Homily: On Building Altars

Pray and Read Joshua 24:14-15

“So now, fear Yahweh and serve Him in integrity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh. “If it is evil in your sight to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”

Erect Altars for YAHWEH

Main idea in one sentence:

In order to remain faithful to YAHWEH this side of glory, we must erect altars to YAHWEH in our hearts, our homes, and our communities.

What is an altar? An altar is a structure or platform that is built with the telos (purpose) of being a site of worship; the worship was in the form of sacrifice, offering, and covenant renewal. As it relates to the worship of YAHWEH, altars of stone were built where the patriarchs and prophets went in the Old Testament. These altars, even after they were no longer in-use, were testimonies to YAHWEH’s greatness and covenantal relationship to His people; when Jesus said in Luke 19:37-40 that if the disciples didn’t declare his kingship and worship then the stones would, he was more than likely primarily referring to these altars of stone and the memorial stones that were erected in the Old Testament.

No matter how holy and pious you may think yourself to be, this side of glory you will be tempted to abandon God by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (I John 2:15-16). These temptations assail us both Externally and Internally.

What does this mean for us? It means that the pull to sin comes both from within and without. We will both be tempted from the vestiges of sin that cling to us this side of glory and by the pagans and their culture as we sojourn in this foreign land as emissaries for Christ.

The only way to remain faithful to YAHWEH and to advance Christ’s Kingdom is by erecting altars to Him that we continually return to and are renewed/influenced by. There are four main places we need to erect altars:

The Heart of Man

The Home

The Community

The Ends of the Earth

The First Altar: The Heart of Man

Joshua 24:14-15 tells us, first and foremost, that Joshua himself is going to serve YAHWEH.

***If the gospel has not won the hearts of individuals, it cannot go beyond the individual***

It is imperative for our own good and for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom that, first and foremost, each of us individually, at the heart of who we are, have erected an altar unto YAHWEH that defines and constrains all we do. There is nothing more central to the identity and life of the Christian than their being in Christ—when we are walking in this, we are not simply living for ourselves; instead, we are ordering our lives after YAHWEH and His word.

When the altar of YAHWEH is the central aspect of the heart of an Image-bearer, they will be putting to death sinful desires and living for the advancement of Christ and His Kingdom.

The Second Altar: The Home

Joshua 24:14-15 also tells us the Joshua’s household will serve YAHWEH.

Despite the fact that the conquest was successful and God had delivered on His promises, many in Israel had turned to idolatry. In response to seeing this wickedness, Joshua speaks to Israel and tells them, in no uncertain terms, that he and his household will serve YAHWEH.

If you would indulge me, I’d like to ask you to close your eyes for a moment and imagine what it would be like if America repented and became a nation filled with Christians and the laws of our land reflected our Christian values. You’d expect that we’d be living in vibrant, Christian nation where idolatry was outlawed, right? That is essentially what Israel had; however, idolatry persisted.

When your neighbors and your communities abandon Christ, what will your household do? Will you buckle with them or will you serve Christ?

The best way to sanctify your home and to prepare for your household to serve Christ when the going gets tough is to make sure the main fixture in your home is the family altar.

Parents,

The Third Altar: The Community

If the gravitational pull of our hearts and households is God’s altar and worship, then Christians will attempt to affect their communities for Christ.

Christ is not only King over our hearts, homes, and churches—He is King over all and His Kingdom advances both in the hearts of men and throughout

The Final Altar: The Ends of the Earth