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Beware Lest You Become Too Familiar with God!

Yesterday I preached one of the hardest messages I think I’ve ever had to preach. As I was preaching, I was constantly tempted to lighten the message and not preach the bold truth. My fear of man was tempting. Yet, I believe God gave me grace to preach His Word faithfully and boldly as I talked about the danger of becoming too familiar with God.


This is, in my opinion, one of the most dangerous places for people to be. And I believe that we are often too easy-going with God.


My text was Leviticus 10:1-3: Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what the LORD spoke, saying, 'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.'" So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.


I gave three warnings in my sermon so as to not become too familiar with God. The danger with becoming too familiar with God is that it presumes His grace and His forgiveness when He never needs to give a second chance—ever. Nadab and Abihu found this out the hard—yet the just—way.

After the three warnings, I gave four consequences of becoming too familiar with God:


Consequences of Being Too Familiar with God:

  1. God may discipline you as sons (Heb 12; Prov 13:15)

  1. God may kill you if you disobey (1 Cor 11; 1 John 5)

  1. God may thrust you into hell as a hypocrite (Matt 7:15-23; Matt 23:13-15; cp. Lev 10:3)

  1. God may pound you with greater judgment (Matt 23:14; Mark 12:40; John 19:11; 2 Pet 2:21; Jude 13)


Then I gave six helpful and practical ways to prevent from becoming too familiar with God:


How to Avoid Becoming Too Familiar with God:

  1. Read Your Bible Afresh Every Day (Lev 10:2; cp. Lev 1-7 and the methods of offering)

  1. Study the Attributes and Character of God Often (Isa 6; Ex 34)

  1. Daily Think about The Torments of Hell and the Glories of Heaven

  1. Loathe your Sin (Psalm 5:5; Psalm 97:10; 101:3; 119:104, 128; Ps 139:21*; Amos 5:15)

  1. Repent of Your sin Daily (Jer 8:4; 15:7; Ezek 14:6; Matt 4:17!)

  1. Take Radical Measures to Get Rid of Sin In Your Life! (Matt 19:7-9)


You may listen to it here.

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