Altars: The First Family Altar

hey man, I'm going to Say, my thank yous a little bit later and let's jump. Right? If we can to Genesis chapter 12, you want to go ahead and find her place there. The versus will be on the screen for you and we are beginning a series on the subject of altars, you know, I think it's important for us sometimes to get out of our comfort zones, do things, the way they've always been done and I don't know about you. I think that today has helped us to concentrate on the subject of altars. As we begin with Alters, we're going to go back to really one of the, one of the first accounts where we really learned a lot about the subject of all of hers. Just breathe this morning. We really. I'm wanted what you've heard to prepare your heart. This is just a little bit of a jump-start and we're going to be dealing with the subject of altars beginning, not just today. But next week May I remind you that here at Kerwin Baptist Church. Our altar here is always open. It's always open. If during the singing during the preaching, I've never seen it. But even if during the offering You know, some of you haven't used that you should you don't have to give you get up, hit the altar people think. Wow there is a spiritual person. Do it before the plate. Hit your row and then we'll know what you're up to, huh? Our altars are always open here. You know why? Because Christ is always available. God the father is always available the holy spirit is always at work in your life. If you're a believer In this today, we heard about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So just briefly this morning, I want to bring some things our thoughts together on the subject of the first family altar. In our series, we'll talk a little bit about this but I want to talk about the first family, altar innocence, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You know, everywhere Abraham went and he stayed for a little while. He always has built an altar. In fact, we know when God's word of seven, Alters that Abraham built now, some of those get a little bit more attention than others, but we will be talking about some of those in the days ahead. But what does an altar speak of where we could? We could come up with a number of things. But I want a concise it down this morning, what an altar means to you, and what it should mean to you. And number one, I think you got this so far, number one, and alter speaks of sacrifice. You see, there was always something sacrifice. As you see, we have an alter kind of made here similar to what it might. Have looked a little bit like there might be, some would there would be Rock and there will be stolen and different things and and I'm sure that they all looked a little bit different but it always meant to sacrifice. There is always something to sacrifice on the altar when it comes to Abraham. We think all the way back about the author that he billed as they mentioned today where he was willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Christianity out of mean more to you than just showing up at church on Sunday morning. Christianity ought to mean to you that there's things in your life and in my life That we sacrifice to the Lord that we give to him that we offer to him. We don't have much of an altar if we don't give much of a sacrifice.

Number to and alter. Would speak of cleansing. You see, Abraham came to the altar to make sure that everything was clean between him and God, there was usually an animal that would be sacrificed on the altar. In many times, it was a sacrifice for the sin of the person that was offering the sacrifice. It was a way to admit to the sin to seek atonement for the sin. And through the sacrifice receive forgiveness for that, since it was a clean pure animal. That was sacrificed at that altar in the sacrifice of a clean animal would allow Abraham to be cleaned of his sin by God. Alters our place where we pray and we see. Can we ask God to search our hearts? Say God, is there anything in there? That's not right.

You know, that every one of us ought to have an altar when we come to church, Everyone of us, oughta say Jesus search. My heart today. Is there anything here? That's not right. Anything here that would literally prohibit you working in the entire service. You see, I believe that the scent of a few can stop the spirit of God moving amongst his mixed. Number 3, Alters always spoke of unity. See, what do you mean? Unity hear preacher? Well, Abraham built altars but they weren't just for him. Abraham built altars so that his family could sacrifice, so that his family could call upon God at the altar. Abraham built altars, not just even for his generation. But for his son's generation in his grandson's generation the god of Abraham. Isaac who was Abraham's, son? Jacob, who was Abraham's, grandson. Be all for wasn't there, just for Abraham. The altar was there to teach and to show all the generations that we need to go to God that we need forgiveness of sin that we need to stock refice to him that we need to praise him and that creates Unity amongst the family. Why do we have an altar here at church? By the way, Alters are out of style.

We have people that have grown up right here at this church. That'll tell you. It's not even buildable to have an alternative Church. Don't you listen to a bunch of idiots?

I can give you a hundred reasons why we have it all to your church. We can I give you just one so that everybody in here. When God deals with you about Sin, can you sit right there in your seat and and and get forgiveness of your scent? Absolutely. Absolutely, but may I say something there is something about humbling yourself and getting to an altar and this altar. If used correctly will produce unity in the church,

When all of us spent a little more time at the altar, we're going to spend a little more time with God, that's going to create unity in a church to see moms and dads. You don't just teach these practices and have your family altar at home. And you don't just do that for you. We do it for the next Generations. May I say fourthly and simple enough and there's many others but just working dissing it down just a four things quickly today, alter speak of prayer. Now under these categories there's all kinds of subcategories but always an altar was a place to pray. It was a place to seek God's face. It might be for forgiveness of sin. It might be that there was a provision needed, it might be that there was protection needed, it might be that there was peace needed, it might be that there was intervention needed. It might just be to worship and say, God you've been good to me. And by this Altar and sacrificing at this altar, I thank you for what you've done.

Everywhere Abraham went. He built an altar.

May I say, is we look at 8 man, Isaac and Jacob are almost done this morning. I want to show you the contrast between the three. You see everything that Abraham had he received from the Lord. Abraham has nothing when God found you. Abraham didn't have land. He didn't have Goods. He didn't have money. He wasn't a wealthy man. Everything that Abraham had everything that God did and gave Abraham came through, Abraham positioning and building and using, and all sorts of God. Abraham built altars Doug Wells. Serve God, he was blessed. That one of the first to mention In this passage was red and just let me show you real quick because you need to understand why it's a family altar in Genesis chapter 12 in and just noticed on the screen with me, if you would have it, their number one first one. Just now the Lord had set of Abram, get the out of that country from by Kendrick from thy, Father's House unto a land, which I will show the he didn't have anything for you but you're going to take it out of your comfort zone, you're going to have to leave where you're comfortable. You're going to have to trust me by faith to obey me and Abraham Diaz looking first to God, says and I will make them be a great nation. That, that doesn't seem likely at all to a ram of the time and I will bless thee. Notice God says, I Will Bless thee and make thy name, great, and I shall be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless Steve and I will curse him that Kirsty. And the deed shall all the families of the earth. Be blessed. So what do you do when we were seven in the Lord appeared unto Abraham and he said unto thy seed, will I give this land and they're building? He and alter unto the Lord notices phrase who appeared unto who You appeared unto who him?

Have the sprays are wrote and I want to give it to you this morning. Because Abraham was faithful to place the altars. Pray at the altars and prays at the altars God was faithful to give Abraham promise at the altars provision, at the Alters, pardon at the altars and peace at the altars.

Look at me. Through an altar. God made a covenant to Abraham. I'm going to give you my blessing. When I comes Isaac and this is a little bit different, you see everything Abraham didn't have anything and everything that Abraham received, he received. through God, but Isaac shows up and may I say that everything Isaac received he received by inheritance,

Isaac was it like Abraham? There was never a time and Isaac's life where he didn't have anything Because God has blessed his dad. To everything that Dad got. He got from God. That everything that I said, God, he got from Dad. in fact, can I show you this verse Genesis 25:5 and Abraham gave all that he had Unto Isaac. It was given to him by his father. Gyro city right here this morning. We have some of you that had nothing.

You didn't have a Christian mom and dad. You didn't, you weren't raised in a Christian home. You knew what it was to live in the world. God morosely saved you. After your generation, you made a change and you stopped the direction, the way the family tree was going and you decided that as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And you're the Abraham of your family is it didn't come before you but everything you got, you got from God but there are some of you sitting here that everything you got. You got from dad, you got from Mom. They're the ones that pay the price for the ones that found God's. They're the ones that knew what it was to not have anything. But God said, everything in their life and we now have a generation of young people who have gotten everything, they have gotten not because they went out and did it, but because they received it from him parent.

You see, the problem with inheritance is that the generation that receives the inheritance doesn't always appreciate. What that inheritance is called the generation before? They don't appreciate the time, the work, the effort, the sacrifice. To fill those altars.

Dig those Wells. They didn't have to do it. The generation before them did the generation before them build a gymnasium, the generation before them building. Auditorium that the generation before them bought all these Acres. It's developed all this land and the generation before. It got the one that ran the bus routes and taught the classes and games in the office,

You see, despite how much inheritance Isaac received from Abraham, Isaac needed to meet God for himself.

Isaac needed to visit the altar, that his dad had built. And Isaac needed to restore the wells. That his dad had done. Genesis 26-24 noticed is the Lord God. The Lord sees me appeared unto him the same night and said this is God to Isaac. I am the god of Abraham by father. Fear not. Brian with the

see after this point, everything Isaac had, he had because God blessed Abraham but Isaac has been fully appreciated it but there came a time where Isaac had to build his own Altar and Isaac had to face God for himself, and he had to experience God for himself when he did. God said I am here for you.

I'm with you and I will bless thee and multiply thy seed. For my servant, Abraham sake.

And he builded an altar there. And called. Upon the name of the Lord, all God's people said.

Isaac had to encounter God for himself. Isaac had to worship at his dad's Alters, but Isaac needed to build some alters for himself. Look at me, you can't worship the rest of your life cuz your dad's Alters.

You're not just okay, because mom and dad came to church.

Many times we looking, we see that at occasions, we have some generations that they don't want to do things the way Mom and Dad did them, they don't want mom and dad's church. They don't want Mom and Dad standards. They don't want Mom and Dad's convictions. They don't want Mom, but Mom and Dad had, they don't want to do it. Mom and Dad, did they want their new wells? They want their new things. They want their new religion. They want their new lifestyle.

And they have abandoned the altars in the wells.

Because what they receive they received. By inheritance.

And as we're almost done today, now we come to Jacob. Generation number three. Receive he received from God everything that Isaac received he received from inheritance, but when Jacob shows up, Everything that Jacob received he received by manipulation.

You see everything that Jacob had was not god-given. It was man given He tried to sneak and cheat and scheme and manipulate to get what he got. He tried to do it all without building an altar and digging a well, Jacob didn't want to have to go do that kind of work. I can just lie and cheat my way to get it. I don't like this work of having it gather, all the rock in the stones and gather all the wood and build an altar and I don't like this thing. I happen to dig down in the dirt and Steve Wells. I'm just going to get what I want my way. That's what he did with his life. He wanted to try to get it the easy way. So we know what happened even Isaac. Was old and he couldn't see in. Check about a brother Esau and he saw was just barely older than Jacob, but that Birthright of blessing. God's blessing was going to go to Esau and Jacob decided I want it, I want that. But I don't want to get it God's way. I want to get it my way and so he goes into Isaac, who can't see. And Jacob get some goat skin and and put that skin on his arms. And We saw must have been a hairy man.

In the Bible says that Isaac, there is laying in bed and he can't see, but he feels Jacobs arms and he feels that that's goatskin. And and and and he literally says, in the word of God, you, you sound like Jacob but you feel like, Esau And that's why you, dear friends, we don't go by our feelings.

Esau sold his Birthright to Jacob for just a little bit of food. The Bible says man shall not live by bread alone.

Jacob gets that Birthright through manipulation. So we all know what happens. Jacob goes to his future, father all the way but he chose that believe any work seven years for his wife and gets to the wedding altar realize. It wasn't her, then he had to work another seven years but then he stole the cattle from him. Now he's burned a bridge with his dad. He's burnt her Bridge with his brother that he burned a bridge with his father-in-law and probably burned a bridge with his wife because that follow along with her dad and here he is going running. After one thing after another lying, cheating manipulating one thing after another in his life, all because he wanted what he wanted, but he didn't want to do it God's way and he didn't get what he got cousins or even get from God. He got it from manipulation.

And he ends up. At Jay Bach.

Bible says that this little place Jay Bach was Call the place of breaking.

We're about three minutes from being done to, please listen to me here.

That night, Jacob. Ends up wrestling with the angel of the Lord.

This is going to be a turning point. He told all the servants, all the guys at work for him. Any of his family is it you stay here. He went by himself and in the middle of the night, he begin a wrestling match with God. Bible says the angel or trying to get away from Jacob, but he wouldn't let go and he was holding on. And finally, that angel had to had to touch Jacob and literally mean to him for life.

See, Jacob hasn't been to the altar, he hadn't. Doug Kenney Wells. He got everything his way and that way had left him empty.

He didn't have his own promises from God, he didn't have his own protection from God. He didn't have his own peace from God because he hasn't been to the altar of God.

He had relied on stealing and cheating to get what he had, but all of a sudden he realized he didn't have anything.

Then he realized.

I don't have what my dad had.

And I don't have what my grandpa had. I don't have God's blessing.

So Jacob determine that this night.

He wasn't going to let go. Until God, got a hold of him. Genesis 32. look at this, if you would

Jacob was left alone. And there Wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, The angel prevailed not against Jacob. Pete touched the hollow of his thigh in the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him, but listen. And he said, let me go. For the daybreaker. This is Jacob. He said I will not let thee go.

Except that will give me. What my dad had, what my grandpa had? I've got everything else. But everything else that I've got hasn't gotten me this because this can only be gotten one way. You can't find God's blessing. You can't cheat for God's blessing. You can't manipulate to get God's blessing that has to come through it on sir.

Should I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

And he said of him. What is my name? Have you said? Check.

And he says, I name shall be called No More. Jacob But Israel. Friends of Prince. hostile power with God and within and asked. Prevailed. You have to be broken. To prevail.

You have to lose to conquer.

You got a home for yourself at an altar? Forgot to lift you up.

29, and Jacob asked him and said, tell me. I'm crazy signing. And he said, who are poor? Is it about us ass after my name? And he blessed him there for the first time. Jacob knew what it was. To have a dad hat. That's what Grandpa hat.

Cuz they built some altars.

Cuz they sacrificed.

Jacob call the name of the place peniel.

For I have seen God face to face.

In my life. It's preserved.

You know, I'm afraid of. I'm afraid of the Abraham generation here. I'm afraid of that generation. Getting worn out and tired.

Worn out with thinking. Hey, is this Isaac? Generation? Doesn't appreciate it?

So why should I keep doing? May I say today, you keep building those altars. You keep hitting this old-fashioned, alter it. Don't matter what this generation tells you, you just keep doing it, you keep digging those Wells and you keep at it until Isaac sitting here today. Maybe it was that you grew up in it in there and it's one in it and you've been faithful, you're here. But have you witness gone for yourself? Do I have some teenagers here that you've grown up my mom and dad's house and they put God first. It's they've raised you riding and you've done nothing but get mad at that. Maybe today, you need to experience the altar of God for yourself.

Wonder if there's some Jacobs here today.

You been working so hard? 2 things your way.

But there's just something you're not going to have. You're just not going to have God's blessing. You might have a bigger house and you, and you might have this in your bank account. Might have a little bit more in it, and maybe you'll have all this and maybe I'll have all that. It may be churches on top of the priority. It's maybe the things of God, it said, you know, what, you're going to have a lot of nice things, but there's just something we're not going to have. The blessing. I've got.

Maybe today.

Maybe we ought to find. An altar.

Squirrel starts. My hands are bound. Our eyes are closed. Lord.

All of us in this building. Fit in one of those Generations. For my mom and my dad were the Abraham's. My mom grew up in the house of a drunk.

my dad grew up in a worldly, family, working in the nightclub,

My mom didn't have nothing.

Family was poor. She had nothing everything she got. She got from you.

Or my dad has lived a rough life, and when you saved him, you didn't have anyting.

Everything. He got his life came from you.

But Lord, I grew up in it and I didn't have to build those altars and I didn't have to dig those Wells.

God, I inherited. And I'm thankful for that in.

Milord somewhere along the way. I realized.

I've got to. Experience God for myself.

Lord, I pray you to help us today.

We all fit somewhere.

I pray. Lord that We will allow the altar to alter our life.

Our heads are bound. Our eyes are closed. We just stand all over the building. If you would

the Sorceress playing, you can only be blessed. And have peace and sweet rest, as you yield. Your body and soul. Today, why don't you find it alter? Make an altar out of your seat.

Whatever must be done. What is the holy spirit of God is? Speaking to you and convicting you and you feel something. From the holy spirit of God. Don't ignore it. Don't disobey it dear friend.

If you're here and you say preacher, I don't know for sure that I'm saved. We love to show you, salvation is not church membership, it's not a denomination. Salvations of Bible thing.

Salvation is UPS literally and figuratively coming to an altar. Saying God, I don't have what it takes to save myself, but you did and you died and you, you, you, you said your blood and you Rose again, and you, you've loved me enough to come in to die, for me. And so, Lord, I'm putting my faith and trust in, you, please today, forgive me in my sin and Save Me. Lord.

Maybe you say preacher. I got some Jacobs in my family. They're running around trying to. Get what they want to get. But leave them empty at night. Why don't you find it all too today? Sure, there were sometimes. Old grandpa Abraham went to that altar said, Lord.

You know, my family is not doing right?

They never sometimes I'm sure Abraham got that all turned. Say God thank you. You got a hold of so-and-so and you got a hold of this person. Thank you for that.

Oh, help us to once again, restore the altars of our life, dear friend. You, and I Christ is our altar. The holy spirit of God, if your save lives. In your heart.

That's our daily altar.

I believe that laying everything on the altar. More than a one-time thing.

I think it takes time.

I think it takes a constant.

Conversation with you. Letting you show things and that's placing it on the altar. But I'm asking today, over these next weeks that you would begin the process of helping us to lay it all on the altar.

Lord, I pray you would bless moms and dads, give them good ideas. They still have kids in the house. Over these next week so they can talk about is how they can show a principal. How long are baby when they can do some things in the house?

Physically where kids can understand the concept.

Lord, please help us. I love you in Jesus name. We pray all God's. People said.