Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world.
so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church. Located in Kernersville, North Carolina. We um want to continue in our series on biblical altars. Uh let me also mention Lord willing, if unless um Unless the throat shock closes down tonight, we're going to continue in our series.
On prayer. Let me remind you: we have our resource table over here. All the Sunday nights, we've been giving you a handout resource. On how to pray for particular subjects. It's all there: how to pray for your husband, how to pray for your wife, how to pray for your children, how to pray for the unsaved, how to pray for a backslidden person.
Tonight, we're going to be dealing with how to pray. Um the prayer of repentance. When you wish to repent, How do you pray? how to properly pray. The prayer of repentance.
You say, well, preacher, I just want to say, I'll just tell God I'm sorry.
Well, how many times have you told God you're sorry and you went right back to it tomorrow? And so tonight, we're going to give you a handout on that. I hope that you'll be here tonight. And um We started last week with a wonderful presentation about altars. And we talked about the first family altar last week, but today, as you've always heard me talk about, when you're looking for a subject, go back to the first mention in the Word of God.
Now I don't know if this is technically the first altar. Um I believe that it might be. Um But in Genesis chapter 8. We find here what we believe is is the first mention. of alter And we say that because Um after the flood This is the first altar.
that was built For the Lord. And in the Bible, you go back to the first mention of something to be taught basic principles about the subject. It's the law of first dimensions. You learn so much about a subject by going back to the first time in the Bible it's mentioned, from worship to revival to giving to stewardship to all kinds of subjects. Genesis chapter 8.
These verses will be up on the screen, and you can certainly follow. And um I apologize again that my voice is Not the best today, but hope that you can follow. Verse 13. And it came to pass in the sixth Hundredth and first year. in the first month.
The first day of the month. The waters were dried up from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark. and looked and behold The face of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the seventh and twentieth day of the month, Was the earth dried?
And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark. Thou and thy wife and thy sons and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee. Of all flesh, both of fowl. and of cattle.
and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. that they may breed abundantly in the earth. and be fruitful. and multiply upon the earth. How many of you would have been kind of satisfied if snakes would have never made it off the ark?
Well, there's some good sn whatever. I don't care. I could have even lived without the good snakes, to be honest with you, all right? Verse 18: And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him. Every beast, every creeping thing, every fowl.
And whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds went forth out of the ark. And Noah builded an altar. Unto the Lord. and took of every clean beast And of every clean fowl and offered burnt offerings. on the altar.
And the Lord smelled a sweet Savor. And the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake. For the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I again smite any more every thing living as I have done. While the earth remaineth, Seed time and harvest.
and cold and heat. and summer and winter. and day and night. Shall not Cease. The first altar.
We're going to learn some things today that gives us groundwork. For altars, even in 2023. Let's pray. Lord, we love you. Thank you for all that you've done.
Thank you for every person here. We all have different stories, different reasons, different obstacles. different victories that have brought us here today. But we're here. Lord, we've heard the wonderful music that has prepared our heart.
But we're here not to hear from a preacher. We're here to hear from you.
So Lord, I pray that you would bless this. Very precious passage. Lord, do a work in our hearts. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Before we dig into this thing of altars, I just wanted to say, I know many of you have been praying. In case you didn't get to see him, it's so good to see butch sap here. Today. And Butch has graduated from the wheelchair to the walker. And a butch isn't 100%, and he's got a little ways to go, but he was determined to get to church.
Aren't you glad to see people determined to get to church? And um Butch has a whole bunch of reasons not to even try to come here today, but he's here. And I appreciate it. Let's give Butch a hand today. And we've missed them.
We've missed him. It's not the same when he's not here, and I'm glad he's here today. Genesis chapter 8, the first altar. We have here the flood. The ark, you know the story.
The ark comes to rest. And Noah looks out and the face of the earth was dry, but the earth wasn't dry. God left him there for another month or two and then Noah looked down and the earth was dry and God said, All right, now get off the ark and You and your wife and your sons and their wives and All the living creatures that are on the ark with you, go ahead and get off the ark. And as Noah got off the ark, the first thing he did. He built an altar.
And the Bible says that he took of every clean beast And every clean fowl And he offered sacrifice unto God. What are we to learn from this? Number one, I want you to understand that this first altar in the Word of God, number one, it represents forgiveness. of sin. Forgiveness of sin.
Now to understand this. Why this was so what reporters call poignant. That's a word they love to use. It means this moment in time, there's so much behind it. As Noah built this altar and as Noah prepared these sacrifices, we've got to know what went on in the background.
And I want you to see these verses in Genesis chapter 6. In verse 6 it says, that it repented Excuse me. It repented the Lord. that he had made man. God regretted that he had even made man on the earth.
That's sad. And it grieved him. at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man. whom I have created from the face of the earth.
Both man and beast and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them. That's where God was. That's what God had decided. But we find a verse here that kind of changed history. You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for this verse.
Verse 8 says, but Noah found grace. in the eyes of the Lord.
Now, the whole flood narrative. God's mad at man, and God's mad at man's sin, and so. God decides to judge the earth. God's going to bring a flood and He's going to destroy. mankind but Because Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, God gave Noah.
Instructions and he says, I want you to build an ark. He gives him the exact dimensions, and the exact dimensions of that ark isn't just so that Noah. can get a certain amount of animals on that ark. I believe God made that ark the exact dimensions that. anybody that wanted to that were living at that time could get on that ark.
You see, God allowed Noah to preach for hundreds of years to warn people that judgment was coming, that a flood was coming, that God was going to judge the earth. He gave man a chance. Noah preached. Noah warned. Noah built.
The ark. was a type of Christ. But man refused.
So the floods came. And the Bible says that Noah didn't close the door of that ark. God closed the door of that ark. And as those floods begin to rise. Everyone on earth at that time was killed.
was destroyed.
Now, that whole narrative of the flood brings us to this question: how could A God who destroys man because of their sin. Be the same God who dies For man. and their sin.
Now this is what people at your job are going to ask you. How can you say that, oh, Jesus loves me? How can you say all that?
Now, you say that God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit are all one. Yeah, well, this God in Genesis killed every man on earth. He wiped them all out with a flood. because they were sinners. And then you tell me that that same God came to earth and died on the cross because man is a sinner.
Well, you see, we have a problem here because God is holy. God is just. And there is the wrath of God, and because God is just and God is holy, that has to be satisfied. But may I remind you that the Bible teaches that God is also love?
So how can the justice of God and the love of God coexist? Because the justice of God has to destroy sin. But the love of God loves sinners. It's called grace. And the Bible says that Noah found Grace.
And that ark was a picture of grace. That ark was a picture of Jesus that was to come, the Messiah. He is a picture of grace because God's justice, his wrath, and God's love can only be rectified. It can only coexist. In Jesus Christ.
Because in Jesus Christ, God's wrath. is appeased. But God's love. is displayed.
So when Noah found grace. that are represented Forgiveness. of sins. Anyone could have gotten on that arc. But they refused.
Floods go down. Earth dries up. Noah was in the ark. like you and I are in Christ. And as Noah gets off that ark, he builds that altar.
A sign of the grace. that he had received. May I remind you today one of the reasons you and I Spend time at an altar. It's because we've been forgiven of our sins. It's because we've been given something we didn't deserve.
It's called Grace. Number two. I don't want you to get this, and let me say, well, preacher, I don't fully understand this. Before I give you number two, let me give you this verse because you might have questions. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 6.
To the praise of the glory of His grace. Wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. According to the riches of what? Here's Grace.
When Noah found grace He found forgiveness. since. Number two. This altar represented not just forgiveness of sins. but a fresh start.
Afresh. Start. Sinful man had been wiped off the earth. Noah and his family had been saved and They get off this ark. All animals, all beasts, all fowls had been wiped off the earth.
Every living thing had been killed. The entire topography of earth had changed. Land had changed. Maps had changed. Everything had changed.
Because of the ark Noah and his family had been spared, they found grace. And as they get off this ark, Noah builds there an altar. And he sacrifices unto the Lord. This represented a fresh start. After a horrible Tragedy.
This was a fresh start. After man's rebellion against God. This was a fresh start. after man's rejection. of God's salvation.
God provided an ark. God warned the people. But they had rejected. God's judgment came upon man, but Noah found God's grace. And when Noah found God's grace, look at me.
He didn't just find forgiveness of sin. Noah found a fresh strength. Start. The whole earth got a fresh start. Yeah, okay.
Because of God's Grace. Noah gets out there, the earth looks different. Everything's different. Everything's starting new. Everything's starting over.
All things are passed away. Behold all things. or become new. You know what this altar represents in your life when you found Jesus Christ? When you got on the ark when you found salvation.
You didn't just find forgiveness of sins. You were given a fresh start. I mean, that old life, it looks different now. Old church wasn't a part of it back then. That didn't look good to you back then, but you've been given a fresh start.
Everything else has been wiped out now. It's different. The topography has changed. Is anybody hearing what I'm saying today? Anybody else glad for the fresh start you got when you were saved?
I mean, God help us if we're that ungrateful. as God's children. Let me tell you something. That first altar represented. A fresh start.
Man rejected, man was judged. But God provided an ark. He provided grace. and in his judgment. He gave a fresh start.
I don't know about you, but I want you to know something today. Do you know any time of the day? You can go to an altar. You know, in fact, this whole series is going to end up in the book of Hebrews. And I had preached on it before.
Hate to give you a little tidbit ahead, but we're going to. Because in the book of Hebrews One of the greatest books on doctrine in the book of Hebrews, the Bible says, we have an altar. And guess who it is? Jesus Christ. You see, we don't have to build an altar, we don't have to put animals on it anymore, we have an altar.
That means any time you can go to Jesus. And get a fresh start.
Some of you sitting here in church today, You can't seem to look ahead because you're so burdened. and bogged down by what you've done. You're so disappointed. by how you failed and how the same stuff and the same junk keeps keeps getting you and getting you and getting you. May I remind you the grace.
of God gives you a fresh start. And Jesus can give you a fresh start. Anytime you want it. Number three. This first altar not just represented forgiveness of sin, it didn't just represent a fresh start.
But number three, this first altar represented a first step. A first step.
Now that I've been given a fresh start, now that this is all starting all over. What's the first thing we're going to do. when we get off this ark. What is the first priority? What's the first Thing.
that we're going to do. Look at verse 18. The Bible says, and Noah went forth. A little bit later it says out of the ark. Verse 20.
And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord. The first thing. The first step. Noah decides He's going to worship God. The first priority.
I'm going to thank God. I'm going to obey God. I'm going to worship God. I'm going to praise God. I'm going to acknowledge God.
Listen to me. Noah was now God. John. into a desolate isolated world. One might think That his first step would have been to build a house for himself.
Somebody might think that the first step would be to create some kind of shelter.
Somebody might think that the first step would be: hey, where are we going to set up shop? But he begins first. Yeah, right. Amen to God. Matthew Henry said this.
He begins well. that begins with God. That's good. That's good. He begins well.
That begins with God. Can I ask you something? What's your first step? What's your first reaction? What's your first priority?
What do you do first in the daytime? What do you do first when problems come? What do you do first when burdens hit your life? What is the first reaction? in your life now.
What I find interesting is Though Noah's stock of cattle was small and Although that he had been on that ark and Although he Had all kinds of questions and Although he didn't know what the future held. He decided That his first step was going to be toward God. Yeah. thing done in the new world was an act of worship. Look at me, this earth that you and I are standing on right now.
This earth, the way it looks. And it looks basically the same besides buildings on it and all that. Topography and all those things, it looks exactly like it looked from the moment we're reading right now when Noah came up, and the first thing done on this earth was an act of worship. Can I tell you what the last thing that's going to be done on this? Earth is going to be.
It's going to be an act of worship. After our king rules and reigns on this earth for a thousand years. Look at me. I want you to get this, please. You say, Preacher, what do you mean this first step?
But when he built an altar there, notice, number one. It was an act of worship. It was thanking God for keeping him safe. It was worshiping God for his creation. It was worshiping God because he had kept his promise.
Number two, it was gratitude. It was not just an act of worship, it was an act of gratitude. God, thank you for what you provided. Thank you for the ark. Thank you for keeping your promise.
Thank you for keeping us safe. Listen, the ark didn't have a rudder. The ark didn't have a steering wheel. God guided that ark. It was granted to you.
Notice third. This was an act of offering. The Bible says he literally went and he got offering. He got animals and fowl and he offered sacrifice. He offered something.
Can I ask you something? What is our first reaction? Do we offer something to God or is our first reaction demanding something from God? Is our first reaction when we have problems, God, why haven't you fixed this? Why isn't our first reaction when we have problems, God, what can I do for you?
Oh my goodness, that makes no sense to us, does it? We are so entitled. You know what? Most of us would have been.
Well, bless God, I've been on this ark. All this time, all these days Him stinky. animals My wife hasn't shut her mouth once. I've been with my sticking brother-in-law all the time. these months God ought to do something for me.
Noah, what was Noah's first reaction? I'm going to do something for God. Worship, gratitude, offering, notice, sacrifice. He made a sacrifice. Notice last.
It was an act of obedience. You see in Exodus chapter 10 verse 25 Later on down the lineage tree, And Moses said, thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings. That we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. You see, Noah was Obey. You know what the Bible tells us in Romans 12?
I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God. That ye present your bodies. A living sacrifice. Holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. This should be obedience.
This should be what we do. I want you to notice number four. Not just did this altar represent forgiveness of sin. Not just a fresh start, not just a first step. And number four, this altar represented a faith sacrifice.
A faith. Sacrifice.
Now this is big and I want you to get it. We're not far from being done. Look if you would at verse 20. The Bible says in verse 20, And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord. And took of every Clean beast.
And of every clean fowl, which tells us that God Sees some animals as clean. and some as unclean. Notice an offered burnt. offerings on the altar. Noah did not just take one or two animals.
The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ. It is our desire for you to know him personally. Would you take a moment to hear this today? Every man is born with the sin nature. Romans 3.23 says, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
No matter how hard we try, We're not good enough to obtain God's glory. or to get to heaven. Because of that, sin carries the penalty of death. Romans 6.23 says, For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The wages of our sin, or the payment of our sin, only equals death and separation from God. But it's only through God's Gift. salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept him as our Saviour. Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
All you have to do is receive Christ. by faith as your Saviour. Romans ten nine says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Verse 13 continues, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way.
and calling upon his name. Bible says whosoever, that's any one. can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? There is no greater day than today to take care of this.
Would you accept Christ as your Savior? If you have any questions, please give us a call at 336-993-5192 or visit our website at Curlin Baptist Church. Dot com. or visits that person at one of our three service times. We hope you have a great rest of your day.
God bless you. Mm-hmm.
