Turn to Exodus 20, turn to Exodus 20.
This is what the Bible says about altars.
An altar of earth, verse 24, Exodus 20, 24, an altar of earth shalt thou make unto me
and shalt sacrifice there on thy burnt offerings.
Does it say sacrifice your tears?
No.
And thy peace offerings, thy sheep and thine oxen, in all places where I record my name
I will come unto thee and bless thee.
So that's what God says about altars, okay?
In verse 25 it says, And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build
of it hewn stone, for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it, neither
shalt thou go up my steps unto my altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
So you're not supposed to make it with steps.
We got two steps right here.
So is this an altar?
No.
Is any Baptist church that has steps, is that an altar?
No.
If you put a tool upon it, you polluted it.
It says that you'll make an altar of stone, that it's hewn stone, build it of hewn stone.
You're not supposed to lift a tool upon it.
So would you have to put a hammer and nails, you know, to make this platform right here?
Yes you would.
So, and you can make them out of earth.
That's the two ways that God said you could do it.
And you know, Elijah did it, you know, when he faced off against the prophets of Baal,
he made an altar the way God said to make it.
But you know, the thing I want to point out is that the altar was made, you know, so that
you can put your sacrifices on it, right?
Burnt sacrifices.
So turn to Hebrews 10.
Hebrews 10, verse 1.
And I know that there's no way that I'm going to be able to get all these in, but I want
to get some of them in, okay?
Hebrews 10.
This is very important, this is meaty stuff, so pay attention, okay?
For the law, verse 1, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of
the things, can never, with those sacrifices which they offered year by year, continually
make the corners, the comers perfect, therefore, they aren't too perfect, excuse me.
For then would they not have ceased to be offered, because that the worshippers once
purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins, wherefore,
when he cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifice an offering thou wouldest not, but a body
hast thou prepared me.
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, thou hast had no pleasure.
Then said I, lo, I come, and the volume of the book is written of me, to do thy will,
O God.
Above that, he said, sacrifice an offering, a burnt offering, an offering for sin, thou
wouldest not, neither hath pleasure therein, which are offered by the law.
Then said he, lo, I am come to do thy will, O God, he taketh away the first, that he may
establish the second.
So God's taken away that first, that way that they were supposed to sacrifice on these altars,
so that he could establish the second, so we're talking about Christ here.
By that which we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once
and for all.
So there is no more altars, okay?
All those altar sacrifices are done with in the Old Testament.
Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the burnt sacrifice.
John the Baptist said, behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.