God made us to be symbolic people.  If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have told us not to worship symbols.  We need the reminder that we must worship him alone, but in that worship, symbols will help us express what is going on inside of us.

One such symbol is the altar.  The altar is symbolic.  Its symbol is in us placing ourselves as a sacrifice to God.  Could we pray in our pew?  Yes.  However, there are times that prayer without action just won’t cut it.  The action solidifies what God is speaking to us.  It keeps us accountable.

I was blessed to grow up in a church where people used the altar.  Most services saw someone move to pray.  At World Changers we saw students use the altar.  At FBC, we have seen an increase in people using the altar.  We can worship the symbolism of the altar though making it a show.  I’m not talking about “doing it for doing it” sake. The flip side of that is not going forward because we’re afraid of what people will think.  Guess what.  If others think anything, that is their issue with God.

I write this for you, no matter what church you go to, to consider the symbolism of the altar and when God moves, use the symbolism as worship to God by sacrificing yourself.

2 Chronicles 6:18: Solomon understood a building is just a building. A building does not contain God. God may choose to dwell there (during OT times), but it cannot contain him.
2 Chronicles 7:20: God only stays at his temple if the people only worship him.
2 Chronicles 7:21: Is the church at this point? Has it become a ridicule to the nations? Do we even fear this?
2 Chronicles 9:4: Everything she saw took her breath away (Queen of Sheba). God’s greatness should take people’s breath away–including those who have seen it all. She then gave praise to God.
2 Chronicles 12: Chaos comes when god is not sought. When you seek God peace will come.

Psalm 139: Nothing is hidden from God. He has your days planned out. Why try and go against him?
Psalm 141: A protection from sin and from the unrighteous.
Psalm 141:5 A call for righteous men to speak truth. It is like being anointed.

Luke 10:1-12: Jesus’ instructions on going from town to town. First, see if you will be received. Then take their hospitality. Then do miracles (i.e. meet their needs). Then tell hem about the kingdom. They went to unchartered territory and they wanted to get their attention before telling them about the kingdom. We rush into telling them about the kingdom.
Luke 10:22: Unless we see God through the eyes of Christ, we do not see God.
Luke 10:38-42: We must not let serving make us worried and upset. It ceases to be serving then.
Luke 11:13: Jesus is talking about seeking God. he’s talking about the good gifts that God offers. Then he tells us the good gift. It is the Holy Spirit. He is the greatest gift ever given. Nothing we would want would ever compare.

1 Thessalonians 4:3: God’s will is our sanctification. (4:7) Impurity is the opposite of sanctification. Why can I think that I’m maturing when I live in impurity?

1 Chronicles 17:4: Even if it would look like you are doing something for God, don’t do it unless God says to.
1 Chronicles 17:16: Do I have this sense of awe about God letting us in on what he is doing?
1 Chronicles 21:3: Leaders must have wise people around and they must listen to them.
1 Chronicles 22:5 Instead of teaching his son, David provided for him. Teaching is always better than provision.
1 Chronicles 22:12: David prays for God to give Solomon insight and understanding. Maybe this has something to do with Solomon’s request for wisdom later. Parents, pray “big prayers” for your children–maybe God will actually answer.
1 Chronicles 29:9: The people rejoiced because of the leaders’ willingness to give. Leaders will inspire their people through example.
1 Chronicles 29:14: David praised God in absolute awe and wonder because God gave them the ability to give.

Psalm 130:3: If God considered sin, who would stand? No one.
Psalm 130:4: With God there is forgiveness. Why? So he can be revered.
Psalm 131: A Psalm of complete dependency.

Luke 9:21-27: Jesus will die. Those who follow him must also die. Both will also find life through death.
Luke 9:57-62: We have no category for this type of living in the American church. What category is that? Leave everything and follow Christ.

Colossians 3:17: When we die, our motives change. Everything is now done for God.
Colossians 4:3-4: Paul did not pray for safety or his life. He prayed for boldness. He prayed for open doors and the ability to go through them. This must be my prayer.
1 Thessalonians 1:6: They became imitators of them and the Lord. Can that be said of me? Despite severe persecution they welcomed the message. (1:7) Because of this they became an example.
1 Thessalonians 2:4: We speak to please God.
1 Thessalonians 2:14: Become imitators of God’s churches. How? Suffer.

Here are interviews from some of our crew that went to World Changers last week. I’m sorry I could not get everybody. That would make for a very long video! We’ll show this on Sunday night.

Over the past few weeks, and especially at World Changers, I have encouraged/challenged some people and the group as a whole to take a non-believer through a Gospel to show them what it means to be a Christ follower. Essentially, we are challenging them to gather with another person once per day (or school day) and read a chapter, share a few thoughts and then go about their day. I was really burdened with the fact that I’m telling people this, but do not have an outlet to accomplish it. I really want to train people in doing this. Me being able to meet with a group of people face-to-face daily to do this is not as practical as two students coming together before school or at lunch to accomplish this task.

That got me thinking, “Does it have to be face-to-face to be effective? Can we use the tool of technology to accomplish the goal of training others to use a Gospel to share the Gospel?” So I’ve worked through an experiment. For anyone who wants to (it can be a student or an adult. It can be someone in Heber or outside of Heber), we are going to go through a chapter of Mark each day. We will come together each day on facebook to share our experience. The ultimate goal is for those who do this to actually go and do it with someone else. It could flop. It could be great. The success is dependent on all of us actually doing it. For those who are interested, click HERE for a document that should answer any question that you may have about what we will be doing and accomplishing through this.

When you read the DOCUMENT and want to go through it, join the facebook group HERE. We will start on Monday, July 21.

• 2 Kings 24:3: God was in command of His people’s destruction. It was better to bring them to ruin than to wait for them to return.
• 2 Kings 25:27-30: A strange story to end on. A blind, captive king is pardoned, released and allowed a place of honor. I think this is a foreshadowing of God’s willingness to forgive a blind, captive nation.
• 1 Chronicles 4:9-10: Jabez means “He caused pain.” He tries to reverse his name by going to God. God causes our name to change from he causes pain to he causes blessing.
• 1 Chronicles 10:7: When the leaders fail to trust in God, it makes everyone else scared.
• 1 Chronicles 14: David inquired of the Lord prior to doing anything–even if it looked like he should do it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Why go to God? David wanted to make sure it was what God wanted.

• Psalm 123: Are our eyes on God just waiting on him to act? Do we wait on him to relieve the pressure?
• Psalm 125:1: Those who trust in the Lord are like mount Zion. It cannot be shaken; it remains forever. Israel’s stability is based on trusting in God. To trust, we must act.
• Psalm 126: “Our mouths were filled with laughter then, and our tongues with shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’” Maybe if we got laughter back in the church, the nations would say, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

• Luke 7:1-10: The centurion had faith in who Jesus said he was. He proved it by being a man of authority and lowering himself below Christ. He didn’t seek what he felt he was entitled to. He pleaded for mercy.
• Luke 7:11-17: In this story, Jesus acted out of pure mercy. He saw the situation and did something. Faith came because of the mercy Jesus showed.
• Luke 7:31-35: Those who are unresponsive will ascribe false characterizations on the righteous. However, everything will come to light in the end.
• Luke 7:36-50: It is when we realize that we are forgiven much that we go above and beyond in worshiping Christ. The Pharisee did none of the hospitality customs of the day. The sinful woman went above and beyond any custom.
• Luke 8:22-25: The disciples prayed for safety and Jesus rebuked them. They didn’t have faith that Jesus hadn’t completed his mission. They didn’t have faith they hadn’t completed their mission.

• Philippians 4:17: Paul doesn’t seek the gift, but he seeks the fruit God gives for them because of the gift.
• Philippians 4:19: Because they gave, Paul can say, with confidence, that God will supply every need of the Philippians.
• Colossians 1:6: The Gospel bears fruit. When shared it bears fruit. When accurately preached and taught, it bears fruit.
• Colossians 1:10: Paul prays that they bear fruit. This cannot happen outside of the gospel. If the gospel is not being preached, there is no fruit.
• Colossians 1:13-14: God has rescued us from darkness to transfer us into the kingdom. This happens because of redemption. This is forgiveness of sins.
• Colossians 1:15-23: The One who is above all reconciled everything to himself. He reconciled me, though alienated and hostile in mind, and made me holy, blameless and faultless.
• Colossians 2:3: What if we actually lived like Christ had all wisdom and knowledge? We would think more about him. We would follow him closer. We would live out Colossians 2:6-7 and 3:1-2.
• Colossians 2:23: Rules do nothing to promote godliness and holiness. Christ alone produces righteousness. We died to all of the rules. We now live in Christ.
• Colossians 3:1-14: The only way to find victory over sin and rules is to seek what is above. We put to death what is not of him. We put on what is him.