Do
we need an altar today in the church?
What
should the modern church look like? 150
years of ministry, so now what?
Do
we need an altar today? In
history the altar was a place of blood sacrifice for sins.
The patriarchs of the Old Testament regularly offered the blood of
animals as payment for their sins. In
the temple and in the tabernacle people came to offer sacrifices to God on the
brazen altar. Inside the holy
place of the tabernacle was an altar of incense, which represented the
offering of prayers unto God. But,
what about today? Do we still
need an altar? The cross is our
place of blood sacrifice for our sins. Since
the sin debt has been paid, do we need to continue to have an altar in a
church? The place in the front of
the Baptist Church where people come to pray is called the altar.
It is a place of sacrifice. Here people come to give themselves to God.
Also, in front of the church is a table.
We call it the communion table. On
the first Sunday of every month we use the table to hold the elements of the
Lord’s Supper. The bread
represents the broken body of our Lord and the fruit of the vine or juice
represents the blood of our Lord that is our blood sacrifice. During the rest of the worship services this table holds the
candles, the offering plates, and the Bible.
All of these have significant meaning in our worship and in our
sacrifice. I believe there is a
place in the church for the altar. Do
you remember what the apostle Paul said in Romans 12 concerning our worship
and sacrifice?
Romans
12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your
bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual
act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
There is a need for
an altar of prayer in today’s church. This
is an altar of living sacrifice. The communion table in most modern churches
represents this. Paul said that we needed to present ourselves as a living
sacrifice. The dead sacrifice has already been offered once and for all.
This is the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God.
Jesus is our blood sacrifice. In
view of this Paul says that we need to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice
to God. So then we should die to
self and say yes to God. Become
alive to God’s Spirit. We
present ourselves to Him and receive His gifts to us.
On the communion table we have the offering plates representing our
physical gifts to God. We
voluntarily come because we believe. We
believe because we have heard the truth, so then on the table we have the
Bible which is the Word of God. We
give because of His Mercies. We
give sacrificially which is a costly gift.
In a world where people are constantly demanding their rights, the
believer shines as those who give up their rights for the rights of others.
We live with the Lord and shine the light in the dark, so that others
may see the Lord. To represent
the light we have the candles on the table.
This is a living sacrifice.
There is also a need for an altar of service.
We should become living servants.
We give our body as his
temple and our heart as the altar. We
give our mind, which is being renewed and transformed into his image.
Our transformation continues daily as we continue to invite God in and
continue to grow in him. Our
service to Him is a service to others.
This is our reasonable service. Think
about it. Is this reasonable to
you? Is it reasonable that God
would die for you on a cross? Is
it reasonable that you would give yourself for Him?
As living servants we give God our cares and problems.
He wants them and He wants you to give yourself in His service.
In this altar of service we care about others so we make intercession
for friends and family. In this
way the altar of service means that you bring yourself in service to God.
Would you present yourself to God in living sacrifice and service?
This is what being a Christian is all about.
Do we need an altar today? In
History the altar was a pace of blood sacrifice for sins.
The cross is our place of blood sacrifice for the sins of the people. The sin debt has been paid.
So then today do we need to continue to come to an altar in a church?
This represents our love for the Lord and our desire to give ourselves
to Him in service to others.
I.
Altar of prayer: in
today’s church
- Altar
of Sacrifice: Living
Sacrifice
- We
die to self and say yes to God.
- Become
alive to God’s Spirit.
- We
present ourselves to God.
- We
voluntarily come because we believe
- We
give because of His Mercies.
- We
give sacrificially which is a costly gift.
- Altar
of Service: Living service
- Our
body is his temple and our heart is the Altar.
- Our
mind is renewed and transformed into his image.
- Transformation
continues daily as we continue to invite God in and continue to grow.
- Our
reasonable service: Think
about it. Is this
reasonable to you?
- Give
God our cares and problems.
- Make
intercession for friends and family.
- Bring
yourself in Service to God
Invitation:
Would you present yourself to God?
Would you give yourself in
Service? Would you make
intercession for others?