BUILD AN ALTAR
In the Bible, the altar was an important fixture. Long before the temple was built, men were building altars to worship God. Scripture tells us that “altars to the Lord” were built by ordinary men, leaders, kings, prophets, and tribes. These altars marked divine encounters. They were built to commemorate special places where God met people or made promises to them.
Eventually, individual altars were overshadowed by the Bronze Altar and the Altar of Incense, first in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. The altar was the center point of worship in the Old Testament because it was the physical meeting place between God and man, where people offered sacrifices, experienced atonement, and worshiped Jehovah.
The Hebrew word for altar comes from a root meaning "to slaughter," and the Greek word means "a place of sacrifice." An altar is a place of sacrifice, although not every sacrifice involved slaughter.
After Jesus gave Himself as the ultimate sacrifice, the physical altar became obsolete. The sacrifices that were offered on those altars were temporary and had to be repeated again and again. Jesus offered Himself once, as the final and permanent sacrifice on the cross, and His sacrifice covers all sins: past, present, and future.
So why do we still call the front of the church the "altar area"? It's just an empty space; there aren't even prayer benches anymore. The answer is found in Romans 12:1: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Paul is saying that you are the sacrifice and your heart is the altar.
That is why the front of the church is still called the altar. Every time someone comes forward and kneels in prayer, they are building an altar. Wherever you are, at home, at the park, even at work, when you bow in prayer, you are building an altar.
Abraham knew what it was to put something on the altar. After waiting years for the son God promised him, he heard God say, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love... and offer him there" (Genesis 22:2). Abraham climbed Mount Moriah, built an altar, and laid Isaac on it. At the last moment God stopped him and provided a ram in Isaac's place. Abraham named that place Jehovah Jireh, "The Lord will provide."
So the question today isn't, "Do you have an altar?" The question is, "What is on your altar?"
Is it your plans? Your dreams? Your future? Your comfort? Your relationships? Your expectations? Your Isaac?
What are you willing to sacrifice so that God can be God in your life?
Because there comes a moment in every believer's journey when God asks, "Will you trust Me with the thing you love most?"
And when we surrender it to Him, we discover what Abraham discovered: On the other side of obedience is Jehovah Jireh. The Lord will provide. (Genesis 22:14)
Additional ideas for leaders
Build a memorial. Altars marked places where God showed up. Have each member share a place or moment where God met them, then bring a stone, or write it on one, and stack them as a group "altar of remembrance" in the meeting space.
Choose an altar spot. Ask each member to pick a place and time at home (a chair, the car before work, a walk) where they will pray every day this week, then report back on what changed.
Meet at the park. Hold one meeting outdoors and treat it as an "altar in the park" with open prayer, which shows that an altar can be anywhere.
Memorize Romans 12:1. Say it together at the start of each meeting for the month. Discuss what "living sacrifice" looks like on a Monday morning, since a living sacrifice can climb off the altar.
Start a family altar. Encourage members with households to set aside ten minutes at the dinner table for a short reading and prayer. For members who live alone, a weekly phone prayer with another group member does the same job.
"What's on my altar?" check-in. Open each meeting with one word, such as "comfort," "control," or "my kids' future," so leaders learn where people are without a long discussion.
Hebrews 10 discussion. Ask: "If the old sacrifices had to be repeated, what does it mean that Jesus' sacrifice was once for all?" It reinforces the freedom behind your point that He covered all sins.
