September 28th, 2008 ~ The Altar: Where Sacrifices are Made / Bringing IT Back 4

Sermon Notes for Small Group Leaders
The Altar: Where Sacrifices are Made / Bringing IT Back 4
Teaching Pastor, Jim Zippay
September 28, 2008
Scripture Passage: Genesis 22:1-14; Genesis 12:7-8; Genesis 15:17; Genesis 17:7-10; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25; Colossians 2:11-12; Romans 8:32; Hebrews 11:6, 17-19;

Outline
I. A Verbal Sacrifice – Words of Worship (Gen. 12:8)
II. A Tangible Sacrifice – Acts of Worship (Gen. 15:17)
III. A Personal Sacrifice – Faith of Worship (Gen 22:1-14)

Content
1. An altar is a place or space where you respond to God in worship, honoring Him above all else
2. The first thing Abraham did after encountering God was build an altar as a place to continue the relationship, making this a priority even when he moved.
3. Statements of faith, creeds, public confessions have always been a vital part of worship because that’s how people know what God you believe in, follow, and worship
4. Abraham followed up his words with actions (animal sacrifices, financial offerings, etc)
5. Knowing that everything you have is a gift, turns the act of giving into worship
6. God established His covenant with Abraham, committing Himself to Abraham and his descendants, and they had to make a commitment to him. The sign of this covenant was circumcision.
7. God established His covenant with us – Jesus died for our sins. Baptism is the sign of this new covenant, which marks us as one of His followers.
8. When we’ve made the step to follow God, He will often press His finger on what’s most precious to us and tell us to lay it down.
9. Never hold anything back from God as an offering of worship for you will never give more to Him than He has already given to you in Christ

Aim
We follow God with sacrifices of words, actions, and faith, honoring Him above and before everything, giving up anything that He requires – no matter how precious - because it’s all a gift and the Impossible Giver is always trustworthy.

Application Questions
I. Have you made honoring and acknowledging God above everything a priority in your life? If not, what are some steps you could take to make this a reality?
II. What are some gifts you have received from God that you consider precious?
III. What is God pressing you to give up or lay down?
IV. What confidence does Romans 8:32 give us in the face of tests and trials?