Leviticus 10

In a world full of people living casually, we are called to not let that affect our faith. God deserves the spot of most important in our lives, every part of it.

Seth: https://www.instagram.com/thesethashford

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Welcome to the Christians on College Campuses podcast. My name is Seth from the University of Oklahoma, and today we are talking about Leviticus chapter 10. But before we begin, let us pray. Father, thank you for giving us another opportunity to open your word. Help us understand what this passage teaches us about your holiness. Show us where we may have become too comfortable or casual in our faith. And give us hearts that truly desire to honor you. In Jesus' name. Amen. I think we can all agree that almost everything in life has become more casual. We communicate through quick text messages, we watch church from our beds, we listen to sermons while we're doing something else, and we scroll past Bible verses without really stopping to think about what they mean. None of those things are necessarily wrong, but I do think we have to be careful that this casual approach to life does not become a casual approach to God. See, in Leviticus 10 verses one through three, we read about Aaron's sons who took their censors, put them in fire, and added incense, and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. See, Moses then tells Aaron, Among those who approach me, I will be proved holy in the sight of all the people I will be honored. This is definitely a difficult passage. Both of Aaron's sons offered what the Bible calls unauthorized fire. We are not given every detail about exactly what they did, but the passage makes one thing clear. They approached God in a way that was contrary to what he had commanded. And these were not people who knew nothing about God. They were Aaron's sons. They were priests, they seen God move and had been given the privilege of serving in his presence. They were close to the things of God, and being close to the things of God did not mean at their hearts were surrendered. I think that something we need to understand today is being around Christianity is not the same as following Christ. You can grow up in church, you can attend a campus, college ministry every week, you can know the worship songs and know what to say during a Bible study, but none of those things automatically mean you are living a life surrendered to Jesus. On a college campus, it can become really easy to separate our faith from the rest of our lives. We may worship God at a ministry gathering during the week, and then as though he is absent during the weekend, we can see him throughout the week, but forget him whenever the weekend comes. We may know that Scripture says when obedience becomes uncomfortable, we choose whatever is easiest. So the question is not just, am I around Christianity? The question is, am I actually surrendered to Christ? Another thing we learn from this passage is that good intentions do not replace obedience. Both Varon's sons Nadab and Abihu believed that they were offering was good enough. Maybe they were sincere, but they still chose to approach God in their own terms instead of his. And I think we can do the same thing. Sometimes we do what we want and then ask God to approve it. We want God to be involved in our plans, but we do not always want Him to have authority over our plans. But God is not meant to be one small part of our lives. He is supposed to be Lord over our entire life. Obedience is not how we earn God's love, it's how we respond to the love he has already given us. The final thing I want us to see is that having access to God should not cause us to treat him casually. Because of Jesus, we can come directly to God. We can pray to him when we are hurting, we're confused, afraid, or ashamed. We can come to him honestly and confidently, but confidence doesn't mean carelessness. Hebrews 12 28 says that we should worship God with reverence and awe. God is our loving Father, but He also is a holy King. We need both sides of that truth. Jesus did not make God less holy, Jesus made a way for sinful people like us to enter the presence of a holy God. So what does casual faith look like today? It might look like only praying whenever we need something. It might look like singing worship songs without thinking about the words. It might look like knowing what God says but continuing to choose what is convenient. It can also look like acting like a Christian around Christians while protecting private areas of our lives we've refused to surrender to God. Leviticus 10 is not teaching us that God is waiting to punish us for making one mistake, it is teaching us that God's holiness should never be treated ordinary. So I want to leave you with one question. Have you become so familiar with God that you have stopped being amazed by him? Maybe your faith has become routine. Maybe your obedience has become optional. Maybe you have become comfortable being around God without actually surrendering to him. God does not simply want to place somewhere in your college experience. He deserves to be Lord over all of it. Your friendships, your relationships, education, your weekends, your decisions, and your future plans. He wants to be your past and your present. Because of Jesus, we can approach God confidently. But we should still approach Him reverently, ready to listen, ready to surrender, and ready to obey. Can I pray for you? Father, thank you for making a way for us to approach you through Jesus. Forgive us for the times we have treated you, your word, and your grace casually. Help us not settle for simply being around you, being around Christ. Give us hearts that are truly surrendered to you. Teach us to honor you through the way we worship, the choices we make in the lives we live on our campuses. Remind us that you are close, you are loving, and you are gracious, but you are also holy. In Jesus' name. Amen.