Holy Ground

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Uncommon Ground

Thesis: The church has become so focused on making people comfortable that we have forgotten that an encounter with God should never be a common or ordinary thing. We should always reverence the presence of God with obedience and humility.
Moses and the Burning Bush:
Exodus 3:1–5 NKJV
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” 4 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”
God called to Moses but instructed him to reverence the dirt he was standing on.
The dirt wasn’t holy
Matthew 5:13 NKJV
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
The bush wasn’t holy
The fire wasn’t holy
It was the presence of God that was holy.
Matthew 5:13
The church property, building, furniture or fixtures are NOT holy.
However God desires for us to treat His property with respect and reverence.
This is His place not ours.
Do you reverence the house of God?
God gave Moses instructions for His house and His priest even to the exact detail of the garments they were supposed to where and the colors they should decorate the tabernacle with.
Instructions for the Holy Place:
Exodus 28:33-35
Exodus 28:33–35 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)
33 Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate round the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.
Many people have preached that it is customary for the priest to tie a scarlet cord around his ankle and before he is to enter into the Holy of Holies.
There is no evidence of this in any writings other than folklore but the idea does have some merit because of this very verse we just read. And also in Leviticus where is says that the priest should where his linen garment and tie a cord around his waste. however the bells where attached to the ephod and the priest didn’t where the ephod into the Holy of Holies
The point in this verse is that if the priest didn’t do what God had instructed him he would die.
Aren’t you glad God doesn’t kill us whenever we mess up today?
The point is that our encounter with God should never be taken lightly or casually.
I’m not talking about clothing or style because God isn’t as concerned with style as He is with obedience.
Sometimes we get to comfortable with God and we do whatever we like when we like.
God wants us to live out His instructions not our own desires.
Aaron’s sons offer Strange Fire:
Leviticus 10:1–7 NKJV
1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace. 4 Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.” 5 So they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said. 6 And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled. 7 You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.
Liviticus
We should never offer strange fire before God.
Nadab and Abihu died because they lost respect for God’s instructions.
They thought they could take a shortcut.
They treated God’s holy thing as though it was common.
Aaron wasn’t even allowed to properly morn the loss of his son’s because he was anointed as the priest and had to honor his role of a priest over the role of a father.
God goes on to instruct Aaron through Moses not to come at just any time:
Don’t come at just any time:
Leviticus 16:1–2 NKJV
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the Lord, and died; 2 and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

Nadab and Abihu
Nadab and Abihu

Nadab and Abihu

Has the Salt lost it’s flavor?
Matthew 5:13 NKJV
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Let’s Enter His presence Boldly:
Hebrews 4:14–16 NKJV
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews
Let’s have an uncommon encounter this morning.
Hebrews 10:29 NKJV
29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 10:26–29 NKJV
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
Common: Ordinary or lack of special rank. done or found often.
So what shall we do?
Hebrews 10:19–25 NKJV
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
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