1. Abraham's Altars picture

2. Abraham's Altars Genesis 12:7-9 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. 9 So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.

3. Abraham's Altars Genesis 13:3-4 3 And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

4. Abraham's Altars Genesis 13:14-16 14 And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are--northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.

5. Abraham's Altars Genesis 13:17-18 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you." 18 Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.

6. Abraham's Altars Abraham is known for the tents he lived in and his altars Tents = pilgrim, vagabond, wanderer, traveler Altars = worship God Our worship should identify us. The altars of Abraham should teach us about the nature and importance of worship.

7. Our Worship is Internal Worship must begin in the heart There are externals – sing, pray, give But they must be generated from the inside – the heart Notice these 3 passages from the Old Testament

8. Our Worship is Internal Hosea 8:13-14 13 For the sacrifices of My offerings they sacrifice flesh and eat it, But the Lord does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to Egypt. 14 "For Israel has forgotten his Maker, And has built temples; Judah also has multiplied fortified cities; But I will send fire upon his cities, And it shall devour his palaces."

9. Our Worship is Internal Amos 5:20-22 21 20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it? 21 "I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. 22 Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.

10. Our Worship is Internal Malachi 1:12-13 12 "But you profane it, In that you say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.' 13 You also say, 'Oh, what a weariness!' And you sneer at it," Says the Lord of hosts. "And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?" Says the Lord.

11. Our Worship is Intentional We can not worship God accidently Worship requires our intent Worship can not be a secondary activity We can not praise, honor God, worship Him and fail to do so with our heart and mind in proper focus.

12. Our Worship is Intentional Genesis 22:4-6 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." 6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.

13. Our Worship is Intermittent All of life is NOT worship. Worship begins. Worship ends. Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."

14. Our Worship is Intermittent Acts 8:27-28 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.

15. Our Worship is Intermittent Matthew 26:30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Acts 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

16. Our Worship is Independent Our worship does not depend on: The whims, likes, preferences of man What others think or say

17. Our Worship is Independent Our worship does not depend on: The whims, likes, preferences of man What others think or say What “everyone” is doing How some seek to change worship into entertainment

18. Our Worship is Independent Our worship does not depend on: The whims, likes, preferences of man What others think or say What “everyone” is doing How some seek to change worship into entertainment The only one we seek to please in our worship is God.