Pulpit Magazine

(By Nathan Williams) 

Another great morning at the conference began with a series of songs led by John Martin, who leads music for the college ministry at Grace and also directs the singing in the Sunday evening services at Grace. This morning the singing had a more contemporary feel to it. Testimony to the creativity and variety of styles with which we can worship our Saviour. Once again the singing was loud and encouraging.

After the singing, we were given a preview of the Resolved Conference. The short video trailer is packed with preaching and highlights many of the men who will be preaching at this years conference. One word…WOW! Check out the conference at www.resolved.org.

This Thursday morning we have the privilege of hearing from Rick Holland. Many who have attended the conference in years past have packed into the seminar sessions on preaching given by Rick. Rick serves as the senior associate pastor and the college pastor at Grace. He also directs the doctor of ministry programs at The Master’s Seminary and serves as the executive director of the Resolved Conference.

Rick will be preaching this morning from Leviticus 9:22-10:3.

At just under 30,000 feet, Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. What makes climbing Everest so incredible is that it is impossible to be rescued when you leave base camp. To reach the summit to late in the day is to get caught in a storm and probably die on the mountain. When it comes time to make a decision on the mountain in the death zone, you have to not think, but act on what you have heard before climbing the mountain. Rick told the story of a group who got caught on the top of the mountain because they ignored warnings to come back down at the proper time. Those who died were experts in climbing. One fact caused their death…in the moment of crisis they ignored instructions they were given.

Most of us have been around the church a long time and have been in spiritual leadership for a while. Being in spiritual leadership for any length of time can cause familiarity and cause us to rely on our own instincts in time of crisis. It’s easy for those of us in ministry to allow the Bible to become a source of sermons rather than food for our soul. It’s easy to allow people to become a source of frustration rather than sheep to shepherd. God has no desire to be a part of our lives, he has only one desire, to become the point of our lives.

Who were Nadab and Abihu? These men were uniquely chosen as priests and set aside to serve in the tabernacle with their father Aaron. They had a godly and privileged upbringing. They must have heard the stories from Moses of his encounters with God. These men had a front row seat of what God was doing with Moses. They had approached Mt. Sinai and been invited by name to come close to God. They were spiritual celebrities. Everyone wanted to be around them. They received all the specific instructions on how to worship the Lord. In 9:24 they had just seen the Lord consume a burnt offering with fire before their very eyes. Leviticus is the pastoral epistle of the Old Testament. It tells the priests what they were supposed to be and do. We are about to find Nadab and Abihu relying on their instincts rather than on the instruction they had received from the Lord. This was their first day on the job. God has not left it up to us to decide how we are to worship him.

This morning, we will see 3 dangers of careless familiarity with God from this text.

1. Redefining what God requires. (vs. 1)

Consecration had just been completed, the glory of the Lord has just consumed the sacrifice. Can you imagine what these scene looked like? Rick said this is a scene he would like replayed in heaven. This is something supernatural and unexpected. There should be no chapter division between 9 and 10.  It is not a stretch to say that Nadab and Abihu saw all the attention and all the people and just wanted to be a part of it. There are multiple explanations as to what the strange fire was…

 -There is nothing that indicates that anyone other than the high priest should present the fire to the Lord.
 -Nadab and Abihu attempted to enter the Holy of Holies.
- Neither Aaron nor Moses had been consulted about the actions Nadab and Abihu would take.
- The admonition following this indicates that they were drunk when approaching the Lord. 
 
Rick explained the reason. They did something different from what God has commanded. They redefined what God desired. We do this all the time. This comes from being familiar with God. We feel like we are insiders to such an extent that we can redefine what God wants.

2. Underestimating how God responds (vs. 2)

The fire here burnt them to death. They were before the Lord and this indicates that they may have been in the holy of holies. The fire in 9:24 consumed the sacrifices, the fire in chapter 10 consumed the sacrificers. They were burnt up but their clothes were not damaged. This passage is scary because they had no chance for an appeal. The timing of God’s judgment is not predictable. We fear God because He is a judge. We have a God filled with grace, but He is a God who is a God of wrath as well. Our God is still the same.

God’s holiness is utterly dangerous. How often do we presume on God’s grace? Do you believe that people still die because of sin? As pastor we need to be the first repenters in our church. Why? Because our familiarity can lead us to carelessness. Rick then to talk about the first time he went to the Grand Canyon. The first time he went he could hardly explain the canyon because he was so overwhelmed with the size of it. Rick explained how upset with his tour guide because his tour guide was so unenthusiastic. His tour guide had seen the canyon so much that he was familiar with it.

These first two points lead to number 3.

3. Ignoring what God deserves (vs. 3)

The first 5 words of verse 3 are haunting. What will Moses say to Aaron? He said “This is what the Lord spoke”. What? Rick explained that as he thought of his own boys, he thought, what would it be like to watch God kill your sons in front of your face? Exodus 19:22 explains that priests must consecrate themselves or the Lord will break out against them. The strange fire doesn’t matter, the motive behind the strange fire is what matters. Your heart wants to feel bad for Aaron and want God to give them a second chance. God wanted to set the mark so precise that any innovation brings judgment. At critical points in history, God sends a message that he is pure and holy and must be treated that way. Those who come near God must regard Him as holy.

The most stunning part of this whole story is that Aaron said nothing. He got it. He agreed with God’s judgment. To say that God is holy means that He is separate from anything that will defile his character. (Rev. 15:4) (Is. 6) Isaiah’s response to God’s holiness was not a conversation. In light of God’s holiness Isaiah only saw the blackness of his sin. It’s been 850 years between Isaiah and Revelation and the angels are still in Heaven doing the same thing. Praising the holiness of God! No one would make up the story of God hating sin so much and yet killing his son to take care of sin.

The trend today is to make God cool. This passage shows us that God is not cool.  God is not our homeboy. He is our sovereign God. Only when we understand the holiness of God and our sin do we understand the cross. Rick quotes his sin, “The gospel is not fair to Jesus”. But aren’t you glad God is not fair to Jesus? If He was fair, then we would be in hell. In verse 3 we understand that when God is treated as holy, then before all the people, God will be glorified. If you even glance at the sun you can still see the imprint when you close your eyes. God is even brighter than the sun. God expects holiness from leaders. Colossians 1:28. We proclaim Him and His glory. Disobedience in leadership by refusing to treat God as holy has consequences for our followers as well as us.

God is no respecter of persons. We would have been inclined  to let them off because of their family or because we know them. God doesn’t care. This passage is not about God’s judgment on the wicked, its about God’s judgment on spiritual leaders. It’s often said that spiritual leaders have a higher standard. We don’t have a higher standard. All the characteristics given for leadership are given for other Christians as well. We have a higher accountability to the only standard.

Rick explained a story about praying for his friend who was sick with cancer. He prayed through James 5:13-16 and realized that his own personal righteousness matters when it comes to praying for others and for leading his people.

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