Learning Objectives:
1. We want to understand God’s strictness as to the way we worship Him.
2. We want to distinguish between traditions of men and commandments of God in regard to our worshiping God.
3. We want to discover how Jesus originally established His church before men added their traditions.
Lesson:
Since the Old Testament is to be used for examples for our instruction (1 Corinthians 10:11), we will note the example of Nadab and Abihu.
A. Read Leviticus 10:1-3
The New American Standard Bible version says they offered “strange fire” and New King James Version says “profane”.
The word “profane” means “common, not sanctified or set apart,” or simply put, Nadab and Abihu offered a different kind of fire than what God had commanded. Fire that was not taken from the altar of burnt offering was profane.
Notice that Nadab and Abihu were offering worship to God, but it was not accepted by God because they did not worship God the way He had commanded.
What lesson should this teach us about our worship?
B. Read 1 Chronicles 13:1-10
In this passage King David is moving the ark of the covenant.
God had three rules concerning the ark.
(1) It was never to be touched.
(2) Handles were provided so that it could be carried on the shoulders (not on a cart).
(3) Only the family of Kohath of the tribe of Levi were to transport the ark.
What things were done wrong by David and the Israelites?
Notice that the only reason Uzzah touched the ark was because he did not want it to fall. Uzzah’s good intentions did not excuse him for violating God’s law!
C. Read Mark 7:5-9
What did Jesus call their worship?
What were they doing wrong?
Do religions of the world today do the same thing in their worship as did these Jews? What will Jesus think of our worship if we do this?
It should be very clear at this point that Jesus is not pleased with us when we worship with the traditions of men rather than according to the way God commanded us to worship Him.
II. We will now examine how Jesus originally established His church before men added their traditions.
A. Read Romans 6:3-4 and Acts 8:35-39
How were people baptized in the Bible?
What did the Ethiopian eunuch have to do before Philip would baptize him?
If a person is supposed to do this before being baptized, can infants be baptized?
Read Ezekiel 18:20
Are children born inheriting the sins of their parents?
B. Read Acts 2:37-38
What did these people have to do in order to be saved?
What purpose was baptism for?
According to this verse, can a person be saved before he or she is baptized?
C. Notice the other characteristics of the church as Jesus originally established it:
1. The description of the church as being owned by Christ (Romans 16:16).
2. The description of the disciple as being owned by Christ (1 Peter 4:16).
3. The organization of the church was very simple with the elders overseeing the flock among them and deacons serving as distinguished servants (1 Timothy 3:1-13).
4. The Lord’s Supper was taken on the first day of the week and on the same day the disciples gave of their money as they had been prospered (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
5. There was no instrumental music in their worship. They only sang and made melody in their heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).
6. They taught that hell was a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth and that it was eternal, lasting just as long as heaven (Matthew 13:42; Matthew 25:46).
D. Compare the characteristics of the church as Jesus originally established it to the way you see some churches today operating.
Can you find scripture that gives us the authority from God to do any of the following things practiced by churches today?
1. Teach people they have been saved before they have been baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.
2. Teach people they can be saved by simply praying to God and telling Jesus you accept Him as your personal savior.
3. Take the Lord’s Supper once a month.
4. Baptize infants.
5. Worship God with instrumental music.
6. Use money from the Lord’s treasury to give to non-Christians.
7. Use money from the Lord’s treasury for entertainment purposes.
These are just a few to consider, but I challenge you to examine the practices of churches today and see if you can find scripture that gives authority from God for the practices you notice (Remember God is very serious in His desire for us to worship Him the way He commands us to).
Read Matthew 7:13-14
What should we be doing?