Repairing The Altar Of God

Introduction

In 1 Kings chapter 18 and in verse 30, the scripture simply says, where Elijah said unto all the people, come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. Particularly looked at that phrase. I want to talk this morning about repairing the altar that was broken down, the altar of God. Actually, this text, the setting, is during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, and there’s one of the darkest periods in the history of God’s people. It was at the time when the kingdom indeed had Ahab as the ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel, the ten northern tribes. The people of God had been divided, as you perhaps know by understanding the Old Testament history.

And Ahab, who really was king and one of the most wicked of the kings that reigned over that northern kingdom. In fact, if your Bible is open at chapter 18, turn back to the last few verses of chapter 16, and just a short synopsis tells us a little bit about that time and period. In 1 Kings 16 and verse 30, the scripture says that Ahab, the son of Amri, did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. It came to pass as if it had been a light theme for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebath, that he took the wife Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbel, king of the Zodonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.

And he reared up an altar for Baal and the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a grove, and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. He did more to provoke. What did he do? Well, first of all, he married the wife of a Gentile, the daughter of a Gentile king. His wife was one who worshipped idle gods. And indeed, Ahab then introduced and encouraged idolatry as worship among God’s people. The people had turned away from the Lord God of Israel. Now, really, in their own hearts, they probably hadn’t thought that they had become unbelievers, or that they had totally turned away from God, but they began to follow a religion that was false.

And it was a popular religion, at least among Israel. Such at that time that God indeed caused a drought to be upon Israel. There is a room in the back for children that are making noise. If you would please take your child back there, it would help. Thank you very much.

At that time, though, in Israel’s history, God caused it not to rain. For a period of three years, no dew nor rain to fall. Now, you know, we’ve had a drought around here. And we think our lakes are getting low, and we think, oh, how good it would be if we could just get some rain. But what if we’ve not had any dew nor rain for three whole years? You can imagine how it became in the land of Israel at that time around Samaria. But it was because of their sins. Now Elijah was a prophet of God. And Elijah had been hidden by God from Ahab, who with his wife Jezebel had really had the prophets of God slain, all that they could find throughout the land.

And now in charge, you may say, in the majority, are prophets of Baal, 450 in number. The story in 1 Kings chapter 18 is at a time when God, of course, instructed Elijah to go and indeed to put before Israel a test. And he called the first of all approached Ahab and challenged that now, if he would to bring to Mount Carmel the prophets of Baal, 450 in number.

And on the day that the people of Israel gathered in 1 Kings 18 and verse 21, Ahab set before them a challenge. If the Lord be God, serve him. But if Baal be God, then serve him. But the question, how long halt ye between two opinions? You can’t serve both the Lord God of Israel and Baal, an idol God. You have to choose one or the other. But it set before them a test. Perhaps there’d be a way of demonstrating to the people who really is Lord. Can an idol speak? Can Baal indeed respond in prayer or to the request of these prophets? If Baal can, then worship Baal. But if he can’t, then refuse him. On the other hand, if the Lord God of Israel responds, then worship him.

But if he doesn’t, refuse him. Make a choice. Who is your God? I’m going to read now again as I ask you to start with 1 Kings 18 and verse 30. And we read through verses 30 through 40. And actually the point of this reading, what has happened is that the prophets of Baal have come forth as instructed by Elijah. They have built an altar. They’ve laid on that altar a bullock for sacrifice. And then they have called down from their way of asking of Baal to call down fire, to start that fire under the altar for the sacrifice. In fact, back in verse 26 through 28, uh, they called from early morning till noon, asking for Baal to respond with fire. And in fact, Elijah often tried to picture what he must have been having a little bit of fun as he began to say, you know, why isn’t Ba answering?

Maybe he’s asleep. He’ll howl a little louder, maybe he’ll answer. Or maybe he’s gone on a journey, and he’s just not there right now. And they began to yell even louder, it says. They even took the knives and began to cut themselves and blood coming forth, trying to get the attention of Baal, who really is no God. But of course, when they fell, and there was no answer. There was no response at all from this idle God. Verse 30 says, Elijah said then unto all the people, come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name.

And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order and cut the bullock in pieces and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and poured on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran down, ran around about the altar, and he filled the trench also with water. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice that Elijah the prophet came near and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, The Lord, he is the God. The Lord, he is the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal, let not one of them escape. And they took them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slew them there. What a story. At a time when there was such evil in the land of Israel among God’s people, that the Lord’s name is herein magnified.

And the people saw it. Baal could not answer. But the Lord God caused fire to come down, not only to start the wood that had been set there, but even to overcome the water that had been poured twelve barrels altogether. Indeed, the Lord He is God. You think that at this point in time, all the people now would surely turn to the Lord, there would not be the idolatry, the apostasy in the land any longer. If you know the story, that isn’t the finish, really. Because as you go into the next chapter, when Ahab’s wicked wife, Jezebel, came and she heard what had happened. She made a threat that tomorrow, by this same time, Elijah’s life will be like one of the prophets of Baal. And Elijah had to flee for his own life.

And indeed, where you might say it was a time where Elijah would be at the pinnacle of success of convincing all of Israel to turn back to the Lord, to put away idolatry. Instead, he he felt and prayed even, Lord, I’m the only one left. Just take my life too. You ever felt discouraged? I could understand why at a time this prophet of God would feel discouraged. To feel like, hey, why isn’t it true that everybody who sees the Lord, he’s God, why don’t they all turn and stand for him? You think that could happen in our generation of time? Oh, I realize we don’t have maybe idle worship like as illustrated here. And I’m not going to build an altar out here in wood and put a bull on it and try to light a fire to offer as a sacrifice.

That was under the law of Moses, you’d have that kind of animal sacrifices. And I know we don’t have a Bell God being worshipped in our country, at least not by that name. But do you not think that today there are people who can turn their hearts away from the Lord God of Israel and at the same time say we know he’s God. At the time, at the same time say, oh, we believe in him. But they really have more interest, it seems, in false worship than the true worship of God. I say to you, it can happen. And has happened. And is illustrated in the lives and attitudes of so many people today who’ve once known the Lord. You see, in verse 30, the reason I picked that particular text is because the scripture says he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.

That within itself says, the altar of God once stood. It once was there, but it had been broken down. It was a time where in Israel God had been properly worshipped. And now, though, it’s not being worshipped properly. And so what Elijah does at this scene is to say, let’s repair the altar. And he gathers the twelve stones to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. And he rebuilds the altar and he lays the wood on it and the sacrifice, and of course calls to God, and God is magnified as he sends fire to consume the sacrifice. That the altar had been broken down. I say, in the hearts of some individuals, the altar of God. That is, the worship of God is broken down. Some who’ve once known the Lord have turned aside from Him.

Though they would say, Oh, I still believe. But the altar of God needs to be repaired. Two weeks ago, I’d have to tell you, we had a very sad announcement in this congregation. At the close of our service two weeks ago, our elders had an announcement that there were several individuals’ names who were identified as people who once were faithful to the Lord, who had been baptized into Christ, who once stood with him and for him, but who’ve fallen away. They just quit worshiping. They’ve just quit serving the Lord. And we’ve had to identify that here’s some who are no longer in our fellowship. They’re not faithfully worshiping and working for the Lord. Why does that happen? Oh, I realize Jesus taught a parable of the sore, in which he did illustrate how there were different hearts and attitudes in receiving the gospel.

He said there are some in Luke chapter 8 who are like the soil by the wayside. When the word of God is preached, they don’t even receive it at all. There are many people who hear and just do not obey. The Satan comes and snatches away the word. There are others, though, who are like the rocky soil. And they receive the word with all gladness and joy, and they’re just so thrilled to hear the truth. But indeed, they don’t take root. They never grow in the Lord. And when the sun begins to beat down or temptations come, they fall away. And there are others who are like the Christians described as the thorny ground. Oh, they’ve come enough to take a little root. They know a little bit more and they’ve grown a little bit more.

And if you were to count numbers, well, they’ve been Christian for how many years? They could tell you, maybe. And yet they’ve allowed the cares, the riches, and the pleasures of this world to come up along with them and they’re just sort of choked out so that they bear no fruit of the Lord and they become unfaithful. Two different groups of people who’ve obeyed the gospel who’ve fallen away, the rocky soil and the thorny ground. There are those, perhaps even our audience this morning, who have allowed the altar of the Lord in your heart to be broken down. Some of you are here because, well, it’s probably more convenient today, but we may not see you next Sunday. We may not see you tonight. We may not, we don’t know when to see you.

1. Double-Mindedness About Serving the Lord

As the altar of God, does it need to be repaired in your heart? Why is it that there are some who are like that rocky ground and who are like that thorny ground, once on fire for the Lord, but they lack interest. They neglect sincere worship of God. And in the figurative way, the altar of God is broken down. What causes this? I want to suggest to you at least three different things that I believe lead to breaking down the altar of God in our hearts. Why some become cold and indifferent to the Lord? And I would say it begins perhaps with double-mindedness. That is, we become double-minded about serving the Lord. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mountain said in Matthew 6 and verse 24, you cannot serve two masters.

Either you hate the one and love the other, or else you cling to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon. He was in that context talking about being single-minded, making up your mind who it is that you’re really going to serve. I’d say separation from God usually starts right here. That people do not intend to desert the Lord. People who’ve once known the truth don’t intend to turn to another God. I believe the Israelites didn’t intend to turn away from the Lord of heaven. But they had turned to Baal. Why? Love for the world and what is popular with those about us. Does not mix with love for God. Love for the world and love for God mix no better than oil and water can mix.

We either have to make a decision one or the other. Who will we serve? And when you find someone who know the way of truth, but you begin to hear them raise such questions, well, do I have to come on Sunday night? Do I have to come to Bible class? Do I have to be here? And in sort of that attitude, do I have to? says something’s wrong right off. That says it’s a struggle for them to get here at all. If I have to be here. And so there’s this, why is it that way? Maybe like the statement we read a moment ago from verse 21 of 1 Kings 18. How long haunt ye between two opinions? You cannot serve both God and the world.

You know, tomorrow morning, Monday, I know most of you have a have a job. Many of you be getting up and ready to go to work. And I doubt you go and get up saying, Boy, oh boy, it’s Monday morning I can go to work. But neither will you say, you know. I’m wondering whether I ought to go to work today or go fishing. I think I’d rather go. Maybe I’d just stay home and watch TV. I don’t think. Do you even think that way? You don’t think that way. You know it’s the appointed time that you have a responsibility that you said, look, when I assume this work, my employer expects me to be there, and I expect to be there. I’ve made a decision back when I hired on.

The fact is, Jesus said, if you come follow me, deny yourself. Take up your cross daily and follow me. There’s an attitude about serving the Lord. That’s Luke 9 and verse 23. We don’t ask the question. Well, let’s see. I think I’ll go to Disney World and then later tonight I might find a group of Christians and kind of come down and at least get to protect the Lord’s Supper. I have to tell you, I get a little disturbed when I see that happen among people who come in and you know they haven’t worshipped the Lord Sunday morning. It’s a pretty day, isn’t it? Why don’t we go out and play today? And then tonight we might grab there’s an attitude problem there. Double-mindedness. We try to hang on to the world and try to hang on the Lord at the same time, and it will not work.

2. Over a Period of Time It Becomes Disinterest

If you’re going to serve the Lord, make a commitment in your mind. Double-mindedness is the first step. Because it’s an innocent step. It says, you know, I’m not really doing anything so bad. It’s not morally wrong, is it? To go out and fish or play golf or go to Disney World or just to stay home and visit with family. It’s not morally wrong, no. So with that kind of innocent beginning, the next step really is that over a period of time it becomes disinterest. I don’t realize why, maybe, but all of a sudden, you know, services are just boring. You feel that’s boring? I’ve had some Christians tell me it’s just boring to be there. And you wonder why? I still believe in the Lord once I was faithful.

But I think of the statement in Revelation chapter 3, the church at Laodicea. And the Lord wrote to that church, one of the seven. He said of them, You are those who have become lukewarm. I know thy works. You’re neither hot nor cold. I would you were cold or hot. So then, because they’re lukewarm and either cold or hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. But now you say, I’m rich and increased with goods, have need of nothing. And know not that you’re wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. That’s a pretty strong statement. It’s not a church, it’s not people that he would say, hey, you’ve just completely left me. But where are they? They’re in the middle. Lukewarm. What’s happened?

3. The Altar Gets Broken Down: Desertion

Well, the double-mindedness. They got more involved with the material things. And in fact, they said of them says, We’re rich and all is well with us. When in reality they were not really on fire for the Lord. In fact, they’re just sort of hanging on. And there are some Christians who are just kind of hanging on, but they’re not really interested. And so, starting with being double-minded and kind of losing interest and just sort of coming because we have to, you know what really finally happens? That altar of the Lord really gets broken down. There is desertion. And this is the process. To getting our thoughts and our attention and affection on things that are more of the world, to just sort of losing sight of what really is important and just becoming uninterested in it and just sort of clinging to it maybe for a while, and then finally, we just quit.

Could that happen? Listen to the warning of the apostle in Hebrews chapter 3. In verses 12 through 15, he says, take heed, brethren. Lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. I’m talking about the possibility of departing. You cannot depart if you haven’t been there. Well, what happens is the process of I’ve once known the Lord and I can leave him. Therefore, he says, take heed lest it happen to you. What do you do? He said, Exhort one another daily. Exhort one another daily while it is called a day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. The devil has a way of deceiving, of lying to you, of telling you it’s going to be alright.

Don’t be hardened through that. Verse 14, for we are made partakers of Christ if. That’s a little word, but a big meaning. We’re made proteins of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. He goes on in this context, and he talks about the Israelites who perished in the wilderness forty years of wandering because of unbelief. They departed from the Lord. In chapter 4 of Hebrews and verse 1, he says, Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it. In verse 11 of chapter 4, Hebrews, let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. You see, when Baal became more important, these Israelites lost interest in God.

And the ultimate conclusion, therefore, of double-mindedness and disinterest is just completely leaving the Lord. Did you drag into the service today because you felt you had to? I mean, did you sort of sleep as late as you could to get here just barely on time for the Lord’s Supper? But you really weren’t eager to be here because it’s the Lord’s day, and you could come and praise the Lord. You know your heart, and God knows it too. And if that’s your attitude, let me tell you, I’m speaking to you this morning. The altar of God needs to be repaired. Or you’re going to desert the Lord totally. And that means eternal condemnation. Well, the question is, can it be repaired? What can we do in our own heart to really get back with the Lord and his people?

4. Repairing the Altar by Repenting of the Sin

How can it be repaired? I don’t suggest that we can by reconstructing. You know, God wants us to return to him. Jesus taught a parable in Luke chapter 15. We often call it the parable of the prodigal son. It’s really the parable of two sons, the elder brother as well as the younger. The younger brother sought his inheritance, and he went out and spent it foolishly, in riotous living, ungodly. And he was lost. But he came to himself. And I’m going to say to you that you can come to yourself. You can reconstruct what once was there. I will say to you that sometimes when people have fallen away from the Lord and become disinterested and even desert, I find it very hard to sometimes restore in their heart that attitude.

This sort of a big wall that we build up. And it kind of gets impossible, we think, oh, to ever get back into the, to really into the to the service of the Lord with zeal and fervor that we once had. In fact, I’ve even heard some people say, I’m just not sure I can live it again. Not sure I can live it. Well, the fact is you’ll never be perfect. The Lord didn’t ask you to be perfect. He simply asks you to give yourself to him, to deny self and put him first in your life. And as Luke 15 talks about this younger son, even though he had completely gone away, when he made up his mind to return, he came to himself, and that’s what you need to do.

Make in your heart, be honest with your condition. And know in the present shape I’m lost. And make up your mind to come back. What that parable also illustrates to us is the attitude of the Father. You remember his return and saw his younger son coming. Why, the younger son said, I have sinned. Make me as one of your servants. Didn’t even ask to be his son again. But the father said to his servant, Bring forth the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, shoes on his feet, bring hither the fatted calf and kill it. Let us even be merry, for this my son was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found. Great joy in heaven. That’s how God would ask of you.

What a great joy to say, here’s one who’s turned away, who returns unto me. But it starts in your heart. God won’t make you do that. That attitude that says, I am going to come back. I’m going to overcome the temptations of the devil. How do you reconstruct faith? Well, it does start with saying, I’ve done wrong. I’m going to repent. I’m going to confess my fault. I’m going to turn back to God. I’m going to reconstruct what has been torn down. And you know, I’ll tell you, I’m glad for people who’ve fallen away, maybe to get started coming back again. But I’m talking about doing something more than just coming back into the assembly again. There’s some who just sort of coast back in and sit down and they start taking the Lord’s Supper and start worshiping all over again and never make anything, acknowledgement in any way to others that I’m trying to start over again.

They just sort of slip back. You know. Let me ask you. If you left your wife and you’re gone for about six months, then also one afternoon you come back in and you say, Hey, honey, when will dinner be ready? You think she’s going to say, Oh, we’re so glad to have you back. That’s not the way it works, is it? And don’t think of the Lord as being that way. Don’t just start protecting the Lord’s Supper and say that totally solves the problem. If your faucet is leaking, you don’t repair it by mowing the grass, do you? If the house is burning, you don’t water the flowers. You attack the problem at the root of the problem. What I’m saying to you is that there’s a need to confess sin.

To repent and confess wrong. And Acts chapter 8 is the first illustration of one who had believed in the Lord and been baptized. His name was Simon. And when he sought to buy the gift of God that he had no right to, that is the ability to pass on and impart the spiritual gifts. The apostle Peter rebuked him and said, Your money perish with you. Described him as being one whose heart was not right in the sight of God. And what he told him to do, Acts 8 and verse 22, repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity.

It’s got to start with a heart that says, I’m going to turn back to God. I’m making up my mind. And confessing your faults one to another, praying one for another. James 5 and verse 16. You see, what we’re talking about is repairing the altar by repenting of the sin. In 1 John chapter 1, the apostle writes, verses 6 through 10, if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus, his son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

5. The Need for Restoration

But if we confess our sins, he’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all righteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. You’ve got to deal with your relationship with God. Acknowledging before him that you’ve sinned. Confessing those sins, praying God for forgiveness. And even with brethren, praying with you and praying for you. But in the process, there’s also the need for restoration. Restoring in your own heart what you’ve left and what you’ve lost. In Luke chapter 22 is the occasion shortly before the death of Jesus when Jesus was telling Simon Peter how that he would deny. Now Peter in his own heart said, Oh Lord, I wouldn’t do that.

I’d die before I do that. But Jesus said to him, Simon, behold, Satan had desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you that your faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. I think there’s an important message there. The Lord is on your side. The Lord is ready as a mediator to assist him to help you. But you have to do your part. Simon Peter went out and wept bitterly after he denied the Lord. Simon Peter repented of what he had done. But the Lord gave him some instruction. When you’re converted, there’s a change going to come about. There’s something for you to do. Renew yourself. But then strengthen your brethren when you are converted.

I’ll say to you that this is something that all of us must do. But if you find yourself saying, oh, you know, it’s just boring at services, and I just don’t get much out of it. Let me suggest some things to do for you. First of all, pray regularly. Colossians 4 and verse 2 says, continue in prayer. How much time do you devote in prayer? How much time do you really give in prayer? If you go home today and you decide I’m not going to eat anything for a whole week. How do you think you’d feel a week from today? Next Sunday you come to services and you haven’t eaten for seven days. Think you’d be weak? You know you would be physically. How about spiritually?

You ever spend any time just in prayer? Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5 17. But not only in prayer, how about study life? Just taking time with the book. Giving time to open it. We have Bible classes here on a regular basis, and you have some lessons you can read and prepare in advance. And if not that, there’s always great passages of the Bible. How much do you know about different books of the Bible? Could you tell somebody, well, now the book of Ephesians is about. Or the book of 1 Corinthians is about. Could you tell anybody? Spend some time in the reading of God’s Word. Hebrews chapter 5 speaks of time where there was rebuke of some Christians. The apostles addressed them in Hebrews chapter 5.

He said, For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that someone teach you again even the first principles of the oracles of God. How long have you been a Christian? Is it true that somebody needs to teach you even just the first rudimental principles, or can you in turn teach others? He said, when you ought to be teachers, the shame is you have to be taught again. And he said, Everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness. He’s obeyed. But listen to this, verse 14 of Hebrews 5 strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, mature in Christ. Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil by reason of use.

Take some time with the word. Keep it before you. But not only prayer and study, there’s time for worship. I’m glad you’re here, and I don’t mean to be just stepping on toes this morning. I’m hoping I’m challenging some hearts to renew their life and to repair the altar. But let it be the spirit that, as in Psalm 122 and verse 1, I was glad when they said, Let us go to the house of the Lord. Let it be a time I’m looking forward to, not something I drag in because I have to be there. And then one more key. As the Lord said to Peter, when they are converted, strengthen thy brethren. Don’t be just self-centered and say, Oh, now, you know, you need to call me when I’m out.

You hadn’t had. There are some people who always are saying, I’m the center of this activity. If you’ll keep calling me and giving me the attention, I might be faithful. You need to be looking out to others. When you start thinking about the others and encouraging them and teaching others, you’ll be finding for yourself how much strength it gives you. Strengthen your brethren. In Galatians 6 and verse 1, brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual. Restore such in one in the spirit of meekness, doing what? Considering yourself. Lest you also be tempted, but then it says, bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. When you begin to encourage others, you’ll find how much it’ll help you.

Conclusion

Discipline. Yes, I said two weeks ago it was a sad occasion when we had to read. There were some who’ve fallen away. And I say to you that as we call it discipline sometimes, there were letters sent, phone calls have been made. Sometimes brethren still resist, and for that reason we’ve had to make mention of some names. But discipline is not what you do to a person. Discipline is what you do for a person. 1 Corinthians 5, when the apostle wrote the church at Corinth, and even there he spoke about withdrawing from one. He says you do so that the Spirit may be saved, that you can bring them to repentance. That’s the purpose of it. My beloved, repair the altar if it’s broken down in your heart.

And as you repair it, you’ll find the great joy of serving the one true Lord of heaven. And all the bells of this world, where it be athletics or entertainment or whatever it be that you’ve allowed to grow to be the important thing in your life, you’ll find that’s only temporary. And they can’t save you. Serve the one true God of heaven, for he is Lord. There’s a joy in knowing heaven’s my destiny. If I die today, all is well. Because I know who I am and where I’m going. And there are those here who need to do that. And I hope you will make the mind up to turn back to the Lord. There are those in this audience who’ve never even built the altar, so to speak.

You may say you believe Jesus to be the Son of God, but you’ve never obeyed the gospel. Though you believe in him, you need repenting of sins to be immersed, baptized into his death, that his precious blood may wash away your sins. If you’re subject to that invitation called this morning, we want to urge you to obey the gospel. If you’ll be turn to the song that Brother Basil has announced, let us be singing as we stand. And if you’re a subject, why don’t you come at this time?