ABRAHAM Youth Service by Rev, DR. Willy Mutiso

THE ALTARS OF ABRAHAM

GENESIS 12:1-13:1

INTRODUCTION

Before going further into our studies on the life and faith of Abraham, it is important that we look at Abraham and his altars. The greatest need for your life, family, country and church is to build altars. God is looking for Altar builders. You may have everything in life but if you have no Altar it is nothing to God. God did not love Abraham status, education and wealth, but He looked at Abrahams Altars.

God expects man to commune with Him. God is looking for a relationship. This is the reason He created us. Now, an altar is a raised place, usually used for worship. We read about altars in the bible. The first altar was built by Noah (Gen.8:20-22). In the Hebrew language, an alter means “slaughter place”. In Greek, it means “a place of sacrifice”. In the Old Testament, people sacrificed animals and worshipped God through which God communed with man. In the New Testament, we do not need animal sacrifice, because Jesus Christ is our eternal sacrifice. He offered himself a sacrifice for us once and for all time. However, we must offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). We need to build spiritual altars where we sacrifice ourselves and worship our God. Abraham was blessed because of his altars. Do you have an altar?

Let us learn about Abraham’s Altars:-

I.  ALTAR OF PERSONAL PRAYER (Gen.12:6-7)

  • Shechem means a shoulder or a place to carry our burdens.
  • Shechem means personal prayer life, personal cleansing and personal sacrifice.
  • We all need to have a personal altar, a personal quiet time (QT) with God.
  • We all need a personal altar.
  • In Gen.34:4- Jacob reached Shechem on his way to Bethel and there he buried all the idols.
  • Shechem is the place where we get rid of all the idols.
  • An idol is anything in your life that is greater than God. (Self, work, studies, TV, friends, family, children, husband or wife etc)
  • At the personal altar, we read the Bible, pray, ask for cleansing and worship God.
  • At Shechem, Jacob dug a well, the place in Sychar where Jesus met the Samaritan Woman (John 4)
  • Jesus Himself had a personal Altar, so must we.

II.  ALTAR OF COMMUNAL PRAYER. (Gen.12:8, 13:3-4)

  • Bethel means “The House of God”- Ai means the place of ruins.
  • Worshipping God in the House of God will keep us from all ruins in our lives.
  • We need congregational prayer as a family and as a church.
  • It is difficult for you to have a congregational altar if you don’t have a personal altar.
  • Don’t make yourself a champion in the congregational level, when at a personal level you are a failure in prayer.
  • Abraham had both personal and congregational altars.

III.  ALTAR OF MINISTRY SERVICE (Gen.13:18)

  • Looking closer at the life of Abraham, he did a mistake in going to Egypt and taking Lot with him.
  • He went to Egypt because of a famine, the Canaanites did not leave!!
  • Once Abraham left Egypt and parted company with His nephew (both symbolized the world) God gave Abraham a New blessing, (Gen.13:14-17)
  • All these years Abraham had the promise by God.
  • Once the world was separated from Abraham, God literally gave Abraham the land He had promised.
  • When you come out of your worldly ways, God will bless you.
  • 18, Abraham built an altar at Hebron.
  • Hebron means alliance. King David officially started his ministry in Hebron.
  • Hebron is the highest place (Above sea level) in Palestine.
  • The Altar of ministering to others starts when we rise above all spiritually.
  • If we have not come out of the world or sin in our lives, the ministry we do is nothing but a performance or a sideshow. God cannot accept such a ministry.
  • God expects all ministers (Preachers, elders, praise and worship teams, choirs, singers, service leaders, evangelists, bishop, Apostles and teachers) to first have a personal altar, then congregational altar and then ministry altar.
  • Our ministry done in the name of the Lord must be done after great preparation. We must be holy unto God.

CONCLUSION;

  • The greatest need of your family, life and country is to build altars.
  • God is looking to Altar builders to commune with Him.
  • You may have education, fame, wealth, houses and good looks but if you have no Altar is nothing to God.
  • Therefore let us build altars like Abraham- Amen.
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Rev, DR. Willy Mutiso

Rev, Dr. Willy Mutiso is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Athiriver. He is widely known for his practical and dynamic teaching style which helps people apply the timeless truths of Scripture to their everyday lives.

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