars in our individual journeys of faith.