Revival in the Family – Part 3 | Sun 02 Oct | 2022 Year of Abundant Harvest

We thank you all for joining us today in the name of Jesus. As we enter a new month, we believe God is going to work in our lives.

Today we will be continuing to study from our ongoing series, “Revival in the Family“.  We will continue the Part 2 of “Establishing the altar at home!“

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.

Abram found the country peopled by Canaanites, who were bad neighbours. He journeyed, going on still. Sometimes it is the lot of good men to be unsettled, and often to remove into various states. Believers must look on themselves as strangers and sojourners in this world. But observe how much comfort Abram had in God. When he could have little satisfaction in converse with the Canaanites whom he found there, he had abundance of pleasure in communion with that God, who brought him thither, and did not leave him. Communion with God is kept up by the word and by prayer. God reveals himself and his favours to his people by degrees; before, he had promised to show Abram this land, now, to give it to him: as grace is growing, so is comfort. It should seem, Abram understood it also as a grant of a better land, of which this was a type; for he looked for a heavenly country. As soon as Abram was got to Canaan, though he was but a stranger and sojourner there, yet he set up, and kept up, the worship of God in his family. He not only minded the ceremonial part of religion, the offering of sacrifice; but he made conscience of seeking his God, and calling on his name; that spiritual sacrifice with which God is well pleased. He preached concerning the name of the Lord; he taught his family and neighbours the knowledge of the true God, and his holy religion. The way of family worship is a good old way, no new thing, but the ancient usage of the saints. Abram was rich, and had a numerous family, was now unsettled, and in the midst of enemies; yet, wherever he pitched his tent, he built an altar: wherever we go, let us not fail to take our religion along with us.

Altar in Hebrew literally means “A place of surrendering!” Back in the day, they used to bring their sacrifices to the alter expecting that God is going to do something about them.

Let us now talk about family alter. Noah built an ark; Abraham built an altar. But know this, today, the families under attack. However, God wants families to be blessed.

Illustration: DL Moody once said, “I’d rather be able to pray than to be a great preacher; Jesus Christ never taught his disciples how to preach, but only how to pray.”

A family altar means experiencing God together. A family altar works like a firewall against enemy attacks, just like how in a computer, people use firewall to keep virus attacks away. We need a firewall against every scheme of enemy and the greatest firewall is a family altar.

How can we set a family altar?

It is simple, set a time that is convenient for you to focus on God together. Someone said that prayer is a life breath and a heartbeat of a truly Christian home.

If prayer is missing in your home, there is no heart beat and it is a dead home. Christ needs to be in the centre of our life. When you build an altar of God in your home, you will see the anointed. This is the most difficult thing to do, but when you do, you will see a significant change. A family which prays together, stays together. It is a time when you sit in the presence of God while kneeling down.

So, choose time, when your family sits together, spend time with God. There has to be a revival, a fire – an altar in the family. Establish today and come together, getting intimate with God.

Illustration: We spend time teaching rhymes to our children. Rhymes such as “Ba Ba Black Sheep….“, however now a days it is considered as a discriminatory rhyme, and eventually, even the rhymes have changed. However, the word of God never changes. Start teaching Bible stories to your children and it will stay with them forever.

Let me tell you about what exactly is praying in family means. It can be described in four simple letters, A-C-T-S. But what does it means?

A – Adoration: Do adoration when you pray. How adorable God is. It prepares your heart and you come closer to God and love Him even more. Children also understand that what’s so special is about Jesus. Once they grow, they respect God, that our God is the conqueror, our protector, mighty councillor, prince of peace, Lord of Lords, king of kings, our shield and our strength. Our children will know when they are in trouble where to go.

Now a days people talk about vibes. You build an altar at your home and whoever will visit you, will have it, the vibes of closeness of all adorable God.

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”

Illustration: Assyrians used to worship the god of war. Assyrians were considered cruel because if the gods they worshipped.

Canaanites worshipped the god of fertility and their life was focused on fertility and prosperity.  If you make money your God and science your God, you will be recognized by that. It is because we are recognized by the God we worship.

“O come, let us adore Him” – what a beautiful set of words of worship.

C – Confessions: Confessing is admitting to God. It is not a shallow reciting of our sinful doings, but it is a deep pouring of our wrong doings.

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Confess all your sins, because when we confess, there is forgiveness. It is a process to recognize God and seeking God’s forgiveness.

2000 years ago, Christ shed His blood and died for our sins. He gave His life completely for you and me, which is why we believe that our sins are forgiven and there is no need for any sacrifices. However, there has to be recognition of God affirming what He has done.

The Bible says, when we confess our sins in front of God, He forgives.

Illustration: After the sermon at a Church, pastor asked people to come forward who wanted to confess his/her sins, so Pastor can pray. A man used to come every Sunday and finally admitted to Pastor that he has a spider in his home and he has been asking to kill the spider instead of removing the cobweb. We must understand what we pray and what we confess.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

T – Thanksgiving: Being thankful to God for all He has done in your life and in your family.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

Illustration: A man going to a doctor due to sleeplessness. He said that he couldn’t sleep because of the worldly worries and the doctor put him up on medications. After several courses, the man admitted that he is feeling better yet feeling guilty for his wrong-doings and still feels worried.

What should we thank God for? As per some psychologists, we thank because our brain rewrites as a new registration and we feel better.

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

When we thank God, God blesses us!

S – Supplication: When you present your request to the God on the altar, God supplies all your needs.

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Abraham offered his only son on the altar as a sacrifice. God however, supplied Abraham with a lamb sacrifice instead of sacrificing his own son.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

How many if you want to see miracles in your families? Let me tell you, when Christ is there and an altar is built in your home, everything will come back what you have lost.

Imagine what joy Abraham must have felt when God worked in his life, especially what God did during his son’s sacrifice.

All family members have their personal needs and they can talk to watch other while Christ is in the centre.

Miracles do not happen at psychiatrist’s office; miracles happen at the altar of God that you establish at your home.

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

People of God, have you established an altar at your home for your family yet? If your answer is no, then trust that this is a call from the one and only living God to you. Build an altar today and be intimated with Christ, our redeemer.