We live in a place wherethere is never enough. . . money, toys, gadgets, popularity and recently, toilet paper.

Everything we want in life comes with a sacrifice. What will you sacrifice to get it?

The ever-diminishing kingdom of the world charges more and more for less and less.

Jesus flipped the idea of an altar on its head!

The altar that should have taken His life only freed Him from death.

Now, the New Testament altar is one of freedom, rest, hope, and most of all LIFE!

Anything placed on this altar is released from bondage and returned with exponential dividends.

Altars Are About The High Cost Of Living!
They Have Always Been About Living Free From the Past.

Old Testament altars resolved the past so the future could come into focus. Abraham built an altar when he left home to follow God and arrived in the Canaan land.

He built another altar near Bethel (house of God).

These altars were about letting something go to God.

They capture the act of repentance in a metaphor; the sacrifice was released so that the future could be pursued.

They Have Always Been About Living Free From Bondage.
Israel Consumed the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:46).

This wasn’t just a ritual, it was a meal.

But it was a meal that more than sustained.

It broke the backs of their oppressors. It fueled the exodus.

100’s of thousands of Hebrews loaded their stuff and marched out of Egypt with the spoils of war.

They never fired a weapon, threw a spear, or attacked anyone.

They ate from an altar, from a sacrifice and walked out in freedom.

They Have Always Been About Living in General.
Old Testament priests lived from the sacrifices made upon the altar.

God intended His chosen priests to live from the sacrifices.

The sacrifices sustained and blessed the priesthood.

Because God chose them and set them apart to serve the Lord.

And, All These Altars are about Jesus!
Jesus blew everyone’s mind when He claimed to BE all of the altars and images.

Jesus was the Passover lamb (1 Cor 5:7-8).
He was the manna (John 6:35).
Jesus’ death saves us and His life sustains and empowers us.

Even though this is wonderful, there is a rub.

Jesus Wasn’t Enough for Them.
They began to pine for the “free” food in Egypt.

They forgot what it cost them.

They forgot that the “free” food of Egypt did not give them life, it merely prolonged their death.

It was the softcover, wrapping their chains.

It wasn’t manna they were sick of, they were sick of Jesus.

Do we get sick of God’s answer, feeling it is somehow old or insufficient?

Could this be the key to our lack, our constant desire for more?

Thank God there is an altar that sustains us.

It has only ONE DEATH, and now means LIFE FOREVER.

Sacrifices That Make Your Future!
(Hebrews 13:8-16) (NLT)
Our Sacrifice Of Strength.

We can’t earn grace. It is a free gift.

This isn’t about what I can do. It’s about what Christ has done.

This isn’t about my plans, efforts, or ingenuity. It’s about Christ’s supply.

If finally giving up on saving yourself will save your soul, what else needs to be given up (sacrificed) for a breakthrough?

Our Sacrifice of Pride.
Jesus is the only answer.

The one accused, stripped, beaten, and crucified, is our Lord.

The condemned criminal is our Lord, Savior, and Commander.

He is our only hope.

Your Sacrifice of Praise To God.
We often ask God for forgiveness, blessing, miracles, healing, etc., but we seldom praise Him for what He HAS given.

Praise Him for forgiveness.

Praise Him for a relationship.

More praising. Less grumbling and complaining.

They are poisonous vipers to your soul, but you need only look to Jesus.

Your Sacrifice of Good Toward Others.
What is it costing us to bless others?

Does God want you to go without in order to bless others?

God is looking for people to bless who He knows will bless others.

What if the things we sacrifice are the only things we truly receive?

Jesus is God’s Only Answer.
And it is an incredible answer.

It is a wondrous, infinite, bottomless, miraculous answer.

Jesus is wonderful, and He is yours. He is your altar that gives real life.

Talk About It...

1. Review Hebrews 13:8-16 and highlight or mark the words or phrases that stand out to you.
2. Share a time that there just wasn’t enough of something in your life? What did you try to do to get enough? What did you learn from that experience?
3. Share a turning point in your life that completely changed your direction or purpose? How do you “memorialize” it? Who do you share it with? Why? When?
4 Discuss the phrase, “Jesus wasn’t enough for them.” Why did they dislike the manna? Why was that so offensive to God? Do we ever believe that we need more than Jesus? Why?
5. How is someone strengthened by Grace? What does that mean? What are some ways we try to strengthen ourselves with rules?
6. How does our pride keep us apart from Jesus? From God?
7. How could we praise instead of complain, grumble or worry?
8. Share your thoughts on the phrase “Jesus is God’s Only Answer”
9. Is there anything in today’s topic that you would be excited to share with a friend?

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