The following sermons are on Leviticus 10:1-3: "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therin, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went forth fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come neigh unto me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace."
- The Young Christian Discerning the Errors of Contemporary Worship, by Rev Ian Goligher
- Marks of a Healthy Church, by Dr. David P. Murray
- The Death of Nadab and Abihu, Part 1, by Rev. John Greer
- The Death of Nadab and Abihu, Part 2, by Rev. John Greer
Here is an excerpt from a sermon I heard many years ago that also made reference to Leviticus 10:1-3. The minister who preached this sermon was Rev. Paul den Butter:
The minister who preached this sermon was Rev. Paul den Butter:
Exodus 20:25:
"And if thou wilt make an alter of stone unto me, thou shalt not make it of hewn stone, for if thou lift up thy tool upon it thou hast polluted it." - Exodus 20:25
I think this sermon was preached around 1980. Anyway, that is around the time I wrote the following excerpts down in my diary:
"...they have to be very careful that they do not make it (an alter of stone) of hewn stone. And they may not use any tool, any hammer or axe or whatever. They may not use any tool to beautify those stones. They must take simply the rock, the unadorned stones.
"'Ah, but then the alter is not nice, Then the alter is not beautiful. Then it is simply a primitive thing.'
"Well, that's what it may be in our estimation, but it's God's will, is it not? Whether it is a primitive thing or not, it is God's will that the alter will be built of rough stones and that no tool will be used.
"'Ya, but those stones are going to be much nicer if you use some chisel, and if you make some ornaments, some adornments on those stones. The alter is much more beautiful and much more serviceable in your worship service.'
"Ah, but the principle is not what I like, not what I think that is nice and beautiful, not what adorns my worship service, but the principle is what God has said!
"Not my taste determines, but God's command. God has the right to determine what it should be like. And this is a principle nearly almost forgotten. It was perfectly understood by our Reformers. They did not look for innovations, They did not look for all sorts of adornments in the church. Why do people today look for all sorts of things that beautify the worship service and make it more attractive? Why do we see vestments in all sorts of colors?
"I'm convinced it is simply to fill the aching void of the absence of reality. When the Church of Christ was most vigorous in its spiritual life, it had the most simple form of worship. When God converted most people, and when God's children were edified in the worship service, and when the Lord was present in the worship services, it may have been in a barn or in an open field, the worship as such was as simple as simple can be.
"But what do we see today? That in direct proportion to the loss of true spiritual life there is an increase in forms and ceremonies. And the forms and ceremonies are meant to fill the vacancies of true spiritual life. And so Satan is using tools to adorn our alters, but in the meantime he is polluting it. He's corrupting the worship. And men are willing instruments in his hands."
