WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.680 Have you ever noticed that human build beings are our builders? 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:08.400 From the very beginning of history, we've had this irresistible desire to build. 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:22.320 We build homes to protect our families, we build businesses to provide for our families, we build schools for our children, we build hospitals for our sick, and we even build churches for people to gather and to worship. 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:23.920 We love building. 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:33.840 I think the infatuation with construction projects is at least in part because they leave something visible behind, something we can hold on to, something that we can see. 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:41.359 And they can become monuments to our effect and our effort and our creativity and to all of our accomplishments. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:52.240 But the truth is, the greatest construction project you'll ever work on isn't the project that consists of mud or bricks or fabric. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:55.600 It's rally really not about steel and concrete. 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:59.679 The most important thing that you're building is your life. 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:02.479 All of us are building a life. 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:09.519 We choose a plan, we choose a direction, we choose what we like, and we start this building. 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:13.280 We're building a life, we're building a legacy. 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:28.959 Every day, with every decision you make, every priority you choose, every dollar you spend, every relationship that you nurture, in fact, every word that you speak, all of this goes into building a life. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:32.799 It's all a part of the blueprint for living. 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:36.000 So let me begin with a simple question today. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:37.920 What are you building? 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:44.239 I'm not talking about your house, I'm not talking about a retirement plan, or not talking about your career. 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:47.760 What are you building with your life? 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:51.760 How are you building your life? 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:56.959 In the book of Genesis, we're introduced to one of the most significant building projects in all of Scripture. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:08.000 But before we're introduced to this massive project, this towering project that we read about in Genesis 11, we're told of a much more simple project. 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:18.240 The simple project was far more significant and important, even if it was quite a bit smaller and seemingly less striking. 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:25.520 This week and next, we're going to look at these two famous construction projects, both recorded in the opening chapters of the book of Genesis. 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:34.159 We're going to compare these two projects and reveal the stark contrast in the two and how they speak to the way we build our lives. 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:40.159 Frankly, these passages have been rattling around in my heart now for weeks. 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:48.560 I studied the passage weeks ago in preparation for the devotional that I work on, and they just wouldn't go away. 00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:49.919 The thought wouldn't go away. 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:52.560 The contrast just kept consuming me. 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:55.759 And so I wanted to share it with you for the next couple of weeks. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:59.520 Comparison to two projects revealed this contrast in many ways. 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:08.960 One was nothing more than a pile of rough stones, while the other was made of finely formed brick and reached towards the heavens. 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:21.120 One was built by a man who was overwhelmed by the grace of God, and the other was built by a generation of people who were consumed with a false sense of their own accomplishments, of their own greatness. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:25.280 One was an altar, and the other was a tower. 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:30.479 One was the object of God's pleasure, the other was the object of his judgment. 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:38.800 To be more specific, the two structures I'm referring to as the altar that was built by Noah when he first came out of the ark. 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:40.400 You remember the story of the flood. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:47.840 I don't have to rehearse that to you, but do you remember that when Noah came out of the ark, the first thing he built was an altar? 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:51.520 And the other is known as the Tower of Babel. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:58.639 You may know less about this Tower of Babel, but it was actually a tower of confusion that served a very important person. 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:16.160 Now, while I'm interested in the buildings for several reasons, while I'm interested in the bricks and the stones, and I want to learn about those things, I'm more interested in what these two structures can teach us about building our own homes and really our own lives. 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.639 So let's take a little bit closer look. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:20.879 At one this week, we'll look at the altars. 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:24.399 Next week, we'll take a look at the tower. 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:28.079 I think there are some incredibly good lessons for us. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.639 Like, for example, the altar of Noah. 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:35.600 One life says, God, you are great. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:43.439 Noah's altar clearly says to us about our life, God, you are great. 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:47.920 One lifestyle says, Look what God has done, uh, the altar. 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:50.959 The other, the Tower of Babel, says, Look what I've done. 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:53.040 And so we'll notice that different. 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:57.279 One is marked by worship and one is marked by pride. 00:04:57.519 --> 00:04:59.839 What direction is your life going? 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:01.439 Are you building altars? 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:04.959 Are you building towers? 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:09.839 May seem like a silly question, but I think it'll make sense as we begin to go through it. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:14.240 Let's begin, first of all, by thinking a moment about Noah's circumstances. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:15.120 Think about it. 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:19.680 He had just lived through the greatest catastrophe the world has ever known. 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:27.680 He had just spent months on a boat that he had built, even though there was no such thing as rain, many scholars believe. 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:31.600 While people were jeering at him, making fun of them, he built this ark. 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:40.160 He entered into the ark, he, his family, and a lot of animals, and for more than a year they were confined inside this ark. 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:41.279 Can you imagine? 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:53.040 Now I know that many of you like cruises, I do too, but I can't imagine a year-long, over a year-long cruise, not knowing where your destination is, or really how long it would last. 00:05:53.279 --> 00:06:01.920 When the floodwaters finally receded and the door was open, Noah stepped onto ground, dry ground for the first time. 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:03.680 Now think about it. 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:05.600 Here the world has been judged. 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:07.040 There's nothing left. 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:11.199 There's nothing that of the former life that he had that was still there. 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:14.160 So what do you do when you step out of the ark? 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:16.639 Well, what's the first thing you build? 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:24.000 Well, I would think the first thing would be in order would be a house or at least some kind of a shelter for you and your family. 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:28.959 I would think that maybe some fencing to protect the animals and to keep them nearby. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:33.920 Maybe a barn to store some food and or maybe a garden to put I don't know. 00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:35.600 Where do you start? 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:40.000 Well, interesting for Noah, the priority was none of those things. 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:42.160 His priority may surprise you. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:46.560 In fact, the very first thing Noah builds is none of those. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:48.959 He builds an altar. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:54.399 The single decision tells us something profound about Noah's heart. 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:59.920 Saved people respond to God's grace with worship. 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:01.360 Let me just read it to you. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:02.720 Let's read the part of the text. 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:04.399 It'd be too long to read it all. 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:05.519 You can read that later. 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:11.600 But let me just take a portion of the text, Genesis 8, beginning in verse 18, and show you what happens. 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:17.439 It says, So Noah, along with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, came out. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:25.519 All the animals, all the creatures that crawl, all the flying creatures, everything that moves on the earth came out of the ark by their families. 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:28.639 Then Noah built an ark to the Lord, an altar to the Lord. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:29.519 There it is. 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:35.600 He took some of every kind of clean animal and every kind of clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:46.399 When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, he said to himself, I will never again curse the ground because of human beings, even though the inclination of the human heart is evil from the youth onward. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:52.079 And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done. 00:07:52.720 --> 00:08:00.319 Noah comes out of the ark, he builds an altar first, and obviously God is very pleased. 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:03.279 Now again, every life is under construction. 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:10.560 We're either building altars that glorify God, or we're building towers that glorify us ourselves. 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:12.879 So let's think about these altars. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:19.920 This altar that Noah built, and maybe some other altars that will help us to see how we build our lives. 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:23.360 Well, throughout Scripture, we see people building altars to the Lord. 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:24.879 Abraham built altars. 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:32.000 In fact, one of the most fascinating things in Abraham's life is that he repeatedly built altars at key moments of God's revelation. 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:42.080 The altars were used to mark places of worship, to mark places of thanksgiving, to mark places where he made a commitment or expressed dependence on the Lord. 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:43.840 He put altars everywhere. 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:49.039 They weren't merely piles of stones, they were memorials of God's faithfulness. 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:54.559 Each one pointed to God and said, Look what God has done in my life. 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:57.120 Isaac, his son, also built altars. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:01.360 Now, Isaac built fewer altars than Abraham, but the ones he built are very significant. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:04.799 Abraham seems to have built an altar wherever God gave a promise. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:09.600 Isaac builds altars at moments when God reassures him and gives him peace. 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:14.080 And his altars are always closely connected to God's presence and his faithfulness. 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:16.399 But again, they point to God. 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:17.519 Look who God is. 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:19.279 Look what he has done. 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:25.279 When King Solomon built the first temple in Jerusalem, he constructed two primary altars, you may remember. 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:38.720 The great bronze altar or brazen altar, that is the altar of burnt offering, was the largest and most prominent altar that stood outdoors in the inner courtyard, directly in front of the temple's entrance. 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:49.840 This outdoor placement kept burning animal sacrifices and heavy smoke and blood away from the wood-lined interiors, the gold-covered interiors of the main building. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:10:03.679 And then there was the golden altar, the altar of incense, was the second altar, and it was really much smaller, but it sat strictly indoors within the holy place, positioned directly in front of the veil of the Holy of Holies. 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:22.559 No blood sacrifices were permitted there, but instead rose an aromatic flavor that was a blessing and was a reminder and a symbol of sorts of the prayers of God's people that as the smoke ascended toward the roof, our prayers would ascend before God. 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:38.000 When Solomon finalized the construction and offered his first dedicatory prayer, biblical accounts note that fire fell from heaven to consume the offering, confirming God's presence and God's pleasure with the altar that he had built. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:44.159 So throughout history, men have been building altars and even continues today. 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:48.799 Altars became places where people encountered God. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:53.600 Here's why I think it's important for us to build altars instead of towers today. 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:58.000 First of all, because an altar says thank you. 00:10:58.399 --> 00:10:59.120 That's right. 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:01.200 An altar says thank you. 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:05.759 Noah's first act stepping after stepping onto the dry ground. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:10.879 His first act of building this altar was a way of saying thank you. 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:12.639 It was an act of worship. 00:11:12.799 --> 00:11:14.000 It shows gratitude. 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:18.720 It shouts gratitude from Noah's heart, from the depth of his heart. 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:21.200 And notice he didn't build a house first. 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:23.679 He built this altar first. 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:27.840 What's the first thing you think about when God answers prayer? 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:29.519 What's the first thing you think about? 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:32.960 What's your first instinct after God brings victory in your life? 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:34.080 Is it to worship him? 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:35.200 Is it to honor him? 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:36.480 Is it to point to him? 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:41.279 When God does something in your life that is life-changing, what's your thought? 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:43.519 And what about the little moments in life? 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:48.720 When God just gives you, well, an extra day of life as his gift to you. 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.240 Do you build an altar? 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:51.200 Do you worship him? 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:54.960 Do you point to him and say, look what God has done? 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:59.600 What's the first thing in your heart that you celebrate? 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:02.320 God or yourself? 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:04.000 An altar says, Thank you. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:06.960 Secondly, an altar says, I need mercy. 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:08.159 I need mercy. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:15.039 When when when Moses stepped back onto the, I'm sorry, when Noah, I knew I was going to call him Moses before I was done with this. 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:20.960 When Noah stepped back out of the ark and onto solid ground, he must have thought, really, you know what? 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:23.919 I deserve judgment as much as all the other people on this earth. 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:25.840 Why did God save me? 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:29.759 And we know it was because Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:32.559 In other words, it was just simply God's grace. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:34.480 God extends grace to us. 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:42.000 It's not deserved, but every sacrifice placed on an altar after that acknowledges I deserve judgment too. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:43.759 I need God's mercy. 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:45.519 I need his grace. 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:49.440 Worship at these altars celebrates grace and dependence upon God. 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:54.559 The altar wasn't celebrating Noah, it celebrated mercy. 00:12:55.039 --> 00:12:58.240 Altars celebrate God's grace. 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:01.200 Towers point to what we do. 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:02.480 That's next week. 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:05.840 Altars are always pointing to what God says. 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:10.320 And third, an altar says, You are Lord. 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:14.080 An altar says, I'm ready to surrender my heart. 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:16.879 An altar declares, My life belongs to you, Lord. 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:23.840 In the New Testament, Paul writes to the Roman church, the Roman believers, and says something very similar to this. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:37.759 He says, Therefore, chapter 12, verse number one, therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:40.960 This is your true worship. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:46.000 In other words, Paul says that we need to continue the practice of building altars. 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:48.559 Now, I don't think he's talking about stones. 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:51.120 I don't think he's talking about piling stones up. 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:53.919 Although I suppose that would be okay. 00:13:54.320 --> 00:14:00.799 I don't think he's talking about building altars in front of our churches that are ready to receive burnt offerings. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:03.200 And no, he's not talking about that. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:05.360 So what do altars look like today? 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:10.000 If I'm if if you're saying, Pastor Eddie, you're saying we need to build altars, what does that look like? 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:13.519 I think it looks like us building lives. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:14.559 So how do we do that? 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:15.919 What does it look like today? 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:22.879 Well, for example, I think it's important for us to learn, just gonna name a few, family altars, right? 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:24.240 Family altars. 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:27.679 This is building prayer and scripture into my family life. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:49.759 It may look very informal, not necessarily trying to have a church service or a Bible study at home, although it could, and maybe you can do that, but prioritizing faith in family life, building a family altar, a place where family, a time when family comes together to acknowledge God and to say, look what God has done. 00:14:50.000 --> 00:15:02.159 I think with our family, back to the many times when we would sit around and very informally not try to teach a Bible study, just say, look what God has done, or look what God is doing. 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:05.200 And then something that might be called gratitude altars. 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.519 I try to build gratitude altars in my life. 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:21.840 This may be built by simply keeping a journal of how you see God at work and what God is doing in and through you, or maybe sharing with others the blessings that God is blessing in your life, or maybe even giving thanks publicly in some forum or some platform. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:25.600 Certainly a gratitude altar would include celebrating answered prayers. 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:27.519 That's why it's good to pray specifically. 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:33.039 Then we can praise Him specifically and say, look what God has done. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:35.279 And then financial altars. 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:39.600 I I try to keep financial altars before me all the time. 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:43.360 Offering our finances on the altar brings great peace and joy. 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:51.519 When we struggle with finances, when finances seem to have a grip on us, why not offer our finances to the Lord on an offer? 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:53.120 How do we build these altars? 00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:58.000 By learning to give our first and our best to the Lord, not leftovers. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:10.639 By being generous to people, by being generous with our giving, not just being generous, but to have generosity in our heart and by putting God before all of our things. 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:14.720 And then I also think that when we are serving, we're building altars. 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:18.000 These altars are built obviously through serving other people. 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:23.440 Maybe it's in the church, maybe it's outside the church, maybe it's in the community, maybe it's a family member. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:28.559 But we're using the gifts that God has given us and putting other people first. 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:32.879 And one more I'll mention, I could go on, but for time's sake, let me mention one more. 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:35.279 I like to call them obedience altars. 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:49.600 These altars are built by choosing faithfulness, obedience to God, even when nobody notices, even when nobody's looking, and even when we know that to be obedient and faithful, it's going to be costly. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:59.600 Well, I've talked a lot about these altars, and I hope you can see that building altars is an important focus for our lives. 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:01.360 What are you building right now? 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:04.240 Are you build- how are you building your life? 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:09.519 Are you focusing on building altars into your life? 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:11.119 Very, very important. 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:20.559 Here's the takeaway for today, and I think it'll help me down this thought, and that is this altars remind us of who rescued us. 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:25.519 See, altars in our lives are important because it reminds us of who rescued us. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:32.079 It reminds us of our priority, it reminds us that Jesus must be first in our lives. 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:40.720 He himself said to his followers, seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things are going to be added to you. 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:47.920 So, next week, we're going to go just a step further, and I hope that be able to tie it together and make even more sense. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:52.960 Because next week we'll discover that towers aren't made of bricks anymore. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:18:02.480 They're made of achievements, reputations, followers, accomplishments, and anything else we hope might make our name to be remembered. 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:14.720 What we're going to see next time is that while altars point to God and say, Look what God has done, towers point to me and say, Look what I have done. 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:19.920 I want that to soak in with you for a little bit this week, and we'll be back next time. 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:24.319 I want us to see that we have a choice when we're building our life. 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:31.200 We can say, Look what God is doing, or we can say, Look at me and look what I'm doing. 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:40.319 Unfortunately, I think for most of us in our current culture, everything points toward me and what I'm doing. 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:47.680 I need to be a reflection of his glory and say, look at what God is doing. 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:49.119 Let me pray with you. 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:52.960 Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us this time today. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:57.759 God, I pray that you would speak to our hearts on this subject matter. 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:03.119 God, show us where we are building altars and where we're building towers. 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:10.240 And God help us to understand the importance of these altars and drill down into our hearts, Lord. 00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:19.039 Help us to see deep within that we can see whether or not our lives are being built for the glory of God. 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:20.480 May it be so. 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:22.640 We pray in Jesus' name. 00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:23.440 Amen.