Thinking Out Loud About Faith

Do you want a guarantee of safety and normality or a possibility of a disruption that will lead to change?

• If you want the former, that means you aren't exercising faith. 
• The latter requires risk.  That risk is called faith.  It is more exciting than status quo!  
• People don't mind watching your faith in action, so long as they don't have to put their own on the line.  This dynamic affects most church services, especially the altar times.

Altar, Tent, Well (Gen. 26:25)

Read Genesis 26:25.

• Notice the elements.  There is worship (altar), security (tent) and joy (well).
• Notice the order.  Worship comes first.  The altar comes first.  The Holy Spirit comes first.  The well (blessing, overflow) comes last.  The well won't spring up if the knees don't bend down.
• Notice the effort.  None of the three things came to pass on their own.  The altar had to be built, the tent had to be pitched, and the well had to be dug.  Let us not expect God to do for us what He has scripted us to do for ourselves.
• Notice the application.  There are three relationships in which a man needs to be effective, if he is to live successfully.

1. He needs to be effective in his relationship with God.  Build the altar and bow the knee.
2. He needs to be effective in his relationships at home. Drive the stakes (convictions, core values, biblical truths) and pitch the tent.  
3. He needs to be effective in his relationships in the community.  Go to the well and draw from it. (The well was a gathering place, since everyone needed water.)

Challenges & Conversations (1/26/16)

The past two Sundays, we've enjoyed God's presence in an unusual way.  I say "unusual" not because the altar time was weird or unruly but because it is rare.  Regretfully, times such as these have been rare.  God has given us a "taste" of what every Sunday can be like!  I've gleaned some things I want to share with you.  These aren't new revelations, just "old" truths that need dusting off.

• You shouldn't rush the altar time.  God is not in a hurry.  While there might be an initial urgency to respond, there is no benefit in rushing things after that.  High-impact altar ministry is a slow-cook experience, not a high-heat gas grill charring.  Don't be afraid to "simmer" in His presence.
• The Holy Spirit moves whenever and wherever the name of Jesus is exalted.  If you want a more powerful altar experience, drop the "selfish songs."  Talk about Jesus. Sing about Jesus. Testify about Jesus  Shout the name of Jesus!  Celebrate the name of Jesus. 
• Don't be afraid of silence.  It doesn't mean God is done.  You might be uncomfortable, but this is an opportune time to reflect and anticipate.  During a time of silence, people begin to leave. You know what happens next?  Another "wave" of God's presence begins!  During any silence, God gets to talk to you.  It isn't fair to ask God to speak to you and then disengage during the time He is most likely to do that.
• Don't allow times of refreshing at the altar to replace the preaching of God's Word.  The last two Sundays, the altar time happened before the sermon.  That's okay, but I could feel a subtle "pressure" when I looked at the clock and it showed 11:40 A.M.  People had enjoyed a great time in God's presence, but they were aware the hour was getting late.  I preached as if it were only 11:15.  The Bible must always be elevated above experience.
• What "kills" an altar time isn't silence but non-participation.  When it is clear that people are sitting there doing nothing -- not praying, not meditating, not worshiping, not even waiting -- just the deer-in-the-headlights-what's-next look -- it is time to transition.  You do not want to keep pressing them and risk leaving a bad taste.

Messing With The Altar (2 Kin. 16:10-16)

Ahaz wanted divine guidance, but didn't hesitate to mess with the altar. God became someone to be consulted, not Someone to be revered. "God won't mind" - What a dangerous assumption! Man's altar is no substitute for God's.

Value the Altar

Abraham is known as "the friend of God" (Jam 2:23). God's friend built at least 5 altars in the brief space given him in Genesis. His son, Isaac, built one. Isaac's son, Jacob, built two (One was mandated by God). Jacob's son, Joseph, built no altars.

Each generation must discover and embrace for itself the value of the altar. It is not God's responsibility to build the altar. It's yours. If you build it, the Lord will come.