Altar Time Will Alter You A Message for Men in 2024

Sacrifice is not the frequent subject matter of our church seminars, men’s meetings, or a popular topic on the podcasts or other social media. What do you think would be the reaction if the local pastor were to announce, with an animated tone, “the next sermon series will be titled More Effective Personal Sacrifice!” Most likely a majority of the flock would think about running for the hills. Of course, this would not be the reaction in your church, but why would this be the reaction in many of our churches?

Several of the more obvious factors could be materialism, secular humanism, religionism, narcissism, etc., but there is nothing new with these “isms”. My suggestion is that the simple answer may be hidden in the word “sacrifice”. Words really do have a meaning; so, could it be that we simply do not understand the meaning of the word sacrifice?

Sacrifice is formed from two words sacer, meaning “holy” and fiacre meaning “to make”. Sacer is the root word for “sacred” and fiacre is a root word for “factory”. From this we can see that in the Old Covenant certain articles and animals were “made holy” by becoming offerings to God.

Sacrifice is one of those Genesis Principles that we first see with Noah in Genesis 8:20 and secondly with, the more familiar, Abraham in Genesis 22:2. In both cases these men first “built and altar” to offer a sacrifice to God. In Noah’s case, “taking some of the clean animals and birds…” and in Abraham’s case God said to take, “your only son Isaac whom you love…and offer him as a burnt offering”.

In The New Covenant we of course have Jesus, the Son whom God loved, offering Himself, not only as a sacrifice for our redemption, but as a model for us to follow and emulate. The familiar texts of: Romans 12:1, “presenting our bodies as living sacrifices”; and 1 Peter 2:5, “you also as living stones…to offer up spiritual sacrifices”; and Philippians 2:17, “I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice…of your faith”; all describe a pattern for emulating Jesus by living a life of serving God and serving others.

In such an ethos a member of the masculine gender, such as a husband, father, or brother, no longer clings to a self-absorbed life but rather becomes a skilled altar builder. Specifically, here is what Jesus said the mission entailed: If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

At every man’s crossroad we are confronted by Jesus with this paradox of losing our life in order to save it. This is not a call to impale ourselves on a spear but rather to become a skilled altar builder. The word Jesus uses for life is psuche meaning our heart and soul. This is the same word He used to describe his own priorities in John 10:11, “the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep”, his heart and soul.

One thing is very clear, after Abraham “did” Genesis 22:2 his entire destiny was changed as his altar time altered him, and the course of history. In the same way, when we men “do” Romans 12:1 then we can begin to experience Romans 12:2 and experience this paradox more fully, altar time will alter you.

Here are some questions to ask yourself today: What is my skill level at “altar building”, do I really desire to increase this skill? Am I willing to place my life, as a living sacrifice, on this altar? Am I intentional to bask in His presence? Will I offer my heart and soul in the service of my God, my family, and others? Altar time will alter you and that will be a game changer! Our wives and our children will rejoice! The Church will be strengthened, our culture will be transformed and yes, “righteousness exalts a nation!”

Developed by: Barney Barnes, Warrior Spirit Ministries, 05-15-2024