INTRODUCTION
The glory of God is much needed in the church today. Without His Glory, His power cannot be manifested as we expect it to 2 Corinthians 3:18. Nobody can argue with. Reality when the glory of God is full manifestation. When there are signs and wonders, souls are saved.
CENTRAL BIBLE TEXT: JOHN 12:20-24; GALATIANS 2:15-20
A. WHAT CAN WE DO TO BRING DOWN THE GLORY OF GOD?
1. Conquer the self-life. Galatians 2:20.
This can be carried out by hating what God hates. The children of God must turn away from what God hates.
These are examples of the things God hates:
1. Every abomination. Deuteronomy12: 31
2. Violence. Psalms 11: 5
3. Lying. Proverbs 13:5
4. Covetousness. Proverbs 28:16
5. Insincere feast. Isaiah 1:14
6. Evil deed. Psalms 5:5
7. False Doctrines. Revelation 2:15-16
8. Wicked devices- Proverbs 14: 17
9. Vain thoughts. Psalms 119:104
What does God want us to do?
1. Hate evil and love good – Amos 5:15.
2. Hate pride. Proverbs 8:13. God hates six things as stated in Proverbs 6:16.
3. If you love God, then you must hate evil. Psalms 97:10
4. Don’t do what God hates.
There is a man of God known as C. H. Spurgeon who always preach on repentance in his sermons, one day a man said “when are you going to quit preaching on repentance?” Spurgeon replied “when you repent.”
B. WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK?
Dealing with herodic altars. Numbers 22:1-6
1. What is Altar?
“Altar refers to shrines or a particular place or object raised as a place of sacrifice where men make sacrifice to invisible spirits.” It is also a place where spirits are ‘invoked or conjured.’
“An altar is a place of worship. A place where for example, white garment churches offer incense, sacrifice unto certain spirits. Have you not notice that when you light a fire the flame goes up. When you put it off, spark emanating from the fire disappears into the atmosphere or air.” The spark has gone somewhere.
There are two types of Altars:
a) Positive Altar
b) Negative Altar
Positive Altars, like the one in churches are built for Godly purposes e.g. Worship, Praise, Prayers, etc. Altars raised unto God are for blessing purposes.
Altars raised unto the devil are to afflict, torture, and put men in distress and pain. This is a Negative Altar. Anytime you offer a curse on the altar, you are raising a negative Altar.
Genesis 22:9; Genesis 12:7-8; Genesis 28:11-13, 15-19; Genesis 31:49-50; Genesis 24:6; 1 Kings 13:2, 4, 5. Exodus 20:24, 25; Proverbs 24:6; Ecclesiastes 9:16-16; Psalms 13:3; 1 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalms 27:2-3; Psalms 44.