A Return To The Altar
1 Kings 18:30
I. Ahab the king of Israel meets Elijah with these words: Art thou he that troubeleth Israel? Trouble= stir up, disturb To agitate;
2. To afflict with pain or discomfort.
3. To cause mental agitation or distress The devil fears divine trouble makers! Most people are satisfied to live around the altar, but You have chosen to live on the altar= A living sacrifice (Rom 12:1), I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
II. Elijah called the nation back to the altar. The great need of this hour is for men and women who will rebuild the altar The altar is the meeting place with God, It’s where You climb Mt Moriah and give your Isaacs up to God, it is a place of sacrifice, (death to self) it is a place of consecration.
Elijah took 12 stones= the 12 tribes. Also the #12= divine order or divine Government- He was building a picture of Israel back under Gods divine government = Living according to His Word. He rebuilt the altar. He knew that if he could bring Israel back to the altar, and the altar back to Israel, that he would bring them back to God.
III. 2 Chron 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” The stones were whole stones, no tool lifted up on them, for that would pollute the altar before God. Exe 20:25, for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. (This means) #1 God doesn’t want fragments of our lives #2 No flesh shall glory in his presence, He will never give his glory and his honor to the prideful self efforts of man.
IV. I will dress the other bullock = I will present to God as He has required. Contrary to popular opinion, God will not accept any old offering or sacrifice. Ro.12:1 That ye present your bodies, a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God 1Pet 5:5 God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Ps 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
V. Elijah called for an investment of the people. If you don’t ever make an investment in anything you don’t care about it. (Pursuit is the proof of Desire) If you really want something you will spend time in the pursuit of it. You know the importance of a thing by the time you are willing to give to it. You declare the value of a thing in how you treat it. The 12 barrels of water in time of drought and famine was a tremendous sacrifice. If we really want to see a move of God in our lives, it is going to cost us something.
VI. There will never be fire from heaven without an investment of water Water: in the time of famine. 12 barrels of water, during a drought. It seems today that the church is in a spiritual drought, (the drought of dry eyes) We don’t see many tears on the altar anymore. It is still true, The fire will fall when the altar is wet. VII. We also have to recognize the type of water on the sacrifice as the word of God, Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Ps 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
VIII. Elijah had them dig a trench around the altar,. If we are going to see the power of God manifested, there has to be more work around the altar, If we don’t have any time to pray then we should not think it strange that we are powerless, and that there is no fire in our midst.
IX. Prayer is hard work. (hard on the flesh, hard on pride, hard on the carnal mind). Notice how the scripture says: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of ( seed). = The word of God. This shows us how vitally connected the preaching of the word is with prayer, If we would see preaching that results in changed lives we must saturate the word with prayer. Ac 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
X. Then as the water covered the altar and sacrifice, it filled the trench round about. (This is speaking of a deep work of the Spirit, more than a touch) Soaking: saturation of the word of God. You can’t just hear the word preached You must let it soak into your life. Jesus the Word = Spit into the dirt and made mud, and put it on the blind man’s eyes, and he received sight.
XI. After all had been done. Elijah calls on God. And God Answers from heaven by fire. The fire consumes the sacrifice, the altar, the stones of the altar, licks up the water in the trench, and licks up the dust. The supernatural Fire of God always falls on the Divine Order of God. (Example: Acts 2:38—the order is; Repentance, Baptism in Jesus Name and you SHALL receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. [Also see the order of the upper room experience]) If we desire the divine supernatural fire of God in our lives we have to get back to the altar.