Sermon Title: Manifesting our Passion for Christ; Building our Corporate Altar unto Him
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Today we are going to think about our corporate altar – our church building – which was purchased in 1962, rebuilt in 1989, and today, left in our care of continuing and growing the legacy and work of those who came before us.
And as you would expect of me, I am going to emphasize on the task of growing the spiritual legacy which we have inherited - through the task of stewarding, increasing and multiplying God’s talent that He has left in our care and in our lives.
Think about it.
Out of 8 billion people in the world today, we have been given the glorious privilege of stewarding, increasing, multiplying and building up this very altar that has been left in our care here at 2215 Dowler Place.
Since 2018 - with the renovation exploratory committee - we have been praying and discerning on the season of when we should embark on an internal revitalization of our church building.
Understand this.
As disciples of Jesus Christ and children of God, we are both physical and spiritual beings enlivened and empowered by the Holy Spirit; and therefore, everything we do in the physical must be a manifestation of what God desires to accomplish through us in the spiritual realms.
Which is why our Lord Jesus taught us to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10); and presses into the utter necessity that the Church – His People - embrace and exist in the unified reality of the heavens and the earth by declaring in Matthew 16:18-19, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
This informs us: whatever we enact on earth, we will enact in heaven.
Especially for the Christian, the consideration of our every action must far extend beyond the temporal ramifications in the earthly realm, into the eternal, heavenly realm that we are destined for.
To this, we must never do anything out of need, but rather out of the clarity of God’s direction for what He intends to accomplish through us.
Remember.
We are simultaneously physical and spiritual beings enlivened and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Thus, everything we do in the physical must, and will be a manifestation of what God desires to accomplish through us in the spiritual realm.
To which, the Apostle Paul alludes to this precise reality in 1 Corinthians 15:44b, “if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
Though we recognise our present, earthly reality, we “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Be forewarned.
Never be in denial of the worldly reality for it does hold both temporal and eternal ramifications. Though we can obviously see that which is visible, our eyes must be fixed on the unseen, present, spiritual dimension – to which we know intimately as God’s eternal Kingdom.
It is to His Kingdom that the leadership of this church have been prayerfully seeking the Lord for when His season of spiritual and physical revitalisation for us might be; and today, I would like to share the Lord’s impression upon our hearts.
2021 will be a year of passionate revitalisation for the Church both spiritually and physically; the year that we will receive a fresh anointing and power from God to radically bring His Glory, and inbreak His Kingdom upon this land; the year we will rebuild our corporate altar before the Lord, and re-commit – as a church family - to a greater and more glorious season of making disciples of all nations by the Power of the Holy Spirit!
Church, we have been called apart these past 51 weeks to be set apart for His Kingdom work; we have been called away by the circumstances of the global pandemic, so that we may be called back with a greater desire and a deeper impetus to be filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill our calling to the global ministry of making disciples of all nations.
If anything the Bible has revealed to us is that - for us to move forward in God’s work of saving lives, we must be willing to return to the source of life and salvation ourselves.
For us to build the pulpit to preach God’s Salvation, we need to first build the altar where we would come ourselves to receive God’s Salvation.
When we have built this altar well and pleasing in the sight of God, this altar will become the pulpit from which the Gospel will be preached effectively, accurately and truthfully – well and pleasing in the sight of God.
Believe it! We are a church built for missions; because we are a church led, and filled with the Holy Spirit!
And thus, we must build an altar that will become a pulpit that clearly preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Church, as we consider the costs and efforts of renovation, understand that right before us is our opportunity to come into His rest, to trust in Him and be yoked with the Lord Jesus Christ (Ref: Matthew 11:28-30) in His Spirit’s work of inbreaking the Kingdom of God – to be part of God’s work in this world.
And according to Haggai 1:7-8, it all comes from our willingness to,
“Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord.”
Give careful thought to your ways.
What are you living for? Are you living for the temporary? Or for the eternal?
What, or Who, is truly important to you? Do you live for God? Or do you think that God lives for you?
Do you live because of God? Or do you think that God, or His church, lives because of you?
Have you given careful thought to your ways?
“Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house”
However long it takes, conclude the thought of your ways with the resolve to please and honor the Lord, your God – “Go up into the mountains and bring down timber, and build” the house of God.
The overarching thought being that since the mountain and timber belongs to God, we are categorically informed that He has already supplied the resources required to build His house.
Our lives belong to him. Our ability to subsist, thrive and make an income belongs to Him. He is God of the mountains, timber and God over us.
All we need to do is to trust and obey.
Church, are we willing to make the time and effort – to give of our finances, time and effort – to build the house of God?
Do you desire to please and honor God?
Are you willing to manifest God’s spiritual and eternal destiny for you through your financial giving and your ministry participation in the physical building of His altar in the world?
Are you willing to revitalise the altar of God so that we – as a church may be spiritually revitalised and filled with even more of God’s Presence, and the Power of the Holy Spirit, to fulfill our destiny of being Christ’s witnesses and glorifying our Father in Heaven?
Every time the nation of Israel rebuilt the temple of God, God’s Presence, Power and Glory rested on them. Every time, they neglected the Lord and left His temple in neglect and ruins, their own lives were neglected and ruined.
Do we desire God’s Presence, God’s Power and God’s Glory to rest on us?
I do desire that! And I pray that you do too!
I could tell of countless stories of when churches allow themselves to come into God’s Presence, His Power and Glory by building an altar to the Lord; stories of impossible lives transformed into the likeness of Christ; stories of impossible illnesses healed in the Name of Jesus Christ; stories of divine interventions and manifestations of the Holy Spirit that led multitudes to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ – in the exact pattern of the Acts of the Apostles!
That’s right!
The miracles and salvations that happened to the early Church 2000 years ago because they honored God by building up His house can happen to us, because we serve the same Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whose Name is above every name – that at His Name, demons will flee, and every tongue will confess – in the heavens, on the earth and under the earth – and every knee will bow and acknowledge that He is Lord and God!
To this, we must understand what it means to corporately manifest our passion for Christ – and understand, what it means to build our corporate altar to the Lord together.
To this, let us turn our bibles to Genesis 12:6-8:
“6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites (the disbelieving and the defiant) were in the land.
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.”
From this all-familiar passage, we understand that:
For us at present, we need to follow in their example of divine faith and obedience, and commit to growing this legacy – to continue building on this altar - so that future generations of believers may continue to grow deep in Christ, and be His witnesses by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Personal altars are built to represent our deepest desire to build a relationship with God, established upon our utter need for God - His Salvation through Christ, and His Power by the Holy Spirit – in our lives.
When we – as a church – built an altar to the Lord, we are corporately:
(1) Testifying to our relationship with God to the world, and declaring our utter need for His Salvation through Christ and for His Power by the Holy Spirit;
(2) Recognising that this land – as do we - utterly needs the Lord.
Are we prepared to renew our commitment to God through the rebuilding of our corporate altar at 2215 Dowler Place? Are we ready to be spiritually revitalized?
Or do we have a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order that we have consciously or unconsciously set in place? In Jesus’ Name, reject that order!
Never be found hopeless or helpless at the state of the world, or at the intensity of persecution!
The forces of darkness have nothing on us – for we have Christ in us!
Remain steadfast – for God is for us; and always be at the ready to be filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit to be revitalised, revived, and to overcome the enemy!
Listen church, we have all the foundations and the infrastructure in place – all it takes from us right now is our desire to be part of something right out of heaven!
Do you desire to be part of something ‘unshakable’?
The Bible tells us that:
The earth will be shaken (Isaiah 2:19-21);
The nation of Israel will be shaken (Ezekiel 38:19-20);
The heavens and the nations of the earth will be shaken (Haggai 2:6-7);
In fact, everything will be shaken (Hebrews 12:26-29)!
Only the Church of Jesus Christ is unshakable!
Our Lord Jesus declares this reality in Matthew 16:18:
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
At a time when the Church was not even established, Christ pits His Church against the gates of hades.
Wow.
But why?
The might of any army is only as strong as its gates.
History has proven this point time and time again.
Regardless of how powerful you think your offense is, if the defence of your own stronghold is lacking, you will a baseless, wandering army; and you will ultimately be defeated.
Regardless of how formidable you think your defences are, if your gates are lacking, your walls may stand, but your city will be conquered.
The might of any army is only as strong as its gates.
If the gates – the very might - of the forces of darkness will not overcome us, we are indeed - unshakable, unconquerable, indomitable.
In the fragility of your circumstances, and in the vulnerability of your life, don’t you desire to be part of something unshakable, invincible, and ultimately victorious?
Are you willing to receive Christ’s blessing of being indomitable? Of being unshakable?
If you are, well then… …
Let us build the house of God! Together, let us build His Altar!
Do you desire to be part of something indestructible, something eternal? Something that you can literally hold onto when God’s Eternal Kingdom finally explodes into present reality?
Know that everything in this world passes away, including itself. However, the effects and ramifications of our corporate altar will very much remain part of God’s eternal kingdom.
Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us this blueprint for the corporate altar for His Church:
“11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.” (Luke 9:11-13)
In clear view of His eternal Kingdom, Christ commands us today to manifest:
- His Ministry of Hospitality - to build the altar that invites the world to enter His Salvation;
- His Ministry of Holiness - to build the altar that consecrates and sanctifies all who comes; and
- His Ministry of Healing - to build the altar where His healing and restoration takes place, all, for the sake of the glory of God.
Are you willing to live in Christ’s blueprint for His Church; and in so doing, be part of something indestructible? Something eternal?
If you are, well then… …
Let us build the house of God! Together, let us build His Altar!
The biblical narrative and pattern of corporately building an altar unto God.
From the biblical narrative and pattern (from Abraham to Peter) of manifesting our passion for Christ through building our corporate altar unto the Lord, here is what we must take away:
If you build God’s House, God will build your house;
If you take care of God’s House, God will take care of your house;
If you take it upon yourself to build up God’s Family, and be part of God’s work; God will take it upon Himself to build up your family and bless your work.
Plain, and simple.
For every aspect, and at every step, of our lives – we need to recognize the source of all life.
If we desire to step into a new season of work alongside the Holy Spirit, it means that we need to bring our hearts, minds and lives together to manifest God’s Will on earth; which is, to build an altar unto God - in the fullest recognition of our need - and this land’s need – for Jesus Christ our Lord, our Saviour, our King and our God; in consecrating that sacred space to praise, obey, worship, encounter, and rest in, God.
The power to step into a new season of anointing and power comes from our willingness to return to Him, to build His altar as a church, and to invite the world to believe in Christ Jesus, the Lord and Saviour of the world.
Our Church building is our corporate altar that we have built; and must continue to build unto the Lord.
The Holy Spirit is working in our midst, and preparing us to fulfill Christ's Kingdom Mandate.
Ours is a glorious, and holy heritage; for we blessedly stand on the shoulders of saints who came before us - saints who were willing to give financially, serve and love selflessly, to build the church of Jesus Christ, to build this altar, this very sanctuary in which we have the profound and divine privilege to freely worship in, and freely minister from – unencumbered by, and completely victorious over, the darkness of the world .
Let us walk in the steps of the saints who came before us - and, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, let us be more - that we, too, may be blessedly stood upon by the saints who will come after us.
The season of Revitalisation and thus, THE SEASON OF REVIVAL is upon us!
Believe with us – that at the altar where we worship and serve our God – the altar that bears the address: 2215 Dowler Place - souls will be saved; lives will be transformed; hearts will be mended; the blind will see, the lame will walk – signs and wonders done through us by the Power of God, in the very examples of the Apostles (Ref: Acts 15:12)
If only we would arise; put our hands on the plough and be found "fit for service in the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).
Together, in the Name of Jesus - let us be part of something unshakable and indestructible; and to the glory of the Father, let us be part of something victorious and eternal!
Together let us build our corporate altar unto the Lord; let us be revitalised as we fulfill the physical renovation of our building and the spiritual renovation of our church, and let us be re-empowered by the Holy Spirit, that the world would clearly see the increasing glory and eternal salvation of God revealed through us!
Are you ready to build our corporate altar unto the Lord?
Are you ready to join God in building His church?
Church, let us be ready! Let us build the House of God!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Holy Spirit, we thank You for Your Word that:
2021 will be a year of passionate revitalisation for the Church both spiritually and physically.
Indeed, bestow upon us a fresh anointing and a fresh power from You O God, to radically bring Your Glory, and inbreak Your Kingdom upon this land.
Holy Spirit, grant us courage, faith, wisdom and resolve to rebuild our corporate altar before You, and re-commit – as a church family - to a greater and more glorious season of making disciples of all nations by Your Holy Power!
We acknowledge that our church is set apart for Your Kingdom Work alone!
From our season of separation, call us back to a season of revitalisation; that we may each have in our hearts a greater desire and a deeper impetus to be filled with Your Holy Presence, Purpose and Power to fulfill Your calling to the global ministry of making disciples of all nations.
As we prepare to build the pulpit to preach Your Gospel, help us first build the altar where we would first come to receive Your Salvation.
Lord Jesus, we declare that we live solely and utterly for You.
We are Your church – a people wholly belonging to You.
Lord we are willing to give of our time, our efforts and our finances in faith, and in the fullest acknowledgement that the mountains and the timber belong to You (Ref: Haggai 1:7-8); and as such, all that we have belongs to You.
O God, may we always be found faithful, obedient and willing in our calling to build Your House.
We trust and obey You, Lord Jesus – for You have already supplied all that we need to build an altar unto You; the sacred task in which we undertake to please and honor You, our God!
Holy Spirit, we ask that You would manifest Your spiritual and eternal destiny for our church through each of our financial giving and ministry participation in the physical building of Your altar.
As we revitalise Your altar, O God, may we – as a church – be spiritually revitalised and filled with even more of Your Presence, and Power of the Holy Spirit, to fulfill our destiny of being Christ’s witnesses to the Nations!
May Your Glory rest upon our church!
Lord Jesus, You have called us to a world that is increasingly defiant and hostile towards You – yet, we will trust and follow You; for we desire deeply to be blessed by You.
As “foreigners and exiles” in this world (1 Peter 2:11), we recognise our need for Your Presence and Power to fulfill Your Calling upon us to “make disciples of all nations” (Ref: Matthew 28:18-20).
Today, in one heart, one mind, and one voice, we corporately acknowledge our need for Your Salvation – and also the utter need of this land – for You, O God, and in this, deeply desire to manifest this twofold need by building an altar unto You.
Just as the generations that came before left us a legacy so holy and eternal; may we – likewise – be willing to stretch our faith and build upon this spiritual legacy through undertaking the physical and spiritual revitalisation of our church at 2215 Dowler Place.
As we follow in their example of divine faith and sacrifice, and commit to growing this legacy – to continue building on this altar - may future generations of believers continue to grow deep in Christ, and be His witnesses by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
We need You, Lord Jesus – and so does this land.
May our church building – as an altar built unto You – reflect the reality of Your Salvation and Coming Kingdom.
In our obedience unto You, may we – as a church – manifest:
- Your Ministry of Hospitality – through the altar that invites the world to enter Your Salvation and Rest;
- Your Ministry of Holiness – through the altar that consecrates and sanctifies all who believes in our Lord Jesus Christ; and
- Your Ministry of Healing – through the altar that heals and restores those who have surrendered their lives to Christ.
In one accord, and faith in Jesus Christ – we commit to the season of revival that is upon us; and resolve to allow our faiths to be stretched in the sacred task of building Your House, and in so doing, allow this spiritual legacy to last till Christ returns.
We believe and declare that at the altar bearing the address: 2215 Dowler Place - souls will be saved; lives will be transformed; hearts will be mended; the blind will see, the lame will walk –that signs and wonders will be done through us by the Power of God, in the very examples of the Apostles (Ref: Acts 15:12)
Today, we arise, and put our hands alongside our Lord’s on the plough.
May we always be found "fit for service in the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62); building His House, and being part of something unshakable, indestructible, and eternally victorious.
Into Your Hands, we commit to the physical renovation of our building – our altar unto You; and commit the spiritual renovation of our church family – that we may be empowered by the Holy Spirit for the sake of the Gospel, revealing the increasing glory and eternal salvation of God through us!
Lord Jesus, we are ready to build our corporate altar unto You!
We are ready to join You in building Your Church!
We thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Today we are going to think about our corporate altar – our church building – which was purchased in 1962, rebuilt in 1989, and today, left in our care of continuing and growing the legacy and work of those who came before us.
And as you would expect of me, I am going to emphasize on the task of growing the spiritual legacy which we have inherited - through the task of stewarding, increasing and multiplying God’s talent that He has left in our care and in our lives.
Think about it.
Out of 8 billion people in the world today, we have been given the glorious privilege of stewarding, increasing, multiplying and building up this very altar that has been left in our care here at 2215 Dowler Place.
Since 2018 - with the renovation exploratory committee - we have been praying and discerning on the season of when we should embark on an internal revitalization of our church building.
Understand this.
As disciples of Jesus Christ and children of God, we are both physical and spiritual beings enlivened and empowered by the Holy Spirit; and therefore, everything we do in the physical must be a manifestation of what God desires to accomplish through us in the spiritual realms.
Which is why our Lord Jesus taught us to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10); and presses into the utter necessity that the Church – His People - embrace and exist in the unified reality of the heavens and the earth by declaring in Matthew 16:18-19, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
This informs us: whatever we enact on earth, we will enact in heaven.
Especially for the Christian, the consideration of our every action must far extend beyond the temporal ramifications in the earthly realm, into the eternal, heavenly realm that we are destined for.
To this, we must never do anything out of need, but rather out of the clarity of God’s direction for what He intends to accomplish through us.
Remember.
We are simultaneously physical and spiritual beings enlivened and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Thus, everything we do in the physical must, and will be a manifestation of what God desires to accomplish through us in the spiritual realm.
To which, the Apostle Paul alludes to this precise reality in 1 Corinthians 15:44b, “if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
Though we recognise our present, earthly reality, we “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Be forewarned.
Never be in denial of the worldly reality for it does hold both temporal and eternal ramifications. Though we can obviously see that which is visible, our eyes must be fixed on the unseen, present, spiritual dimension – to which we know intimately as God’s eternal Kingdom.
It is to His Kingdom that the leadership of this church have been prayerfully seeking the Lord for when His season of spiritual and physical revitalisation for us might be; and today, I would like to share the Lord’s impression upon our hearts.
2021 will be a year of passionate revitalisation for the Church both spiritually and physically; the year that we will receive a fresh anointing and power from God to radically bring His Glory, and inbreak His Kingdom upon this land; the year we will rebuild our corporate altar before the Lord, and re-commit – as a church family - to a greater and more glorious season of making disciples of all nations by the Power of the Holy Spirit!
Church, we have been called apart these past 51 weeks to be set apart for His Kingdom work; we have been called away by the circumstances of the global pandemic, so that we may be called back with a greater desire and a deeper impetus to be filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill our calling to the global ministry of making disciples of all nations.
If anything the Bible has revealed to us is that - for us to move forward in God’s work of saving lives, we must be willing to return to the source of life and salvation ourselves.
For us to build the pulpit to preach God’s Salvation, we need to first build the altar where we would come ourselves to receive God’s Salvation.
When we have built this altar well and pleasing in the sight of God, this altar will become the pulpit from which the Gospel will be preached effectively, accurately and truthfully – well and pleasing in the sight of God.
Believe it! We are a church built for missions; because we are a church led, and filled with the Holy Spirit!
And thus, we must build an altar that will become a pulpit that clearly preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Church, as we consider the costs and efforts of renovation, understand that right before us is our opportunity to come into His rest, to trust in Him and be yoked with the Lord Jesus Christ (Ref: Matthew 11:28-30) in His Spirit’s work of inbreaking the Kingdom of God – to be part of God’s work in this world.
And according to Haggai 1:7-8, it all comes from our willingness to,
“Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord.”
Give careful thought to your ways.
What are you living for? Are you living for the temporary? Or for the eternal?
What, or Who, is truly important to you? Do you live for God? Or do you think that God lives for you?
Do you live because of God? Or do you think that God, or His church, lives because of you?
Have you given careful thought to your ways?
“Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house”
However long it takes, conclude the thought of your ways with the resolve to please and honor the Lord, your God – “Go up into the mountains and bring down timber, and build” the house of God.
The overarching thought being that since the mountain and timber belongs to God, we are categorically informed that He has already supplied the resources required to build His house.
Our lives belong to him. Our ability to subsist, thrive and make an income belongs to Him. He is God of the mountains, timber and God over us.
All we need to do is to trust and obey.
Church, are we willing to make the time and effort – to give of our finances, time and effort – to build the house of God?
Do you desire to please and honor God?
Are you willing to manifest God’s spiritual and eternal destiny for you through your financial giving and your ministry participation in the physical building of His altar in the world?
Are you willing to revitalise the altar of God so that we – as a church may be spiritually revitalised and filled with even more of God’s Presence, and the Power of the Holy Spirit, to fulfill our destiny of being Christ’s witnesses and glorifying our Father in Heaven?
Every time the nation of Israel rebuilt the temple of God, God’s Presence, Power and Glory rested on them. Every time, they neglected the Lord and left His temple in neglect and ruins, their own lives were neglected and ruined.
Do we desire God’s Presence, God’s Power and God’s Glory to rest on us?
I do desire that! And I pray that you do too!
I could tell of countless stories of when churches allow themselves to come into God’s Presence, His Power and Glory by building an altar to the Lord; stories of impossible lives transformed into the likeness of Christ; stories of impossible illnesses healed in the Name of Jesus Christ; stories of divine interventions and manifestations of the Holy Spirit that led multitudes to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ – in the exact pattern of the Acts of the Apostles!
That’s right!
The miracles and salvations that happened to the early Church 2000 years ago because they honored God by building up His house can happen to us, because we serve the same Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whose Name is above every name – that at His Name, demons will flee, and every tongue will confess – in the heavens, on the earth and under the earth – and every knee will bow and acknowledge that He is Lord and God!
To this, we must understand what it means to corporately manifest our passion for Christ – and understand, what it means to build our corporate altar to the Lord together.
To this, let us turn our bibles to Genesis 12:6-8:
“6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites (the disbelieving and the defiant) were in the land.
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.”
From this all-familiar passage, we understand that:
- Abram clearly knew that he was called by the Lord to the land of Canaan (where people disbelieved, or were vehemently defiant towards God).
- Abram wanted to obey God, and desired to be blessed by Him.
- Abram knew that as a “foreigner and exile” (Ref: 1 Peter 2:11), he would utterly need God’s Presence and Power to fulfill his calling to be ‘set apart’ and made holy.
- Abram acknowledged his need – and the land’s need – for God, and thus manifested this twofold need by building “an altar to the Lord”. His example was preceded by Noah, and followed by countless others, right till the time when Peter mistakenly tried to build altars for Jesus, Moses and Elijah; only to realise later that only Christ was worthy of the altar. (Ref: Matthew 17:4-6)
- We are called by the Lord to a disbelieving and increasingly defiant world; a world which James 4:4 tells us is at “enmity against God” – for “anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
- We want to obey God, and desire to be blessed by Him.
- We know that as “foreigners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11), we would utterly need God’s Presence and Power to fulfill our calling – to be set apart, and be made holy to fulfill the great Commission of “making disciples of all nations” (Ref: Matthew 28:18-20)
- We must corporately acknowledge our need – and the utter need of our land - for God, and thus manifest this twofold need by building “an altar to the Lord”.
For us at present, we need to follow in their example of divine faith and obedience, and commit to growing this legacy – to continue building on this altar - so that future generations of believers may continue to grow deep in Christ, and be His witnesses by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Personal altars are built to represent our deepest desire to build a relationship with God, established upon our utter need for God - His Salvation through Christ, and His Power by the Holy Spirit – in our lives.
When we – as a church – built an altar to the Lord, we are corporately:
(1) Testifying to our relationship with God to the world, and declaring our utter need for His Salvation through Christ and for His Power by the Holy Spirit;
(2) Recognising that this land – as do we - utterly needs the Lord.
Are we prepared to renew our commitment to God through the rebuilding of our corporate altar at 2215 Dowler Place? Are we ready to be spiritually revitalized?
Or do we have a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order that we have consciously or unconsciously set in place? In Jesus’ Name, reject that order!
Never be found hopeless or helpless at the state of the world, or at the intensity of persecution!
The forces of darkness have nothing on us – for we have Christ in us!
Remain steadfast – for God is for us; and always be at the ready to be filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit to be revitalised, revived, and to overcome the enemy!
Listen church, we have all the foundations and the infrastructure in place – all it takes from us right now is our desire to be part of something right out of heaven!
Do you desire to be part of something ‘unshakable’?
The Bible tells us that:
The earth will be shaken (Isaiah 2:19-21);
The nation of Israel will be shaken (Ezekiel 38:19-20);
The heavens and the nations of the earth will be shaken (Haggai 2:6-7);
In fact, everything will be shaken (Hebrews 12:26-29)!
Only the Church of Jesus Christ is unshakable!
Our Lord Jesus declares this reality in Matthew 16:18:
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
At a time when the Church was not even established, Christ pits His Church against the gates of hades.
Wow.
But why?
The might of any army is only as strong as its gates.
History has proven this point time and time again.
Regardless of how powerful you think your offense is, if the defence of your own stronghold is lacking, you will a baseless, wandering army; and you will ultimately be defeated.
Regardless of how formidable you think your defences are, if your gates are lacking, your walls may stand, but your city will be conquered.
The might of any army is only as strong as its gates.
If the gates – the very might - of the forces of darkness will not overcome us, we are indeed - unshakable, unconquerable, indomitable.
In the fragility of your circumstances, and in the vulnerability of your life, don’t you desire to be part of something unshakable, invincible, and ultimately victorious?
Are you willing to receive Christ’s blessing of being indomitable? Of being unshakable?
If you are, well then… …
Let us build the house of God! Together, let us build His Altar!
Do you desire to be part of something indestructible, something eternal? Something that you can literally hold onto when God’s Eternal Kingdom finally explodes into present reality?
Know that everything in this world passes away, including itself. However, the effects and ramifications of our corporate altar will very much remain part of God’s eternal kingdom.
Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us this blueprint for the corporate altar for His Church:
“11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.” (Luke 9:11-13)
In clear view of His eternal Kingdom, Christ commands us today to manifest:
- His Ministry of Hospitality - to build the altar that invites the world to enter His Salvation;
- His Ministry of Holiness - to build the altar that consecrates and sanctifies all who comes; and
- His Ministry of Healing - to build the altar where His healing and restoration takes place, all, for the sake of the glory of God.
Are you willing to live in Christ’s blueprint for His Church; and in so doing, be part of something indestructible? Something eternal?
If you are, well then… …
Let us build the house of God! Together, let us build His Altar!
The biblical narrative and pattern of corporately building an altar unto God.
From the biblical narrative and pattern (from Abraham to Peter) of manifesting our passion for Christ through building our corporate altar unto the Lord, here is what we must take away:
If you build God’s House, God will build your house;
If you take care of God’s House, God will take care of your house;
If you take it upon yourself to build up God’s Family, and be part of God’s work; God will take it upon Himself to build up your family and bless your work.
Plain, and simple.
For every aspect, and at every step, of our lives – we need to recognize the source of all life.
If we desire to step into a new season of work alongside the Holy Spirit, it means that we need to bring our hearts, minds and lives together to manifest God’s Will on earth; which is, to build an altar unto God - in the fullest recognition of our need - and this land’s need – for Jesus Christ our Lord, our Saviour, our King and our God; in consecrating that sacred space to praise, obey, worship, encounter, and rest in, God.
The power to step into a new season of anointing and power comes from our willingness to return to Him, to build His altar as a church, and to invite the world to believe in Christ Jesus, the Lord and Saviour of the world.
Our Church building is our corporate altar that we have built; and must continue to build unto the Lord.
The Holy Spirit is working in our midst, and preparing us to fulfill Christ's Kingdom Mandate.
Ours is a glorious, and holy heritage; for we blessedly stand on the shoulders of saints who came before us - saints who were willing to give financially, serve and love selflessly, to build the church of Jesus Christ, to build this altar, this very sanctuary in which we have the profound and divine privilege to freely worship in, and freely minister from – unencumbered by, and completely victorious over, the darkness of the world .
Let us walk in the steps of the saints who came before us - and, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, let us be more - that we, too, may be blessedly stood upon by the saints who will come after us.
The season of Revitalisation and thus, THE SEASON OF REVIVAL is upon us!
Believe with us – that at the altar where we worship and serve our God – the altar that bears the address: 2215 Dowler Place - souls will be saved; lives will be transformed; hearts will be mended; the blind will see, the lame will walk – signs and wonders done through us by the Power of God, in the very examples of the Apostles (Ref: Acts 15:12)
If only we would arise; put our hands on the plough and be found "fit for service in the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).
Together, in the Name of Jesus - let us be part of something unshakable and indestructible; and to the glory of the Father, let us be part of something victorious and eternal!
Together let us build our corporate altar unto the Lord; let us be revitalised as we fulfill the physical renovation of our building and the spiritual renovation of our church, and let us be re-empowered by the Holy Spirit, that the world would clearly see the increasing glory and eternal salvation of God revealed through us!
Are you ready to build our corporate altar unto the Lord?
Are you ready to join God in building His church?
Church, let us be ready! Let us build the House of God!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Holy Spirit, we thank You for Your Word that:
2021 will be a year of passionate revitalisation for the Church both spiritually and physically.
Indeed, bestow upon us a fresh anointing and a fresh power from You O God, to radically bring Your Glory, and inbreak Your Kingdom upon this land.
Holy Spirit, grant us courage, faith, wisdom and resolve to rebuild our corporate altar before You, and re-commit – as a church family - to a greater and more glorious season of making disciples of all nations by Your Holy Power!
We acknowledge that our church is set apart for Your Kingdom Work alone!
From our season of separation, call us back to a season of revitalisation; that we may each have in our hearts a greater desire and a deeper impetus to be filled with Your Holy Presence, Purpose and Power to fulfill Your calling to the global ministry of making disciples of all nations.
As we prepare to build the pulpit to preach Your Gospel, help us first build the altar where we would first come to receive Your Salvation.
Lord Jesus, we declare that we live solely and utterly for You.
We are Your church – a people wholly belonging to You.
Lord we are willing to give of our time, our efforts and our finances in faith, and in the fullest acknowledgement that the mountains and the timber belong to You (Ref: Haggai 1:7-8); and as such, all that we have belongs to You.
O God, may we always be found faithful, obedient and willing in our calling to build Your House.
We trust and obey You, Lord Jesus – for You have already supplied all that we need to build an altar unto You; the sacred task in which we undertake to please and honor You, our God!
Holy Spirit, we ask that You would manifest Your spiritual and eternal destiny for our church through each of our financial giving and ministry participation in the physical building of Your altar.
As we revitalise Your altar, O God, may we – as a church – be spiritually revitalised and filled with even more of Your Presence, and Power of the Holy Spirit, to fulfill our destiny of being Christ’s witnesses to the Nations!
May Your Glory rest upon our church!
Lord Jesus, You have called us to a world that is increasingly defiant and hostile towards You – yet, we will trust and follow You; for we desire deeply to be blessed by You.
As “foreigners and exiles” in this world (1 Peter 2:11), we recognise our need for Your Presence and Power to fulfill Your Calling upon us to “make disciples of all nations” (Ref: Matthew 28:18-20).
Today, in one heart, one mind, and one voice, we corporately acknowledge our need for Your Salvation – and also the utter need of this land – for You, O God, and in this, deeply desire to manifest this twofold need by building an altar unto You.
Just as the generations that came before left us a legacy so holy and eternal; may we – likewise – be willing to stretch our faith and build upon this spiritual legacy through undertaking the physical and spiritual revitalisation of our church at 2215 Dowler Place.
As we follow in their example of divine faith and sacrifice, and commit to growing this legacy – to continue building on this altar - may future generations of believers continue to grow deep in Christ, and be His witnesses by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
We need You, Lord Jesus – and so does this land.
May our church building – as an altar built unto You – reflect the reality of Your Salvation and Coming Kingdom.
In our obedience unto You, may we – as a church – manifest:
- Your Ministry of Hospitality – through the altar that invites the world to enter Your Salvation and Rest;
- Your Ministry of Holiness – through the altar that consecrates and sanctifies all who believes in our Lord Jesus Christ; and
- Your Ministry of Healing – through the altar that heals and restores those who have surrendered their lives to Christ.
In one accord, and faith in Jesus Christ – we commit to the season of revival that is upon us; and resolve to allow our faiths to be stretched in the sacred task of building Your House, and in so doing, allow this spiritual legacy to last till Christ returns.
We believe and declare that at the altar bearing the address: 2215 Dowler Place - souls will be saved; lives will be transformed; hearts will be mended; the blind will see, the lame will walk –that signs and wonders will be done through us by the Power of God, in the very examples of the Apostles (Ref: Acts 15:12)
Today, we arise, and put our hands alongside our Lord’s on the plough.
May we always be found "fit for service in the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62); building His House, and being part of something unshakable, indestructible, and eternally victorious.
Into Your Hands, we commit to the physical renovation of our building – our altar unto You; and commit the spiritual renovation of our church family – that we may be empowered by the Holy Spirit for the sake of the Gospel, revealing the increasing glory and eternal salvation of God through us!
Lord Jesus, we are ready to build our corporate altar unto You!
We are ready to join You in building Your Church!
We thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.