Have You Built An Altar There?

Genesis 12:7 KJV “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.”

Genesis 12:8 KJV “And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.”

Genesis 13:18 KJV “Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.”

Welcome to Day 2 of the Battle of the Altars consecration. Yesterday, we spoke about the importance of preparing worship in the same way we prepare lunch. I want to continue with this food analogy.

I don't know about you all, or if you even know this about me, but I really love food! Sometimes, for some odd reason, I crave food from specific places. If I have a craving from a particular restuarent, I do not mind driving an hour. Now that I live in Maryland, I always ask those visiting from Miami to bring me certain foods on the plane. Yes, you read that right! I don't care if my Haitian food needs to come from a 3 hour flight. There are options to get Haitian food in Maryland, but it does not taste the same if it does not come from Miami. Some of you think I got sidetracked, but I am preaching already! Pleasure is not just about the what, but the where! God is not just pleased with your worship, but where that worship is coming from!

Do you know that in the Old Testament, it was offensive to worship God anywhere when He had a dedicated place constructed for worship.

““If any native Israelite sacrifices a bull or a lamb or a goat anywhere inside or outside the camp instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to present it as an offering to the Lord, that person will be as guilty as a murderer. Such a person has shed blood and will be cut off from the community. The purpose of this rule is to stop the Israelites from sacrificing animals in the open fields. It will ensure that they bring their sacrifices to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle, so he can present them to the Lord as peace offerings.

Leviticus 17:3-6 NLT

“Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.”

Deuteronomy 12:5 NLT

This was so embedded into the culture of the Children of Israel that when someone built an altar outside of the Tabernacle, they instantly rebuked it:

“If you need the altar because the land you possess is defiled, then join us in the Lord’s land, where the Tabernacle of the Lord is situated, and share our land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar other than the one true altar of the Lord our God.”

Joshua 22:19 NLT

Remember, Old Testament practices become New Testament principles. I am not telling you, like the women at the well, that you have to travel to Jerusalem to worship. I am telling you how Jesus responded to her:

^{John 4:20} So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim,^[c]where our ancestors worshiped?”

²¹ Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. ²³ But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.

Notice something. I like eating Haitian food in Miami. I am not being sidetracked. I eat Haitian food IN Miami and we are supposed worship IN spirit and truth. Spirit and truth are places. Worship is locational. Have you been doing the right thing but in the wrong place?

Are you worshipping where God is (in honesty), or where your flesh is (in selfish ambition). The most heartbreaking thing I learned as I grew up in church is this; People can do GODLY things with UNGODLY intentions. Matthew 6 provides evidence of this if you need it.

Another thing I want you to pick up is, everywhere God told Abraham to go, he built an altar. It is not just about getting in the right place: Spirit and Truth. It is also about building an altar in every place of your life. Yes, I have a prayer corner in my bedroom, but I also have an altar in the car! Ken told me, "you are not just my passenger princess, but my passenger intercessor". I pray on my college campus. I pray on public transportation. Aren't we commanded to pray without ceasing? Why do some of us go through seasons where we only pray in church?!?!

Listen, I am not saying that I am disruptive everywhere I go! Prayer/Worship is not just a verbal exercise, but an internal posture!

^{Romans 8:26} And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

When you get in the Spirit, you can build an altar that is not even communicated through human language. Some people think this is just about chants, but I also beleive it means that some things don't always have to said, but shown. Actions speak louder than words. I may not pray in english or tongues everywhere, but I attempt to yield my heart/spirit to God everywhere I go and in everything I do.

This is why some people say "Pray until you become prayer". I am not just giving an offering. I become the offering. I present my body as a living sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptable, which is my reasonable service or the true way to worship!

I had more for today but I will leave it there and share the rest tomorrow. Today, reflect on these questions and pray on these points. While we may not be on zoom tonight, feel free to use the comment section of this post to share your thoughts/questions and Pastor Isidore will be available to answer:

Reflection Questions

1. Am I worshipping God in the right place—spirit and truth—or have selfish ambition, flesh, or dishonesty become the place from which my worship flows?

2. Have I built an altar everywhere God has placed me? What areas of my life—home, work, school, relationships, travel, or private life—have I entered without establishing an altar there?

3. Am I simply offering worship, or am I becoming worship? What would it look like for my internal posture, actions, and entire life to become a continual offering to God?

4. 
   

Prayer Points

1. Father, teach me to worship You in spirit and in truth. Purify the place within me from which my worship flows, and remove every selfish or fleshly motive.

2. Father, give me the grace to build an altar everywhere You send me. Let every place I occupy become a place where Your presence is welcomed and Your name is honored.

3. Father, teach me to become the offering. Bring me to a place where prayer and worship are more than things I do—make them the posture of my heart and the lifestyle I carry everywhere I go.