God Said It I Respond (The Altar Of Prayer) | Jabin Chavez | City Light Church

Summary

Podcast Summary: God Said It, I Respond (The Altar of Prayer)

City Light Church Las Vegas | Jabin Chavez
Date: August 3, 2025
Episode Theme:
This episode launches a new series, “Altars,” focusing on the life of Abraham and the spiritual practice of building “altars” as moments and places of response to God’s speaking. Pastor Jabin Chavez explores what it means to live by faith, hear from God, and establish daily, visible, and legacy-making altars of prayer and devotion in our lives.

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Main Themes & Purpose

• Understanding Altars:
  Exploring the biblical practice of building altars, particularly in Abraham’s life, as a response to God’s voice—moments of worship, memorial, sacrifice, and spiritual significance.
• Hearing God’s Voice:
  God is a speaking God, and faith is rooted in listening for His Word rather than seeking signs.
• Practical Application:
  How Christians today can build “altars”—practical, visible, and lasting places or habits of prayer and worship in response to God.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Abraham as a Prototype of Faith (00:00–04:38)

• Abraham’s Four Altars: Jabin sets up the series by noting that Abraham had four major encounters with God, each marked by building an altar.
• Everyone Needs an Altar:
  “Every Christian needs an altar. Abel had an altar. Noah had an altar. Abraham had an altar. Jacob had an altar. David had an altar. Elijah had an altar. Yes, even Jesus had an altar—the place where he would pray…” (01:03)
• The altar is a place to remember, worship, sacrifice, and thank God—a pattern for all believers.

2. God Speaks—Our Response is to Build an Altar (04:38–12:50)

• “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”
  Jabin emphasizes that the foundation of a fruitful Christian life is the conviction that God speaks, and that we must respond.
• Contrasting Western and Eastern Spirituality:
  “I speak to a Western culture who lives by sight and by senses, and…loves signs. Give me a sign. That’s not what God does. God speaks.” (06:14)
• God Is Not a System:
  “God is not a system. He’s a person…God is a speaking spirit, and so are you.” (08:38)
• Faith Comes by Hearing:
  “Faith comes…by hearing and hearing the Word of God.” (09:35)
• The true response to God's word is not just belief, but action—a memorial, an altar, a visible mark.

3. Stop Seeking Signs and Start Listening (11:00–14:46)

• Don’t Miss God by Looking for Signs:
  Jabin admonishes the church: “While many are looking for signs and wonders, we need to be listening for a word.” (10:29)
• Realignment to God’s Ways:
  Citing Isaiah 55, he emphasizes that God’s ways and thoughts require us to adjust, realign, and repent rather than trying to fit God into our own systems.
• No Shortcuts to Encounter:
  Invites the church to stop rushing out after sermons; “You cannot receive from the Holy Spirit with a hurried spirit.” (14:20)

4. The Altar Must Be Daily (14:46–18:46)

• Personal Application:
  Giving God daily time—whatever you can afford, even 5–15 minutes—lays the foundation for ongoing relationship and blessing.
• “No waste at the altar.” – (16:57)
  “When you give God time, there's no waste at the altar. God gives you more time; God gives you ideas; God gives you favor…What you can’t work out on your own, you give that to God and then God inserts an idea.” (16:22–16:57)
• Invitation for Renewal:
  “You can rebuild an altar…don’t be condemned today. Rebuild an altar.” (17:15)
• Revival Starts at the Altar:
  “If the church would build an altar, God will send revival to the nation.” (18:02)
• Modern Day Evidence:
  City Light’s growth is attributed not to human effort but to building an altar—a culture of prayer and response.

5. Altars Must Be Visible/Physical (21:03–27:55)

• Faith Should Be Seen and Experienced:
  “There should be some parts of our faith that are seen…physical obedience brings spiritual breakthroughs.” (21:14)
• Make Your Altar a Real Space:
  Jabin gives examples—his own prayer chair; visible, tangible practices like communion, giving, serving, and water baptism.
• Illustration of Consistency:
  Uses a humorous gym/food analogy to illustrate: “See, some of you go, I can do whatever I want—I went to church this week. I don’t need an altar. I went to church.” (20:44)
• Evidence of Changed Heart:
  Acts 2:37 cited—real faith produces a visible outward transformation, not just internal change.

Notable Quote:

“If something’s happened in your heart, it’ll begin to change your life.” (26:12)

• Challenge to Take Action:
  “Stop praying about being baptized. Just, let’s go, let’s do it. I don’t know if I’m ready—you’re not ready to do anything for God. We’re never ready. God never asks, ‘Are you ready?’ He asks, ‘Are you willing to obey?’” (25:58)
• Legacy in Action:
  “Parents, your kids will see you get baptized…that memory is going to be tattooed on their spirit forever.” (29:25)

6. The Altar is Legacy: For Future Generations (27:55–41:30)

• Your Altar Outlives You:
  Retells how Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, stumbled into the same altar Abraham made, showing how a spiritual legacy blesses the generations.
• The Seed of the Righteous:
  “The seed of the righteous shall be delivered. Not even the righteous—the seed of the righteous. Just because your kids are part of a righteous family, God says, ‘I’m going to treat them differently because of the covenant they’re under…’” (34:20)
• Altar as Testimony:
  “Your altar becomes the testimony that leads your children to the Lord.” (37:12)
• Don’t Fear the Future:
  Invites all who are burdened to entrust their future to God—your actions now become the hope and deliverance of generations.
• No Waste at the Altar:
  “Every tear you cried, every time you served, every time you gave…There’s no waste at the altar. God sees all of it. God will honor all of it.” (41:10)

Memorable Moment:

“Nothing has been wasted at the altar. Nothing. Your life is not a waste. The season that you just sowed was not a waste.” (41:30)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Every person of faith needs an altar.” (01:03)
• “God is a speaking God. God is a promise giver and a promise keeper. And God does what He does by speaking.” (08:18)
• “You cannot receive from the Holy Spirit with a hurried spirit.” (14:20)
• “No waste at the altar.” (16:57, 41:10)
• “Physical obedience brings spiritual breakthroughs.” (21:14)
• On legacy: “You’re building an altar for your children and for your grandchildren, and you won’t ever even see the fullness of the harvest of your obedience.” (34:20)
• On generational impact:
  “Your altar becomes the testimony that leads your children to the Lord.” (37:12)
• Encouragement to the struggling:
  “Don’t give up on your life. Don’t quit on your family. Don’t quit on God…Your life is not a waste. The season that you just sowed was not a waste.” (38:51, 41:30)

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Essential Timestamps

• 00:00–04:38 – Introduction to “Altars” and Abraham’s example
• 04:39–12:50 – God speaks—faith is built by hearing, not seeing; the Western struggle to listen
• 14:46–18:46 – “Altars must be daily”; no waste at the altar; how to consecrate daily time
• 21:03–27:55 – “Altars must be visible”; physical actions that mark our faith; practical examples
• 27:55–41:30 – The altar as legacy; generational blessing; testimony; encouragement for those fearing the future

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Conclusion: Action Steps

• Build a Daily Altar:
  Commit to daily time with God, however brief.
• Make It Visible:
  Let your faith be seen in your life—through serving, giving, prayer, worship, taking steps like baptism.
• Think Legacy:
  Recognize your obedience today will impact descendants you may never meet.
• Don’t Rush the Encounter:
  Slow down, respond to God—don’t treat time in church as routine or hurried.

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This summary is designed to provide a comprehensive, structured overview, key moments, and actionable insights for anyone seeking to understand and apply the teaching—even if they did not listen to the episode in full.

Transcript

[A]

In Romans, Chapter four, we're starting a series called Altars. We're really going to be focusing on the life of Abraham. Romans 4 tells us that Abraham is the father of our faith. He is the person that we look to as an example of what it means to walk by faith, live by faith, trust God, live for God. What to do when you make mistakes. What to do when you're. When you're at your best. Abraham is our father in the faith. During his journey, he had four important encounters with God. And they were all accompanied by him building an altar. Everybody say, build an altar. You might also read in the scripture a memorial. It's a place that you remember. It's a place that you worship. It's a place that you sacrifice and thank God for what God's doing in your life. Every person of faith needs an altar. Every Christian needs an altar. Abel had an altar. Noah had an altar. Abraham had an altar. Jacob had an altar. David had an altar. Elijah had an altar. Yes, even Jesus had an altar. The place where he would pray. The place where he would spend time with the Father. The place that he would be spiritually refreshed before he would do ministry. You need an altar. So we're going to look at the first two of four of Abraham's altars. This is Genesis, chapter 12, verse one. Everybody say, speak to me, Lord. I'm listening. Amen. Now the Lord said to Abram, get out of your country, from your family, from your father's house to the land. I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great. And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you. I will curse those who curse you. And in all you, the families of the earth shall be blessed. How many know? That's good news already. Amen. Because Galatians 3 tells us we're the seed of Abraham. So now this, the promise you just read, is for you. It's not just for the nation of Israel. It's for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because now we are the seed of Abraham. So Abram departed. He would become Abraham. Departed as the Lord spoke to him. And Lot went with him. And Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai, who would become Sarah, his wife, and Lot, his brother's son or his nephew. And all the possessions they had gathered and the people whom they had acquired in Haran. And they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the Land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as Tereba, the tree of Moreh, and the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said to your descendants, I will give this land. Think about that. To your descendants, I will give this land. And there, look at his response. God speaks to him. Look at his response. He built an altar to the Lord who appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel. And he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and AI on the east. And there he built another altar to the Lord. And he called on the name the Lord. Today we're going to look at these first two altars that Abraham built. And I want to talk today about God said it. I respond. God said it, I respond. Everybody say, God said it. I believe it. That settles it. Amen. Can I get an amen in the house? Amen. Amen. Thank you, brother. I want to go back to verse one, because there is a key here in the first verse that is going to be the foundation for your entire Christian life. If you miss this, you will miss what God is doing in your life. And you'll miss God if you miss this one truth. You're going to have to settle this. You don't have to believe it, but if you want to serve God and if you want a fruitful relationship with God, and if you want to see a move of God in your life, you're going to have to settle this. First thing in verse one, the Lord said, you're going to have to settle this because this is what God does in our life. God speaks. So I speak to a Western culture who lives by sight and by senses, and to a Western culture that loves signs. Give me a sign. That's not what God does. God speaks. And in the west, we're driven by our senses. We're driven by what we can see, what we can feel, what we can taste, what we can smell. But God is a speaking God. The vast majority of atheists in the world live in the west because they're driven by their senses. It's very rare to find a atheist in the east, in Africa, in Asia, in the Middle East. Why? Because they're more spiritual. And let me just remind you of this. This book is from the East. You know, it wasn't written in Europe, wasn't written in America. This is not a Western book, it's an Eastern book. But what we've done is we've tried to Westernize the Bible. We actually have a study called Systematic Theology. As if you could put God in a system. God is not a system. He's a person. God is not a subject. He's a person. God is not an idea or historical rumor or a book that you read. God is a person. He is a spirit, and he is a speaking spirit. By the way, you're made in the image of God. He is a speaking spirit, and so are you. So the Lord said, God is a speaking God. God is a promise giver and a promise keeper. And God does what he does by speaking. God creates by speaking. God heals by speaking. And God does miracles by speaking. Speaking. God said, let there be light, and there was light God. God said he sent His Word and it healed them. Psalm 107 Matthew 8. By his word he cast out devils. God is a speaking. This is really important. I know it might not feel important or it might feel obvious, but while. While most of us are looking for God, we need to be listening for God. By the way, faith now is only possible because God speaks. Scripture says, how can anyone be saved? How can anyone call on the name of the Lord without a preacher? In other words, you can't even call on Jesus unless a word goes out. Romans 10:17. Faith comes, faith enters, faith moves, faith appears in our life by hearing and hearing the Word of God. This lets me know that any belief system that is not founded on the Word and is not based in the Word is not faith. It could be sincere and it might even look religious, but it's not faith. We actually have things like, you know, there's these interfaith councils, and you have your faith and I have my faith. There's actually only one faith. The Apostle Paul says, there's one faith and it comes from Jesus. Meaning every other religious system that is not based on Scripture is actually not faith. It's man's attempt at God, not man receiving what God is saying. So while many are looking for signs and wonders, we need to be listening for a word. Now, everything I just said really matters. Because if you reject that, you'll miss God. You'll just miss him because you're looking for him instead of listening, looking for a sign instead of listening. We love signs. Lord, give me a sign. He don't do that. He rarely does that. But what most of us do is we actually live our life. And then we try to find signs and we try to find confirmations instead of settling. The word is this. I'm not lost. I know exactly where I'm Going. I know I haven't preached in a month, but I know where I'm at. I'm just taking the scenic route. Is that all right? I left ways and I left my notes, apparently. Just flowing right now a little bit. Okay. For a second. I'm just. I'm off the maps app for a moment. Okay. Praise the Lord. We're on uncharted territory right now. Okay, so all of this really matters. See, Isaiah 55 says, his ways aren't our ways, his thoughts aren't our thoughts. We usually only use that scripture when trying to settle a tragedy. So a tragedy happens and we go, well, you know, his ways aren't our ways, his thoughts aren't our thoughts. But that's not what it's about. It's actually about God saying, if you're going to receive from me, you've got to align your ways to my ways, and you've got to align your thoughts to my thoughts. Meaning you cannot fit me into your western box. You're going to have to realign. Or we could say repent, rethink. And we're going to have to now come into how God does things. So we can't fit him into our model. We've got to fit into his model because God said, I am the Lord and I do not change. So though in 2025 in the west, things be changing daily, God don't change. I'm liking this so far. So God speaks. God speaks. We. When he works, he speaks. When he revives, he speaks. When he moves, he speaks. God is a speaking spirit. So now what do we do in response to His Word? How do I respond to the voice of God? To the word of God, to the leading of God? Watch this. I build an altar. Abraham hears a word from God and he builds an altar. Now, I want you to catch this. God never told him build an altar. But Abraham was wise enough and smart enough to respond. Build a memorial place. Build a place of worship. Sacrifice giving, a place where he would connect with God. He was wise enough to say, God speaking to me. I'm gonna build a place here to remember this so I don't forget this. And I'm also gonna treat it so sacredly that God knows that he can trust me with the next word. I won't be casual with it. I will treat this as so sacred so God knows that he can always trust me with the Word. Because God doesn't waste words, by the way. This is why we worship at the end of the Word, so that you have an altar Moment where you can respond to what God's saying to you. For some of you, it's a competition. How can I get out of this building the fastest and beat the traffic? Honestly, if that's. You got to stop with that. You got to stop coming to church. Hurried. If you're going to do that, just watch at home. I'm serious. Now. You're here, so I'm obviously not talking to you. I'm talking to the person. I'm talking to you. No, but don't get that spirit about you, because you'll be more obsessed about getting to the brunch than getting the word. And then. And then you'll leave and go. You know, Jabin was off today. I wasn't off today. You were just singing about mimosas. You ought to be settled enough to stay till we dismiss. You know, some of y' all looking for the exit. As soon as I say stand, you're like, all right, we're out of here. Like, we don't see you. Don't let your reward be you. Beat the traffic. Just settle in, wait in line. Get your kids, pull out. Take your amen. Because, you know, just lie and act like you agree with me. Amen. Just like, oh, yeah, amen. That's never us, Pastor, because you'll actually. If you get a hurried. You cannot receive from the Holy Spirit with a hurried spirit. I haven't said that all day. I haven't said that all weekend. I'm saying it right now. So just settle in. Cracker Barrel will be there when you're done. Amen. It will be Chick fil A will still be closed. Gotta wait till tomorrow. So just settle in. Build an altar. We want to create a space and a place where God knows he can always meet with us. All right, so let's talk about the altar number one. The altar must be daily. It's daily. The altar is daily. So God gives Abraham a word. He gives him a promise. He tells him what he's about to do in his life. And Abraham responds not with, well, we'll see. Nope. He responds by building an altar, a place that caused God continue to speak to him. See, we say, abraham's the father of our faith. The reason he had great faith is because God kept talking. But the reason God kept talking is because Abraham had an altar. He sacrificed, he worshiped, he built a place. And God knew I can continue to speak to him. So God is always speaking. The question is, are we listening? Now? Let me. Let me say this real quick. Let me say this To a busy dad and to a tired mom and to a business owner and to whatever you're going to a college student. Listen, God knows you're busy. God knows your schedule. So I want you to understand this. If you would cut out time and give it to God, not only would it honor God, but I understand for some of you it might be 10 minutes. A lot of you don't have the schedule I have. I can give God an entire day. I can go into my office back there and I can turn on the worship music and I can open the word and I can give God hour after hour after hour and I do so that I can bring you a word. I understand you can't do that. I understand you can't look at your boss and say, I'm missing the meeting today because I need to go have time with God. No, you're going to get fired. But I am saying give God something. Give God five minutes. Wait. If you, if you normally wake up at 5:30, wake up at 5. If you normally wake up at 7, wake up at 6:45 even, just give him a moment that says, God, this is my altar, this is my worship space. This is my sacred space.

[B]

And watch God meet you at the. There's no way, there's no waste at the altar. See, when you cut cut covenant with God, when you cut time out of.

[A]

Your 24 hour day and you say.

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This is not for Netflix, this is.

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Not for TikTok, this is not for whatever else. This is not to go doom scroll.

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On Amazon to see what other item you don't need.

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But when you cut covenant with God and you cut time out of your.

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24 hour day and you say, God.

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This 15 minutes belongs to you. This 30 minutes belongs to you.

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This 45, whatever it is, you give that to God.

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Let me tell you what God says. I'll restore the years. I'll give you more time when it doesn't make sense.

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But when you give God time, there's no waste at the altar. God gives you more time. God gives you ideas. God gives you favor. God gives you business plans. God gives you a strategy for your marriage. God gives you a strategy for your children. What you can't work out on your own, you give that to God and then God inserts an idea. No waste at the altar. Everybody say, no waste at the altar.

[A]

I felt that in my bones right there. My goosebumps just got goosebumps.

[B]

Some of you are trying to do this in the flesh. God said, it's not by might it's not by power, it's by my spirit. If you gave God a little bit of time.

[A]

And by the way, you can rebuild an altar. Some of you don't be condemned today. Rebuild an altar. Elijah said I got to rebuild the altar. In First Kings, the nation needed revival. Elijah built an altar. I want you to notice this. He wasn't worried about Ahab and Jezebel. God was going to deal with them. He said we have to build an altar. And if we build an altar, God will deal with the nation.

[B]

Let me tell you, Democrat and Republican.

[A]

And MAGA and independent and anyone in between in this room, God will deal with the nation. We need to build an altar.

[B]

I'm not nearly as worried about the White House as I'm worried about God's house. And if the church would build an altar, God will send revival to the nation. If the church would pray, God will fix the nation. If the church would have a hot altar, God will do something in America. By the way, revival's happening in America. Churches are growing, churches are exploding. Gen Z's coming to Jesus. They're saying Gen Z is the most Christian generation they've ever seen. Can we give God some praise in this place? For the first time in decades, the church in America is growing again.

[A]

Look at this. Look at in Vegas. 7 year old church, 26 million dollar building full of people, hundreds of people a weekend coming to Christ. Is that because I'm special? No, it's because we built an altar. Hallelujah. My God, I feel the Holy Ghost in this room today. I feel power. I feel breakthrough. I feel like God's doing something in your life right now. Come on, we gotta build an altar. Abraham had great faith because he had a hot altar. Hallelujah. And when you connect Sunday's inspiration to daily devotion, you become an unstoppable force for God and for good in the earth. When you take this hour and 15 minutes and you team it up with an altar, something amazing happens. Something awesome happens. Something incredible happens. I heard this illustration recently. It's not in my notes. I haven't told it today, but I just saw Dan Ige on the front row and it just reminded me of something. You know, Dan Ige and I, we both work out, we both cold plunge, we both sauna. We don't look the same. See, I work out and I cold plunge and I sauna so I can eat and I go to in n out and I say I could have a double double. I worked out today. Watch. Dan says I can't Have a double double today. I worked out today. Don't add insult to my injury. I say I can have that extra scoop of ice cream. I went in the sauna today. Dan says I can't have that ice cream. I went to the sauna today. See the difference? See the difference. See, some of you go, I can do whatever I want. I went to church this week. I don't need an altar. I went to church, but I'm looking for some people. And I went to church this week. I got to build an altar. I got my praise on this week. I got to build an altar.

[B]

I got to take what's happening at God's house and I got to bring it to my house. And one of these days my diet.

[A]

Is going to match my workout. But not today. Number two, the altar must be physical. Here's what I mean. It's got to actually. It's got to show up. See, not everything about your life should just be explained. Our faith should also be seen by people. People should be able to see your faith. You shouldn't just be able to tell it. People should be able to see it. When Abraham built an altar, it was seen and experienced. Physical obedience brings spiritual breakthroughs. There's things we should do. And let me explain this to you. Like when I say build an altar, I don't mean physically go build something with stones in your house. But I do mean, like, there should be something that can be experienced. Like, I have a room. I do. I have a chair. I have a prayer chair. It's a big, ugly, brown lazy boy recliner that my wife will not let out of the office. Cause it's hideous. But it's my chair. I write my sermons in that chair. I pray in that chair. I've heard God in that chair. I've obeyed the Holy Spirit in that. For me, it's actually a place. When I tell Goldie I'm gonna go study, she knows where I'm going. I want you to capture that. Like, there should be some parts of our faith that are seen. Let me explain this to you. Like, in our Christianity, there's things that are seen. Communion is seen. We feel it and we eat it. And we're able to touch it. Why? Because it's something that is natural and spiritual. It's not a mid service snack. I'm actually probably a little more Catholic than I am Christian when it comes to communion. I think it's really sacred. And like, I think something supernatural is happening in the communion. I think it's a big deal. The anointing with oil. We're not just placing oil. We actually think something's happening because the scripture commands us to do it. Marriage. Marriage is a covenant, not a contract. By the way, God defined marriage. And God created marriage, not America. So America can't define it or create it. America can't tell us what marriage is or is not because God created it. Giving. How many know giving, man? It leaves you. It's real. Like, I mean, you know, you hit the QR code and give, and you're like, wow, I gave. And then it actually leaves your account. You're like, jabin stole from me. Jabin J. I'm gonna sue. I don't know how I'm gonna sue this man of God serving. You don't just have a servant's heart, man. I'd love to serve, but I just. No, no, no. You do it. Those guys out in the parking lot today, helping us park in 110 degrees. That. That they. They see it and you see it. And aren't we grateful for them? Feel it. Water baptism. We have water baptism next week. I want to challenge you to get water baptized. I've been thinking about it. Stop thinking about it. I've been praying about it. Stop praying about it. Just, let's go. Let's do it. I don't know if I'm ready. You're not ready to do anything for God. We're never ready. God never asks, are you? Are you ready? Obey, he says. Are you willing to obey? There's a difference. And look at Acts, chapter two. I want you to see this. Peter preaches the gospel, and the people, they heard this. Acts 2:37, and they were cut to the heart. I want you to notice this. This is on the inside. We are inside out people. We don't change on the outside. First, there has to be a heart transformation. So they're cut to the heart. That's the inside. And then they said, what must we do? That's the outside. So we're not outside in, we're inside out. We don't serve and tithe and stop drinking and stop cussing and be better person. Now I'm a good person. No, we're not outside in people. We've been transformed. But now there's something in our heart that says, all right, what do I do, preacher? Tell me what to do, and I'll do it. Because God's doing something in my heart. Be a better husband. You got it. Be a better father. Be a better parent. Amen. I'll do it. You Want me to serve? Amen. You want me to get. You want me to. Because something deep in our heart is happening. And now because it's happening in our heart, it shows up in our feet. What must we do now? Peter doesn't say, hey, it's all about the heart. Don't worry about it. No, he says, here's what you do. Here's what you do with heart transformation. Repent of your sin, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He says, if something's happened in your heart, it'll begin to change your life if you've been saved, if God has saved you. And maybe you got baptized as a kid or at a different season of your life, but now you're all in for God. I encourage you. Next week I want to put it up on the screen. I want you to get baptized next week. Week we're offering baptisms at our Saturday night service. This is your sign. Oh, wait, we don't do signs. Huh? Yeah. This is your word. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is. This is your word. I needed a word today. Here it is. Jump in the water. By the way, it's not a Holy Ghost pool party. Something actually happens. It's not a Jesus pool party. We actually believe, according to Acts 22, that when we are baptized, we leave sin in the water. I don't know what all that means, but I know something happens. The same way that communion is more than a meal. The way that marriage is more than a contract. The way that the anointing of oil is more than traditional. The way that giving is more than just giving to a non profit, it's actually making a covenant with God in the. Come on, somebody. In the same way, when I get baptized, something leaves me in the water and I. And I died about old life. And I'm raised in a new life and I'd like a few phones to get out right now and hit that QR code because I'm believing God for hundreds of people to get baptized. By the way, in the month of September, we're going to go back to the prisons and we're going to baptize of hundreds, hundreds and hundreds of incarcerated people that are saying, we're watching online.

[B]

Pastor, and God's doing a work in.

[A]

Our heart and we want to go public. And I see every one of you and we're coming soon and I can't wait and we all love you. I want you to hear that. We love you. So doing does not save us, but doing does reveal a change of the heart. By the way, I'm just going to go a little further because I'm hammering this nail. Parents, your kids will see you get baptized. They'll see it, dad. They'll see you all awkward in line in your shorts with your white legs, waiting. And then you walk up, and then you get in that water and you humble yourself, and someone's going to be in that water with you. I don't know who it's going to be, but someone's going to look at you and say, have you made Jesus Lord of your life? And in front of your kids and in front of your wife and in front of your family, in front of your friends, in front of the world, you're going to say, yes, Jesus is. I'm not Lord. Jesus is Lord. And because of that confession of faith, we're going to baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. And in that moment, you're going to die to your old life. You're going to be raised in a new life, and that memory is going to be tattooed on their spirit forever. I grew up in a different day of church when we didn't have kids ministry. Back when I was growing up, you just went into church with your parents, and we would just sit there, bored. That's why we offer kids ministry, because it's a blessing to your kids. But we would just sit there and there was always offering time. And back in the old days, they had passed the buckets. Y' all remember that? Passed the buckets. And as offering was getting ready, I'd always remember my mom would reach down, she'd grab the purse, she'd pull it up, and then she'd pull out this ancient manuscript these ancient scribes called a checkbook, Y' all remember? A checkbook. She'll pull out her checkbook, and she would. And right before she would pull put the amount, her and dad would always have a little convo. I don't know if she was finding out, or Are we supposed to stretch or. I don't know what was happening. But she would write that check, and then she'd pull it out of the checkbook. Always love that sound. And then she would hand it to me, and I'd get to hold it. And then the buckets would pass, and I'd drop it in. I'll never forget it. David, why are you so generous now? How have you become a generous person? It got on me. It got on me. I can't help it. I saw. Wasn't just explained. I didn't get in the car, and mom and dad got in the car and go. I pray. I can't want our money. That'll get on your kids, too. You can get Jehovah Jireh on your kids. He's our provider. You can get El Shaddai on your kids. He's a waymaker. He's more than enough. Or you can get El Cheapo on your kids. I can't believe that preacher just asked for me. All right, let's go to the movies and spend $30 on popcorn that cost them 5 cents. El Shaddai, El Cheapo, your choice. I'm losing the anointing. On to point three. I feel the people turning. I feel the hearts turning against me. Soften me up, Caesar. Where's the keyboards? We got to get a little. Got to get a little music here. Somebody come play for me real quick. Give me a. Just. Somebody just do something. There we go. Where's our keyboard player at? El Cheapo or El Shaddai? It's your choice. It's your choice. Okay, now, whatever key you need to be in. Sorry, I'm just missing it. Okay. Number three. The altar is legacy. So it's. So it's daily and it's. It's visible, it's seen, but it's. It's. It's legacy. It's something we. We hand our altar down to the next generation. Let me explain. Genesis 12:8. Abraham builds an altar in Bethel. 100 years later, Abraham is now in heaven. He's already dead. And a hundred years later, his rebellious, deceiving, wandering grandson named Jacob walks into Bethel. And the Bible says that Jacob is so tired that he lays his head down on the stones. And as he's laying on the stones. The what stones? The. He pops. He pops up out of. Out of a deep sleep, and he goes, look at this. Genesis 28. Surely the Lord is in this place. Jacob accidentally walks into his grandfather's altar. How awesome is this place? I know what.

[B]

Oh. Oh, I remember this now. I know what this is now. I remember my daddy Isaac telling me about this. This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.

[A]

This is Granddaddy's altar. And now Jacob walks into what another man built. You're building an altar for your children and for your grandchildren, and you won't ever even see the fullness of the harvest of Your obedience. The seed of the righteous shall be delivered. Can you look at that? Proverbs 11:20. The seed of the righteous shall be delivered. Not even the righteous. The seed of the righteous. Just because your kids are part of a righteous family, God says, I'm going to treat them differently because of the covenant they're under, because of their parents. Just like Jacob wasn't right righteous at first, but he was the seed of the righteous. God honored Abraham's faith and God honored Abraham's altar. And when his seed walked into the altar, he was transformed. Because even the seed of the righteous will be delivered. And in the days to come. Exodus 13:14. In the days to come, in the days in your future. In the days to come. In the days to come. I want you to think about tomorrow. I want you to think about five years from now. I want you to think about 20 years from now. I want you to think about seeing your kids getting married. I want you to think about your grandchildren. I want you to think about the days to come. In the days to come. Your future. When your children ask you, when your son asks you, what does this mean? See, God was giving the children of Israel their holy days and their special days and their. What we call holidays now. But he was giving them their rituals and their different things that they were going to follow to remember the Lord. He was giving them their altar. And he said, in the days to come, your children are going to ask you, what does this altar mean? Why do you serve God, Dad? Why do you love God, Mom? Why are you in church every time the doors are open? Why do you serve on that serve team? Why do you give financially? Why do you cry when the music starts? Why do you worship the way you worship?

[B]

What does all this mean?

[A]

Say to them, with a mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Oh, your altar becomes the testimony that.

[B]

Leads your children to the Lord. Your altar, your memorial stones become the thing that brings revival to the next generation. Your altar alters your future. I'm going to let somebody thank God for a better future.

[A]

Future.

[B]

I'm going to let somebody thank God for a better tomorrow. I'm going to let somebody thank God that God is altering my life at the altar. Hey, baby. God gave us an altar.

[A]

There's another altar. Joshua 4. He said to the Israelites, in the future, in the future, in the future. And I wrote this down. It's in my notes. You can't really see it, but I wrote this down. I wrote, you have a Future. Do not commit suicide. I want somebody to know. Don't give up on your future. Don't give up on the dream. Don't give up on God's call, on your life. Don't give up on tomorrow. Don't give up on. The devil's telling you that your future will be worse than today. But I've come to tell you in the future. I've come with a word today. This is not a sign. This is a word.

[B]

This is not something that you can see, but it's something you can hear right now.

[A]

Don't give up on your life.

[B]

Don't quit on your family. Don't quit on God. Don't quit on your faith in the future. Somebody say I have a future. Somebody shout for your future. Hallelujah. What was that? Spanish? Relax.

[A]

That'll make the religious people happy. You need an interpreter for that. You need to relax. Your descendants will ask their parents. They're gonna. Sorry, Charbel. What do these stones mean?

[B]

What's this memorial about? What's this altar about?

[A]

For the Lord, your God. You will tell them. Dried up the Jordan before you until you crossed over. The Lord, your God. I love this. Did to the Jordan. Notice this. He didn't do it at the Jordan. He did it to the Jordan. It's like God takes it personal. Anything between you and him, anything between you and your promise, anything between you and your victory, he did it to the Jordan. Watch this. What he did to the Red Sea. Notice this. Two rivers that represent two things. He took them out of Egypt, past the Red Sea, took them out of the wilderness into the Promised Land, through Jordan. Two rivers that stand between you and what God has for you. First is the river of salvation. But most people get out of Egypt and die in the wilderness. There's another river. It's called the River Jordan. It's called the river of transition. It's called the river of freedom. You. You've got to get out of that river, too. You got to cross that river, too. See, the God that saved you is the God that can heal you. The God that saved you is the God that can set you free. The God that saved you is the God that can prosper you. The God that saved you is the God that can put your family back together. The God that saved you is the God that can put joy back in your soul. The God that saved you is the God that can bless your family.

[B]

Don't die in the wilderness when there's a promise for you.

[A]

When he dried it up before us, until we crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful. So that you might always fear the Lord, your God. In the future. Today might feel dark, but in the future, today you might be weary. But in the future, oh, I want to tell somebody. There's no waste at the altar. Every tear you cried. No waste at the altar. Every time you served, every time you gave, every time you believed God. Every prayer you ever prayed, Every time you ever cracked open the Bible. Every time you ever got to church and you pressed through the crowds and you got past the traffic and you made it into the house of God. There's no waste at the altar. God sees all of it. God will honor all of it. Your children one day will say, dad, mom, what does this altar mean? And you'll be able to tell them, don't fear the future. In the future, you will tell your children, if you've been worried about your future, if you've been worried about tomorrow, would you just lift your hands and give it to God right now? God's going to take it right off your shoulder. Right now. The spirit of fear lifts off of you in the name of Jesus. In the future, you will say. In the future, you will say. In the future, you will say. In the future, you will say, man, I've been worried about tomorrow. I've been. I've been dreading tomorrow. No, in the future, God lifts that heavy burden off of you. Now. Give it to him. Give it to him. Give it to him. He can use anything. Give it to him. No waste at the altar. Give it to him. Give it to him. Watch what he does with your life. Give it to him. I set you free from that worry. And I tell you in the future, that spirit of suicide lifts off of you in the name of Jesus. That thing that's telling you to end your life, that things that's telling you it's not worth it, that lifts off of you. Nothing has been wasted at the altar. Nothing. Your life is not a waste. The season that you just sowed was not a waste. Many of you feel that. Man, what a waste. I feel like I just wait. No, there's nothing waste. There's no waste at the altar. The devil's trying to lie to you. He's trying to discourage you. But I break that. I break that word off of you.