Is It All On The Altar

Text:

Revelation 8:3-4:

3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

 

Theme:

Is It All On The Altar

 

Introduction:

• The Book Of Revelation is the only prophetic book of the New Testament and is written by the Apostle John while he was exiled on the Isle of Patmos.
  • The book’s purpose is to reveal what happens during the Apocalypse, or end times, or last days.
  • As the other book written by the Apostle John, the Gospel of St. John, its primary focus during these end times is Jesus, the Christ.
• In the text, John relays the vision concerning the altar of God.
  • Physically à an altar is any structure of earth or unwrought stone on which sacrifices were offered.
  • Metaphysically (in a symbolic sense) à The word is used to represent the sacrifice offered upon it–the sacrifice Christ offered. We now don’t build physical altars because the sacrifice was already made through Jesus the Christ.
    • Our altar is now God, Himself!
      • Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
      • We come to the “altar” now to worship God in order to gain favor!
    • We bring “things” to the altar to acknowledge that Him as the Creator and Sustainer of all things!
      • Psalms 50:10, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”
      • Psalms 50:15, “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
    • So, do we do what we are supposed to do to get God’s favor for our lives…NO!
      • We don’t worship God as we ought!
        • John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
        • All because…We don’t put it ALL on the altar!
          • Check yourself in your life è IS IT ALL ON THE ALTAR
    • As the old gospel hymn says,

You have longed for sweet peace,
And for faith to increase,
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest,
Or be perfectly blest,
Until all on the altar is laid.

Body:

• Let’s look at some examples of putting it ALL on the altar
  • Noah è Genesis 8:20, “And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”
    • Noah gave of all that he had
  • Abraham è Genesis 22:9, “And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.”
    • Abraham gave of the best that he had
  • David è Psalms 51:16-17, “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
    • David gave of all that his relationship determined
  • Solomon è 2Chronicles 4:1, “Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.”
    • Solomon gave of all that God had directed
  • Consequences of not giving ALL….
    • Cain
      • Offered a sacrifice not pleasing to God.
      • Cain gave what he wanted to give and not what God wanted
        • Lost God’s BLESSING!
    • Saul
      • Didn’t destroy all as instructed.
      • He put the spoils of war in the temple.
        • Lost God’s FAVOR!
    • Ananias & Saphira
      • Didn’t give all money required
      • They held back and lied about it.
        • Lost their LIVES!

Conclusion:

• Jehovah, our Heavenly Father, put all that He had on the “altar” of Calvary
  • John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
  • God did it for the sake of our salvation
    • Hebrews 9:28, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
• God laid all that He had on the altar…NOW IT IS TIME FOR US TO DO IT!!!
  • Lay your PROBLEMS
  • Lay your PAINS
  • Lay your CONFUSION
  • Lay your WEAKNESSES
  • Lay your SHORTCOMINGS
    • Then even…
      • Lay your JOYS
      • Lay WHAT YOU DO WELL
      • Lay your TREASURES
      • Lay your GOOD TIMES
• The gospel hymn sums it all up for us…

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.

• So, IS YOUR ALL ON THE ALTAR?
  • Don’t be afraid to put your all on the altar…PUT YOUR ALL ON THE ALTAR!
    • He will supply your every need according to His riches in glory!
      • I can lay my friends on the altar because He is my FRIEND!
      • I can lay my children on the altar because I am His CHILD!
      • I can lay my problems on the altar because He is my PROBLEM SOLVER!
  • You can lay your all on the altar because the ALTAR is God and His perfect sacrifice is Jesus, the Christ, His Son.

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