Nothing to say, yet
Transcription
The sermon discusses the significance of the altar in Christian faith as a symbol of connection between humanity and God. Altars serve as a place of worship, repentance, and spiritual communion. It is a reminder of our dependence on God and a space for devotion. The physical altar represents a sacred place to lay our burdens and fears at the feet of God, finding forgiveness, healing, and restoration. The sermon also explores Abraham's journey and the establishment of altars, highlighting the importance of being the first to create a path for others to follow. The construction of altars symbolizes devotion, trust, and unwavering belief in God. The sermon encourages believers to seek a deeper connection with God through the construction of their own altars. This morning's sermon title is quite simple. Look at your neighbor and tell him, I'm being altered by the altar. Say, I'm being altered by the altar. Throughout history the altar has served as a profound symbol of connection between humanity and God. Particularly within the Christian faith, altar is also derived from a Latin word which basically means altare, which means a high place. The altar stands at the central focal point of worship, prayer and spiritual communion. Its significance is deeply rooted in the Old Testament where altars played a pivotal role in connecting individuals with God and offering sacrifices in devotion and atonement. And when we see in the Old Testament altars hold a significant spiritual importance. They were constructed in places of offering where devout individuals will come and they'll offer sacrifices as an act of worship and repentance. So the altar is a place where worship takes place. An altar is a place where repentance takes place. An altar is a place where a shift takes place. And that is where tangible altars are a reminder of human dependence on God and therefore it needs reconciliation. I mentioned last week that our minds are so fickle that we tend to forget and that's why you and me need altars in our lives in order for us to remember. Somebody say remember. In the tabernacle at the Temple of Jerusalem the altar held a central position right in the middle of the community. And it was set upon these altars where animal sacrifices were made representing the dedication and surrender of oneself to God. Through these acts of devotion the altar facilitated a profound spiritual connection providing a conduit between the divine and the earthly realm. Today the significance of the altar endures in the Christian experience. It serves as a sacred place, a sacred space where believers gather to worship, offer prayers and seek solace in the presence of God. And I mentioned over the last couple of weeks you have a place for everything else in your house except God. Ha! There's a place for your table, there's a place for your spoons, there's a place for your clothes but there's no room or space just dedicated to the Lord. So the physical altars continues to symbolize the divine invitation to lay our burdens and fears and aspirations at His feet. It is a place where the human heart encounters the divine grace and mercy and finding forgiveness, healing and restoration. I had a German friend when I served when I was in Europe. His name was Sven. Sven would do this each and every single morning which I found extremely weird. You guys must just zoom it in so the guys can see. Sven would do this whenever he would come and spend time with the Lord. He'd take out a glass of water for him and then he'll take out another glass of water and put it at the opposite side of the table. Then Sven would come and sit and I thought this guy was mad. What is he doing? He'll sit and then in this room he'll simply just come and say, Welcome Holy Spirit. He'll take out a glass of water for himself and he'll take out a glass of water for Holy Spirit in one room. But the beautiful thing about this is the fact that he acknowledged the presence of the Holy Spirit in reverence and fear of who God is. And this is the way that me and you ought to approach the altar of God. It is not just the space where we come in when we say, No, no, no. The God we serve is a God that is holy. The God we serve is a God that is mighty. The God we serve is a God that has no one beside Him, no one higher than Him. He is God all by Himself and He needs to be revered and treated as such. And when Sven came into the room and he sat this way and he looked and he said, Welcome Holy Spirit. He acknowledges the presence of another entity, another power, the person of Holy Spirit in the room right there and he'll start praying. People outside will think you are mad, but it's okay. You don't understand. I'm communing with Holy Spirit right now. Holy Spirit, I just enjoy Your presence. I adore You. I exalt You. And this is the beauty that we find in this. But what happens is, God meets a man at the altar. You and me, the Bible says that in Romans 12, that you and me are living sacrifices. God does not require a dead sacrifice, because a dead sacrifice remains dead. But the Bible comes and it declares that you and me are living sacrifices, because God is looking for an existing altar in which He can come and move. And when we understand that, we understand that God meets man at the altar. It's a symbol of devotion. How devoted are you to the Lord? It's a symbol of reminding the Christians of an intimate relationship with God. Have you realized how much more intimate your wife becomes if you take her out for a romantic dinner? All of a sudden, she feels the intimacy so much more. Why? Because you dedicated time, you dedicated space, you dedicated a setting, you dedicated a candle, you dedicated music, you dedicated your feeling, you dedicated your mind, you dedicated your heart to that one space and place so that you can be in devotion. That's what God desires. That's why we have our covenant of prayer. That's why we have altars at home. It's a place where we find our strength, our guidance and solace in His unfailing love. Because the love of God has never failed you. And just as altars in the Old Testament provided a pathway to encounter God, the Christian altar, both physical and metaphorical, continues to be a sacred portal, leading believers to experience the transformative power of His divine presence. And then we come into a man named Abraham this morning. Abraham, Abraham, Father Abraham, the father of faith. And if we look at Abraham, one of the interesting things I find about Abraham is the fact of his journey. I want you just to put up that map so that we can just see what Abraham's journey is about. So the Bible speaks of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Bible speaks of the God of Isaac. Now look at this. This just comes and shows you what Abraham's journey comes and does. The Bible shows you that Abraham comes and he starts in the place of Goshen. And Abraham is the one that we see on top of the red. So he starts in Goshen. He goes up Damascus, all the way up to Paraharam, into the Mesopotamia and in Babylon in the Chaldea. And we find all the spaces that Abraham went and he traveled. And as Abraham went and traveled, the Bible comes. I'm going to read from the Scripture now. Where God calls Abraham out of a space that he found himself in, into a new land. And what we find here is that Abraham traveled all across the land and the plain, and he went in the established altars. What we find out next is also that the son Isaac comes. Isaac just starts being in the area of Kadesh, in Beersheba, and there by Hebron and Bethel. And he is in that area specifically. But then we find that Isaac's son Jacob comes in and he starts following the exact same path that his father Abraham, his great father Abraham laid years before. And you know what's so powerful about this is because without them even knowing, they were following in the footsteps of the first generation, which was Abraham. And Abraham had to go and establish things for his predecessors. And sometimes we don't realize the power of you being first in a space or in a place in your life because you are establishing altars where those who come beside you, where those who come after you will be able to reap the fruits of what you've done. And this is a plain example of his journey right here. But when we see Abraham in the ancient tapestry of faith, the tapestry of faith, the story of Abraham with a profound narrative of devotion, trust, and unwavering belief. As we explore the construction of the four altars that Abraham went to go and set up that mark a significant milestone of his spiritual journey, we not only uncover the historical accounts but also we discover the valuable modern lesson that resonates with our own quest for a deeper connection with God. Let us embark on this journey as we glean into insights from each altar that guide us into the space. So Genesis 12 is where we start. The Bible says that Abraham is the OG of faith. He is the Godfather of faith. So when we go into Genesis 12, the Bible comes and it reads here as follows. It says, The Lord said to Abraham, Go from your country, your people, and your father's household to the land I will show you. So Abraham's entire family did not serve God. They were serving some other foreign gods. And God comes and He calls Abraham out as the only one out of His family. Genesis 12. Can you just go there for us? He says here, I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I don't think you guys understand something about the promises of God. God comes and He promises Abraham and He says here, I will make you a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I want you to look at your neighbor and I want you to repeat this word and say, The Lord is saying to you this morning, I will make you a great nation. Come on, look at them and tell them, The Lord says, I will bless you. Hey. The Lord says, I will make your name great. Hey. And say, And you will be a blessing. I don't think that neighbor heard. Look at the neighbor behind you and tell them and say, You will be a blessing. Hallelujah. I will bless those who bless you. Come on somebody. I don't know you guys understand the power of the promises of God. God comes and He releases it to Abraham and He says, I will bless those who bless you. Some of you don't understand that sometimes a blessing is released over your life because you blessed someone else. Ha. I don't think you understand. You must understand when you operate under the anointing and you come before a woman or a man of God and you release a blessing that there's a blessing awaiting you. Some of you are in the place because the Bible says in the very next verse, And I will curse those who curse you. Try and do this to the anointed. Some of you guys are cursing men and women of God in your hearts, in your mind, and you think you are fine and you're wondering why you're not actually working in the blessing. But I'm going to touch on that a bit later. The Bible comes and it says here, And all the people on earth will be blessed through you. If the blessing of the Lord only comes and enriches you, you failed. If the blessing of the Lord only comes and touches you, you failed. Because the Bible says here, I will bless all the people of the earth through you. The blessing is not a selfish thing. The blessing is not an independent thing. The blessing is not something you keep to yourself. The blessing you receive and you release. That's why some of you guys are struggling. You'll carry people in your heart and you wonder why. I'm telling you, do not touch the anointed of God. Because the Bible says, I will bless those who bless you. The ladies yesterday, I just want to say this. Those ladies, I know you guys in this church. We have fantastic people in this church. A couple of ladies yesterday took my mom out for lunch to the heights. And I was in tears when she shared the story with me. They went there and they just thanked her for being the Mary in this household. And they just said, we just bless you, woman of God. They blessed her, they took her out for lunch. And I'm looking at this and I'm saying, if people only understood the depth in what they went and done there. It warmed my heart so much, prophet. Because they're not understanding the generational blessing that they are releasing over their own lives. By understanding what you do to those whom you bless. So Abram went and as the Lord told him, Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when God sent him out from Haran. And he took his wife Sarah, Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired from Haran. They set out to the land of Canaan and they arrived there. Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Morah at Sechum. So keep this in mind, Sechum. So the Bible comes and says, at that time the Canaanites was in the land of Sechum. And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, to your offspring I will give this land. So he built an altar there to the Lord who appeared to him. And you must understand here, the Bible says the first altar Abram comes and he sets up is the altar at Sechum. Which basically means the fact that he embraces the promises of God. There are certain spaces and places that me and you have to infiltrate that belong to the enemy, that belong to the Philistines, that belong to the people that were not of God. And we need to come into places and spaces where they had inhabited the land. But God comes in and He says, son and daughter, I will come and give you more territory. I will come and give you new territory. But in order for you to understand what I am about to do, you have to establish an altar to embrace my promises. Many of the guys don't know, this place used to be a nightclub. It was a springboard club. Why do you think this thing is here? I want to remove it. The DJ used to be on top there. Years ago, 2011, when I was still trying to figure out this whole thing with Jesus, I was in this nightclub and I was in a music video. It's crazy how the Lord has a full turnaround. But I am trying to tell you guys, this place used to be known as the first diamond tender house. And if you guys understand, the game of diamonds is dirty. This place was a space that was dedicated to the enemy. And just like the Bible says, when we came here, the Canaanites were inhabiting this land. But God came and as He gave Abraham the promise, He came and He told us, there is nowhere here where there is a church established. And this territory shall be a land where I will be worshipped, where I will be praised, where I will be exalted. And God comes in and we establish an altar in a place that once used to belong to those in the foreign land. You don't understand the power of this. Those who own the land are kings. That's why you need to buy, you must go buy a house. Because you must understand, when you infiltrate the space where the enemy once used to set up altars, he is upset. No wonder he is making you, you are struggling to get a house. You are struggling to get that property because the enemy understands when a new altar is established in a place where darkness once used to reside, and you come and you destroy all these ungodly altars, and you move into the space of a neighborhood, the trajectory changes. Everything just changes. The atmosphere changes. Hey, that is the altar that we carry. That is the power of the Holy Spirit. As we move forward, in the ancient land of Canaan there stood a city named Sechem. It was nestled in the Priskeith Valley, surrounded by towering mountains and lush green fields. In Genesis 12 verse 6, Abraham passed through the land at Sechem and the Oak of Moreh. At the time that Canaan and God's ideal bestowed this land, at the moment Abraham recognized the divine promise that God had bestowed upon him. A promise of a land and a great nation, filled with gratitude and faith. Abraham chose Sechem as the location to build the altar for the Lord. Why? This held a unique place in the people of Canaan. It was a central meeting point. It was a place of gathering and importance. By erecting the altar in Sechem, Abraham made a bold statement to the people, declaring his allegiance to God of heaven and of earth. What bold statement are you making in your workplace? To declare that the spaces you operate in, you declare your allegiance to the God of heaven and the God of earth. If people walk into your workplace, is there something that evokes something in their spirit that says you've signed an allegiance to the God of heaven and the God of earth? The altar of Abraham was not merely a physical structure of stones, but a symbolic representation of his commitment to the Lord. It signifies his devotion, his trust, his desire to worship and honor the one true God. Then we come to the next spot. The Bible comes and says, From there he went onwards to the hills east of Bethel, and he pitched a tent with Bethel on the west and I on the east. Then he built an altar to the Lord and he called on the name of the Lord. What's so powerful about this is, the altar that was erected at Bethel, which basically means Bethel, which means house of eternal, and I, which means vanity. Abraham comes into the space and into the place where, around this time, as he went back to Canaan, he brought and he had two big problems. Number one, he became richer, and number two, he brought Hagar, who later became his concubine with him. But the altar was associated with a test of his motives of his heart. Know what's so powerful about this, because at Bethel the Bible says it was called what? The house of eternal, and I on the other side was called vanity. God tells Abraham to come and establish an altar in the midst of a test. Sometimes we will not understand whether the Lord wants you to erect an altar between the good and the bad. Between the good and the bad. Sometimes between the best and the worst. You will not understand it. And I'm trying to explain this to you, so you can understand that there is a test that Abraham had to go through at that particular time. Because number one, he brings two problems with him. He becomes richer, number one, and on the other side he brings Hagar along, and there is a test in the place where the one side is Bethel and the other side is I. And sometimes God will establish you in a place, and sometimes that place is in your workplace, where you find the angels and the demons in the very same space. But God is bringing a test to you to say will light impact darkness, and shut out all of the darkness in that place where you find yourself. Because while you was in Bethel, and while you was in I, God says I will place you in the middle, and you will establish an altar, and it will be a test, and my son will you overcome it. Because you know what happens here, he then travels further to the altar of Hebron. In Genesis 13 verse 14 to 18, the gratitude in the time of transition. Because some of you guys must understand, you do not just establish an altar when you arrive at the destination. You also have to establish an altar while you are on the process. You also have to establish an altar as you are in transition. You also have to establish an altar as you are on the place on progress. Along the way you've got to give yourself markers of how God has carried you. Because I'm trying to tell you here, the true test is not arriving at the destination. The true test is still staying faithful, is still worshiping, is still being able to lift up the name of the Lord, even though you have not arrived at the place where you know God has called you to. Oh, I am preaching this morning and I can say that to myself, hallelujah. Genesis 13, I can... I'm going to pump myself up here this morning. If you guys don't want to do it, I'm going to bring myself to the place here. Genesis 13 verse 14 to 18, The Lord said to Abraham after Lot had passed from him, Look around you where you are to the north, south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. Ever, ever, ever, ever, ever. Sorry, this is my mind. I will make your offering like the dust of the earth. So if anyone could count the dust and your offspring could be counted, go and walk the length and the breadth of the land for I am giving it to you. So Abraham went to live near the great trees of Mamre and Hebron where he pitched his tent and he built an altar to the Lord. Mamre means manliness and Hebron means society of friendship. Stable and firm is where God told him to go and establish this altar. And as he comes in, we then find the fourth altar, which is the altar at Mount Moriah. Jehovah Jireh, our Lord will provide. We then find Abraham coming and one of the stories we know Abraham by is the story with him and his son Isaac. When he comes in last night, we heard the powerful revelation that the first time worship is ever mentioned in the Bible is when Abraham comes and he looks at his wife and his wife asks, Where are you going? And he says, Me and my son are about to go and worship. Why? Because worship is not just a song that we sing. Worship, when it's first mentioned in the Bible, speaks of a sacrifice. The very first time, he said, I'm about to, he knew I'm about to go and sacrifice my son, but she did not understand that. She just heard him say, I'm about to go and worship the Lord God almighty. Even though Abraham understood this, he said, Worship is sacrifice. Look at your neighbor and tell them, Worship is sacrifice. Now we come to the next part. Going to jump from Isaac straight to Jacob. The Bible says here, with the story of Jacob in Genesis 32, we're going to read some scripture quickly. Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, This is the camp of God. So he named the place Mahanaion. Now what's so powerful about this is the fact that at this very same place where Jacob later on came, and the Bible says he's on his way, and he did not realize it, but the angels of the Lord come to him and remind him of the very same space and place which his grandfather Abraham walked on and set up an altar at that very same place. And you know what's powerful? The Bible says, As the angels met him, he understood that this is where my grandfather used to dwell in, and it's an altar. And Jacob immediately comes and he establishes and opens up this altar and he says, This place will be named Mahanaion. Jacob sent messages ahead of him to his brother Esau. Now you must understand, the whole story here is Jacob and his brother Esau were the ones who stole the other one's birthright at the moment that they were born. And the interesting thing here is Jacob is the one that actually went and stole the birthright, because Jacob's name means deceiver. And his brother Esau, when he went and he stole it, he tricked his brother into stealing his birthright. We find out years later that Jacob was actually scared for his life, even though he possessed the birthright. Jacob went on his way, sent messages to his brother, because why? He was trying to make peace with his brother. The Bible says he instructed them, This is what you are going to say to my brother, to my Lord Esau. Funny, Lord Esau, and he stole the birthright. His servant Jacob said, I've been staying with Laban and have remained here till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheeps and goats, males and female servants. Now I'm sending this message to my Lord, that I may find favor in your eye. When the messages returned to Jacob, they said, We went to your brother Esau and he's coming to meet with you. And 400 men are with him, in great fear, because he's realizing, he sends a message to first say, This is where I am, the people I'm with, this is what I possess. His brother Esau comes and they send a message back to say, I'm willing to come and meet with you, I'm bringing 400 men. Immediately this evokes a fear in Jacob, and the distress and the divided people who are with him. What he then done is, the people who are with him, he has one big group, he divides them into two groups. So he says, and the flocks have herds and camels as well. He thought about it, if Esau comes and he attacks one group, at least the other group will be safe. Are we together this morning? Then Jacob prayed, Oh God, my father of Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, who you said to me, Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper. I am unworthy of all kindness and faithfulness, you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed the Jordan, but now I have two camps. Save me, I pray from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that when he comes, he will attack me and also the mothers and their children. But you have said, I will surely make you prosper, and I will make your descendants like the land of the sea, which cannot be counted. He spent the night there, and from there he had selected a gift for his brother Esau, 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes and 20 rams, 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys. He put them in care of his servants, each herd by itself, and he said to his servants, Go ahead of me and keep the space between the herds. He instructed the one to lead. When my brother Esau meets you, ask him, Who do you belong to? And where are you going? And who owns all the animals in front of you? Then you say, They belong to my servant Jacob. They are gifts I sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us. He also instructed the second and the third, and the others who followed the herds. You are to say the same thing to my brother Esau when you meet him, and to say, Your servant Jacob is coming behind us. For he thought I will pacify him first of all with gifts that I am sending ahead, and later on when I see him, perhaps you will receive me. So when Jacob's gifts went ahead of him, he himself spent the night at the camp. How we come into Genesis 32? The Bible says as Jacob comes into the place, so what he does is he sends gifts ahead for his brother because he understood, I stole his birthright. But also in the same time while doing this, the very birthright that possessed the promise that God gave to his father Abraham, he now possesses. I will make your descendants as far as what, what, what, what as we just read. What we then find here is he comes into this particular camp, at this particular space. The Bible says he sends gifts ahead so that he can appease his brother, soften him up. And as he sends gifts ahead, he says, I will come after you receive those gifts. Are we together this morning? And as he sends this, the Bible says as Jacob is waiting at the camp for the first people to go forward and give the gifts, Jacob now comes and he finds himself in this camp where the Bible speaks of the one WWE Smack It Down wrestling match that comes and takes place in the Bible. You guys don't think, you'll think wrestling is something that came now. I'm telling you guys that then in the Bible it was... ... Sorry, my voice is going away. I'm not getting that tone right. But anyway, our time is now, man. You can't see me. And the wrestling match starts taking place between Jacob and God. The Bible, the text says that Jacob wrestles with God. That night Jacob got up with his two wives, his two female servants and eleven sons and crossed the fold of Jacob. After he sent them across the stream, he sent all of his possessions. So Jacob was left alone and the man wrestled with him until they break. I can't imagine what took place there. I can imagine what God done to him. ... Guys, the Bible speaks of it. It's my imagination. I can't imagine. Maybe there was a ring, maybe there was a rock. He maybe went and done a somersault and fell on him on the one side. And I'm trying to think how God defeated him. The Bible says that Jacob's hip was injured. I think God counted him out. He realized there's no way I'm going to be defeating. You know, because why? You know, back in the days we used to call... ... And the guy, I don't know how it played out. It's just my mind. He comes and he says, Who do you think you are? I am he. What? No. Come here. Now. Ah. And they are in the skies. God is dramatic, guys. I think music was playing somewhere. There was lights and all of the stuff. It was just crazy. WWE smacked it down from the start. And what happens here is the Bible says that Jacob comes in there. And they start wrestling. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip. So that Jacob's hip was wretched and he wrestled with the man. And then the man said, Let me go for it is daybreak. So what happens here is, Jacob first comes into the place where he fights with this man. The Bible says later on as Jacob gets injured, Jacob clings himself to the very thing he was fighting. Ha. I don't know if you are seeing the revelation in this right here. Is that sometimes you are fighting the very thing you need to be clinging to. You are fighting the very people you need to be clinging to. You are fighting the very spaces that you need to be hanging on to. You might be injured in the battle. But Jacob comes and he teaches us a lesson. And he says, Jacob replied to him and he says, I will not go unless you bless me. I will not go unless you bless me, Jacob answered. Then the man said, Because you have said that, your name will no longer be Jacob but Israel. Because you have struggled with God and with humans and you have overcame. I am here to tell you, when you are at the altar where God comes in, and your name and you have an alter ego by the name of Jacob, that is a deceiver. When you were a sinner, when you had a terrible past, the Bible says that God will bring your alter ego. And he will alter it at the altar. Somebody say Amen. He comes in there and he says, Your name will no longer be Jacob. Because it means deceiver. He says, Why? Please tell me what your name is. He replies, Why do you ask my name? He says, Then he blessed me. He says, So Jacob called the place Peniel saying, It is because I saw God face to face. Yet my life was spared. Because the presence of God, if God's glory had to drop on you right now, you would die. That is the weight of the glory of God. The sun rose above him and it passed Peniel. And he was glimping because of his hip. Therefore to this day Israel do not even eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip. Because the socket of the hip of Jacob was touched near the tendon. And when we come here and we see that after he sent them across the stream, with all of their possessions, Jacob was left alone and he wrestled. And I'm here to tell you, regardless who you are, regardless where you find yourself, when you encounter God at the altar, there is no way you can remain the same. Absolutely no way. God will bring you to the end of yourself. God will show up. And you must understand, Jacob had money. The Bible says he had a big camp he could separate into two. He had camels and goats and all of that. And he could separate it into two. Back in the day, wealth was what you possess. Wealth was the cattle and the goat and the wild stock that you had. And he was rich. And you know what's powerful about this? Is that even in the place where he had material possession, he still realized he lacked something. He still realized he wasn't fulfilled. And God shows up when everything we think we define ourselves by is removed and we are only left with Him. Sometimes the things we have hide the truth of who we are. Sometimes the things we have hide the truth of who we are. Some of you guys have placed your identity on your job. Some of you guys have placed your identity on your knowledge. Yeah. We've met people that they are unapproachable. Or they always just know. And the problem here is without that knowledge, who are you? Without that degree, who are you? Without that finances, who are you? We dress our wounds with stuff and we dress our natures with stuff. It is only when we are prepared to strip ourselves down before the Lord that we can truly wrestle with Him and crackle with who we are. Because Jacob said, Unless you bless me, I will not leave you. And some of you must be in that place where you say, Father God, regardless what I possess, regardless what I own, I will not leave you. I might be injured here. I might be full of dust here. The blood might spill. My nose might bleed. My teeth might fall out. But I will not leave you. Until you see me. I will not leave you. Hey. Because sometimes you are fighting what you actually need. Jacob becomes wealthy yet he still asks for a blessing from the Lord. And I submit to you that the fight when you are wrestling with is actually sometimes a thing you should be clinging to. Because why? A wrestling match is intimate. A wrestling match is intertwined. A wrestling match is deep intercessory, prayer of self-reflection. My wife will tell you when I'm lamenting in front of the Lord, Guys, this is not good for you. I'm not lying. I'm on the floor at home. And I'm like, Father, I'm not understanding but I'm in tears. I don't care how I look. I don't care how I sound. The floor is full of snot and tears and what? It's an ugly scene. It's an ugly scene. My wife must keep my daughters away from me. Because they are also, Mommy, why is daddy crying? Is daddy fine? Daddy, don't be so confused. That's the kind of questions I get. And I'm like, stop interrupting me with my time with the Lord, please. Just get away from here. Get behind me, Satan. Sorry, that's just the kind of things that come out of my mouth sometimes. But I'm telling you, I'm sitting in the presence of the Lord, guys, and I'm trying because why? When you wrestle with the Lord, it's dirty. It is sweaty. Have you seen when those guys wrestle, they are in the place where they are dirty. All of these things are happening. Why? A wrestling match is not nice. If you have not been in the presence of God, when you have cried your heart out, when you have cried your tears out, because sometimes you need to ask those questions. Why is this happening in my life? Father God, I'm not understanding. I see what's happening. You put me through the steps. It has broken me. But I will not leave you unless you bless me. I will hang on. I will cling to you. I will lament before you. It's ugly. It's ugly. The altar is ugly. The altar is messy. The altar is bloody. It's not a nice place. It's not a nice place. That's where things die. That's where you come to the end of yourself. He himself went ahead to his brother Esau. And he bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. Genesis 33 comes and it shows you. Jacob looked up and there was Esau. Coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah. Rachel and the two female servants. He put the female servants and the children in front of Leah. Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went ahead and bowed to the ground seven times in front of his brother Esau. But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him. He threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. And Jacob looked up and saw women and children. Who are these with you? Asked Esau. Jacob answered. They are the children that God has graciously given your servant. Then the servant and the children approached and bowed. Leah and the children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel. And they too bowed down. Esau asked. What is the meaning of all these flocks and herds that I have met? To find favor in your eyes my lord says Jacob. But Esau said. I already have plenty my brother. Keep what you have for yourself. No please said Jacob. If I have found favor in your eyes accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God. Now that you have received me favorably. Please accept the present that I have brought to you. For God has been gracious to me and all I need. And Jacob insisted Esau accepted it. And you know what is so powerful about this? He was going to send his wife and his family first. But after his encounter with the Lord. Hey! Jacob was about to send his wife and his family first to meet Esau. And they were going to be in the front line of danger. And he did not know how his brother might have reacted. Because his family could have died. The selfish nature inside of him. Was going to send his family as the attack line. As the front line. But after an encounter with the Lord God himself. He comes out stronger. He comes out wiser. He comes out braver. He comes out full of wisdom. And he goes ahead of his children. Husbands and men of God. If you are the priest of your house. You need to go out ahead of your family. You need to be the example. You need to show them how to pray. You need to show them how to read the word of God. You need to go out ahead. And not allow the enemy to attack them first. Ha! Things are out of order. See so much husbands just sitting at home. While their wives have to go and be the lead. Spiritually. But God comes and he reveals here. That Jacob was about to send his family out before him. But after he wrestled with the Lord. Bowing seven times. Symbolized complete submission. And surrender. Jacob humbled himself before Esau. Acknowledging his brother's position and authority. It was an act of acknowledging. That there was no longer. That he was no longer the deceiver. But rather. A humble servant seeking reconciliation. Because when Jacob stole his brother's birthright. His name means deceiver. And now when he comes and he seeks reconciliation. It's an attribute of showing you that his life has been changed. He says I no longer want to fight you. I no longer want to steal from you. But I want to make right and I want to reconcile. And you know what's powerful about this? That he also restores the double portion of the birthright to his brother. Hallelujah! The double portion that he stole from his brother gets restored at that very moment. Because that's the power of reconciliation. It's the fact not only am I jealous of what you have. And I try to steal what you have. And I envy what you have. But when the birthright gets. When God comes in and you wrestle with God. With all of your selfishness and all of these things. And you come out of there. It's not just about you winning. It's about we winning. The Bible says both of them. The double portion was bestowed upon both of them. The problem here is some of us still approach the altar of God as if it's in the Old Testament. We expect the man of God. The pastor, the prophet, the apostle. To seek God on our behalf. So that we can get the revelation from God through him. We expect the man of God to seek the Lord. And he's the only one that can go like the high priest into the holies of holies. On our behalf. Hear from the Lord on our side. And then come out and release a word on the other side. When we don't understand. The Bible says in the Old Testament. That there was a veil that separated. That's why they could not enter. The Bible says that once a year they had to go and make a sacrifice with a spotless lamb. In order for their sins to be forgiven for that year's sin. But the Bible also says when my savior and my king Jesus Christ came. And he died on the cross. The Bible says that that veil that used to be right from the top to the bottom. Got torn because right now it's no longer just the high priest. That can get access to the holies of holies. And into the presence of the Lord. But now me and you have access to it. Because of the blood of Jesus. It is no longer just the pastor. That can go and yell what God is saying in the private room. Or in the altar. It is now you too that has access to it. And that's why he says I will enter his church with thanksgiving in my heart. I will enter his torch with praise. All of us can do it. Some of you guys still treat the altar that way. Nick with my father. Let's wait what the man of God is going to say first. No, no, no, no, no. You two are the man of God. You two are the woman of God. The problem is your altar is selective. You are lazy to seek the Lord for yourself when you want to wait on other people. No wonder you find yourself in circles and in cycles that the enemy leaves you in. Because you are not setting up altars and spaces and places where you can seek the Lord for yourself. The altar is a place where you will come and you will wrestle with your flesh and your spirit. Minister Mark you will wrestle with your flesh and with your spirit. Any ounce of selfishness that you thought you had. I am here to tell you if you come into the altar of God. You are going to try to come and say my Lord Jesus has made me sick. Father they have done this. Father they have said this. Father they have done that. Father they have said this. Father they have gossiped about me. When you come in there with your flesh and you understand what the altar is. You are going to end up being wrestling with God trying to find a reason why you should not forgive. Trying to find a reason why you should not reconcile. Trying to find a reason why you should not go to that people and make right with them. And walk your life with peace. You are going to try and find every single reason. And the thing God will throw in your face is to say you have insulted me. You have sinned against me. You have cursed me. And yet I still bless you. And yet I still die for you. So the ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate standard of forgiveness is not you. It's me. It's me. Jacob wrestled with God and came out a different way. Because when you wrestle with God your name changes. Your ways change. Your characters change in the secret place. It is not here on the Sunday. It's not in the place where people are at. It's in the place where your tears are just flowing. Where you are heartbroken and you come to the end of yourself. In the private place. In the secret place. You need that secret place. You need that private place. You need that space in your life where you can just be real with the Lord. Because you know what? Matthew 5 verse 23 to 24. Matthew 5 verse 23 to 24. So if you are offering your gift at the altar. And there remember that your brother has something against you. This is about to set some of you free this morning. If you are offering a gift at the altar. And there you remember that your brother has something against you. It's not you have something against your brother. It's you know that people have something against you. And some of you are also in the place where you have something against them. The Bible says they leave your gift there. Before the altar. And go and first. Now the problem with some of us here is the fact that we think that the gift is monetary. Where the Bible comes and says that you must present your body as a living sacrifice. Your body you yourself is a gift before the Lord. And you must understand it's not just monetary or what. But some of you the reason why the blessing of the Lord is not released over your life. Is because you are walking around with offense. You are walking around with issues. You are walking around with grudges. You are walking around with envy. You are walking around with deceit. You are walking around with jealousy. And that's the reason every single time you think you are coming to the altar. And you leave the same. You cannot be the same. When you wrestle with the Lord. You've come complaining. You've not come surrendered. You've not come bringing it and leaving it there. But that's the reason why God is not blessing you. That's the reason why your blessing. I had a friend of mine. He had a huge outfall with his sister for many years. And they weren't talking for many years. His sister did not even know his kids and all of that. And you know what one day he came to me and he said. My brother please pray with me. I'm about to go and make right with my sister. And you are struggling with work for so many years. And now by the moment he came to me and he said this. And we prayed and I released the blessing over his life. He went and he reconciled the very next day. He got a job offer. And he stole that company more than 5 years later. Why? Because there is something you don't understand. You can't come to the altar of God and you are carrying deceit and jealousy in your heart. It's not the same. You can try and make your worship look how nice. You can go and put status on Facebook or wherever. And try and sound how holy. If your heart is not right. You will not be able to be released from the blessing of God. The altar will alter you. The altar will alter you. I will tell you. I tell hi. Me hi, I release. Hi, hi, hi. I don't have time for grudges. Don't have time for all of these things. People that have issues. I call you now. I'll send message. I don't have time for this. Don't have time for drama. Why? Because my sacrifice is going to be filtered with all of these ungodly things. My sacrifice is not going to be pure before the Lord. And that's why God will reject it. Some of us think God rejects the sacrifice. If it comes with an un... Because the Bible says you must be cheerful. Cheerful givers. And the problem with some of us is we are carrying so much baggage within our lives. And we expect to come before the Lord and walk out the same. It's heavy. It's heavy. And if you've come before the altar and you leave the same, you've complained. You never came sincerely. Hey. You can cry but still remain unaltered. Why? God will alter your alter ego at the altar. I think I must be a rapper. Because now the moment, the only time I rap is Christmas. When I rap the gifts and stuff. But I'm saying God will alter your alter ego at the altar. Because why? There is things within us that needs to be changed towards the glory of God. There is places in our lives that needs to be changed towards the glory of God. And the altar will evoke a response of godliness. That is the true sign of revival. True sign of revival is not you crying in His presence. True sign of revival is not you come and screaming in the Lord's presence. A true sign of revival is you going out and making right with people that you've offended or they have something against you. If you can't look at people and love them thoroughly, the way God has loved you, that's not revival. You can lie in front of His presence but God sees right through that. A true sign of revival is not being in the place where you can come and worship with your heart out and all of the things. You can preach and speak about these things. There's so many people out there that are preaching and doing things for God but their hearts are not at the right place. That's why the release in their life can never come. That's why the relationship will always feel like it's a burden with the Lord. That's why worshiping the Lord will feel like work. Because you are trying to carry these things on your shoulders and you are trying to work out your salvation without the help of Holy Spirit. And I'm here to tell you the true sign of revival is what happens after the altar. Can you forgive? Can you love unadulterated? Because the sad thing here is some of you guys are desiring something you can't give yourself. You want respect but you can't show respect. You want honor but you can't display honor. You want to be acknowledged but you can't give acknowledgement. And God is saying right now unless you come to the place where the altar will alter you. Where it's not what you are expecting but what God will do through you. Why? Because even though you hurt me. You know what it says? And you know your brother has something against you. It's not about them coming to you and asking for forgiveness because many of us here are walking with pride. No. Why must I go there? Why must I go and show them respect? Why must I acknowledge them? Why must I go and do this? Why must I go and make right? That's pride. That's filthy. That's from the pit of hell. You can't come from the altar and react that way. Guys, it's so difficult sometimes when my wife upsets me so much. And I want to be angry. And she's saying, oh shit. And I want to be angry with her like really. My flesh, everything in me wants to react. But when I spend time with these people. I just come back to her. I say, my love. My life doesn't belong to me. Because any ounce of pride that the enemy comes and he picks up. And he tries to elevate. God will crush it. He'll make us walk in humility. He'll make us walk in a place where even though they took what was mine. As Jacob took what was Esau's. Jacob went back to his brother. And they reconciled. There's some of you guys in your life right now. There's relationships here with Rechanbach. I know they hurt you. I know they've done things towards you that you don't like. But God is saying, if you can't continuously come to my altar and leave the same. Otherwise it was not sincere. The Bible says above all. Try to live at peace with everyone in the book of Romans. You and me. The altar burns our bad sides. It burns our ugly sides. You have unforgiveness, it will be burnt at the altar. You have offense, it will burn at the altar. You have envy, it will burn at the altar. You have jealousy, it will burn at the altar. And you know what it will do? It will make you go to the person and say, Michelle, you know what? I had something against you. For many years and I kept it against you. I'm sorry. And you know what? For the first time in many years, you will walk in freedom. For some of you, your very next breakthrough is dependent on what you do to your very man next to you. They are also children of God. God also loves them. Jesus also died for them. Why do we treat each other as if we hate each other and we are family? Looking at each other dirty. Can't just smile and love. Release! Release! Release! Let it go! The altar is there to burn any ungodly thing. And it evokes a response of godliness. Because as much as God requires worship and that incense burns and the aroma goes up to God. Your life becomes that aroma. Some of you guys with your own family members. Deliberately. It's been years. And God says, Stop walking around with your pride. If the altar does not evoke a godly response, you need to spend some more time in my presence. And you must make sure you stay at these knees until your heart starts changing. Some of you guys aren't speaking to your mothers. To your fathers. And yes, maybe they didn't know better. But God is saying, Unless I can alter you at the altar, it wasn't right. It's a place of sacrifice. It's a place of brokenness. Up here, it's a place we don't look pretty. And sometimes maybe our ways are justified. But the moment you walk with those things in your heart, you will never be totally free. You can try and look or sound how spiritual, you will never be totally free. And as believers, let us stop pretending. That's my last and final word. Let us stop pretending. God wants you to live in freedom. God wants you to live in liberty. God wants you to experience all of Him. But unless you can come and you can leave it at His feet, the blessing cannot be released. You know what it says? Take your gift, leave it before the altar, go make right. Once you've made right, you then come back. And then you give your gift to the Lord. It's as simple as that. Where do you need to fix up? What do you need to change? As Abraham came and he set up the four altars, his son Isaac went and he dug open altars. Then his grandson Jacob went and he opened up the very same altars his grandfather opened. Why? It is at the altar where his name was changed, it was at the very same place that his father Abraham... I don't know if you guys are seeing this. Because of the altar that Abraham erected years ago, his grandson Jacob comes and he falls asleep and he camps at the very same place where he has an encounter with God. Sometimes you will not understand your sacrifices and the altars you establish in your life because the next generations will come at the very same space and they'll encounter God. And that is where their lives will be changed. Because of a woman like my mother, my grandmother, and I'm standing where I am today, but by the grace of God, because of the altars they've placed and put in place, I spoke about my great-grandfather in the week, sacrificed so much for his family, planted churches all over Johannesburg, went around and done all of those amazing things before the kingdom. You know what's amazing? He's never been able to do this. He's changed lives. But today, I am walking in the blessing because of the altars that they have dug. And the best gift they could have given me was Jesus. I'm a third-generational preacher. I'm a third-generational pastor. But it's because of the altars that were established. And because of that altar he made years ago, his predecessors were blessed. My whole entire family is serving the Lord. They even have services there. They call it the Trollope Clan Services. Once a month, they come together. It's crazy. Everyone sings. Everyone ministers. Everyone plays instruments. But it's because of the altar that my grandfather dug and he established. You never know how far your sacrifices go. You never know how far the altars and the seeds you plant today. Most Albani, they might not see it today. They might see it three generations because of the sacrifice that you have made, sir. But that's the beauty of it. Amen, my baby. Hallelujah. You are feeling the presence of the Lord. Don't forsake it. Do not forsake it. Do not forsake it. But with that, mark scorn your haste. Sweep in front of your own yard first before you come to the altar and want to present your gift. Because the God wants a gift that is unadulterated. A gift that is unfiltered. A gift that has no blemishes. God wants a spotless gift in front of Him. Hallelujah. Can we do that? Let us close our eyes as we just pray this morning. All in the mighty name of Jesus. As the word has just gone out, I pray, Father God, that every heart of stone will be turned into a heart of flesh. Spirits, speak to them right now. Any offense, envy, jealousy, grudge that they might be carrying, may they go and make right before they come before your presence. May we stop with this pretense. May we stop with the ugliness and the meanness of Christianity. These things are not benefiting your kingdom in any way. The kingdom is already at war with itself many a times. May we not walk in that, Father God. May we be the difference. May we be a people that lets go of all of these things and selfishly, selflessly love one another. Let's just love each other for the family that you've called us to be. For the people that you've called us to be. Because none of this is benefiting. This is not your heart, Father God. If what we experience at the altar does not evoke a godly response. I pray that you set us free tonight. Make us whole. Make us new. Refresh us after this word. Because at this altar, our outer ego will be altered. In Jesus mighty name. Amen and Amen. We can give the Lord some praise.
