In this message we need to consider Jacob's experience at Bethel (35:6-7, 9-15). In Genesis 35 Jacob underwent a major change. As we saw in the last message, Jacob reacted to God's charge to arise and go up to Bethel by having a thorough clearance. This thorough clearance was not only made by him but by all those who were with him. Jacob was not only concerned with himself but with everyone with him. This is a strong proof that he had had a radical and thorough change. Undoubtedly, Jacob had been transformed.
Jacob came to Bethel, "he and all the people that were with him. And he built there an altar, and called the place El-Beth-el" (vv. 6-7). The first thing Jacob did at Bethel was to build an altar. Although Jacob had built an altar in Shechem, he did not call that altar "El-Shechem." He could not use the title of God for the altar he built in Shechem. This means that the altar in Shechem did not touch God's heart; it was not the altar He desired. Likewise, we may build altars everywhere without building the altar God desires. You may build an altar in Las Vegas, but you cannot call it the altar of God in Las Vegas. But when Jacob acted on the word of God, arising, going up to Bethel, dwelling there, and building an altar to God, he built an altar according to God's desires, not according to his own intention. God did not ask him to build an altar in Shechem, for that was not His choice. God's desire was to bring him back to Bethel. Thus, the altar built by Jacob in Shechem was neither according to God's desire nor according to His word. But because the altar Jacob built in Bethel was built at the word of God, he had the boldness to call it "El-Beth-el."
You may do many things for God, such as preaching the gospel and rendering other service to Him. You may even establish a meeting and designate it as the church. However, you do not have the confidence or the boldness to say that that is something of God. This is even true in small things. For example, you may love a brother, but not have the boldness to call that love the love of God. Although you do love that brother, you do not love him at God's word. Rather, you love him by your own choice and according to your personal taste. Because it is your love, you cannot say that it is "El-love," the love of God. You cannot call it the love of God until you love people at God's word and not according to your taste. When God tells you to love a certain brother, you must love him at His word. If you love the brother in this way, then your love will be the love of God.
Many missionaries have gone to the mission field without having the assurance that their mission was "El-mission." Many have told me that while they were working they had no peace. They did not have the confidence, assurance, or boldness to say that their mission work was the work of God. They were doubtful about it and could not attach God's name to it.
Many Christians today are forming groups. The larger groups become denominations and the smaller groups remain free groups. However, the founders of those groups do not have the confidence to call them the church. But when we in the Lord's recovery say that we are the church, they are offended. Deep within them, they lack the assurance to say that they are the church. A man is a man, and a woman is a woman. You cannot call a man a woman. Fifty years ago I began to say, "This is the church." The more I said this, the more confident I became because this really is the church. If it is not the church, then what is it? I am a man. The more I say that I am a man, the more assured I am of being a man. If you do not call me a man, then what would you call me? You may do many different things—start a mission work, establish a meeting, form a Bible study—but it all may simply be a good work done in Shechem, not in Bethel. Hence, you cannot call that work "El-Beth-el." However, when Jacob built the altar in Bethel, he had the boldness to call it "El-Beth-el."
The significance of an altar is consecration. An altar is built for the purpose of offering things to God. Before I came into the church life, I thoroughly consecrated myself to the Lord. However, after coming into the church life, I renewed my consecration. This renewed consecration was absolutely different from the consecration I had made prior to coming into the church life. Many of us can testify to this. You might have offered yourselves to the Lord many times before coming into the church, but once you came into the church, you had the deep conviction that you needed to offer yourselves anew and that there was a great difference between this consecration and any previous one. At best, your past consecration was at the altar in Shechem; it was not at the altar in Bethel. Consecration made before coming into the church is one thing, and the consecration made within the church is another.