Amen.
All right, well, we're there in Leviticus, chapter number 10.
And we started last week this series called Drop Dead.
And we are going through and looking
at some of the stories in the Bible of individuals
that God dropped dead, that God struck dead.
And we're just kind of learning about what happened there
and why God did it.
Last week, we started with Onan, if you remember him
in the book of Genesis.
And today, we are looking at Leviticus, chapter 10.
And we're looking at the very well-known story
of Nadab and Abihu.
And I'll spend a few minutes kind of explaining this to you.
And then we'll spend the rest of the sermon just applying it.
But if you look at Leviticus 10 and verse 1, the Bible says this.
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron,
took either of them his censer and put fire there.
Now, there are some things that are not mentioned here
that you need to understand.
And the point is this, that in the tabernacle,
they were supposed to have fire that they would use
for the censers, that they would use for the sacrifices.
And the whole point was this, that that fire
was provided by God.
God himself provided that fire.
And that fire, they were supposed
to not let that fire go out.
In fact, let's just look at some verses real quickly.
You're there in Leviticus 10.
Just flip back one page to Leviticus, chapter 9,
and look at verse number 24.
In Leviticus 9, we actually have the tabernacle
being ordained and the glory of the Lord coming
into the tabernacle.
The tabernacle is being dedicated to God.
And I want you to notice that when the tabernacle was
dedicated to God, this happened with Moses' tabernacle.
It also happened with Solomon's temple.
It's interesting, because the next time we're in Ezekiel,
we're going to see this with Ezekiel's temple as well,
that God actually sends fire down from heaven
to show his approval, to show that his hand is in this
and he is for this.
Notice Leviticus 9, 24, the Bible says,
and there came a fire out from before the Lord
and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat,
which when all the people saw, they shouted and fell
on their faces.
So notice, they had this burnt offering,
and God actually lit the fire.
It's similar also to Elijah, when Elijah did that sacrifice
and fire came down from heaven.
And this is what happened when the tabernacle was established.
God's fire came down.
And then they were supposed to keep that fire lit.
They were supposed to use that fire in order
to do all of their sacrifices, to do all of their incense.
But here, we're told that Nadab and Abihu, who
were supposed to be working as priests,
were supposed to be caring for these things,
they've already let the fire go out.
And the Bible says here that they took,
if you look back at Leviticus 10.1,
that they took either of them his censer
and put fire therein and put incense thereon
and offered a strange fire before the Lord.
Now, that word strange there, it doesn't mean the same thing
like when we think of strange, we
think of someone being like weird or odd.
But the word strange there means foreigner.
Like in the Bible, you'll often read of the stranger,
and it's someone who's a foreigner.
And here, the Bible tells us that they offered foreign fire.
They offered strange fire before the Lord,
which he commanded them not.
And there went out fire from the Lord.
So notice, they bring in foreign fire,
fire that did not come from God.
The fire from God went out.
They were supposed to keep it burning.
So they go out, and they just get fire from somewhere else.
They put fire on their incense.
And they offer that strange fire before the Lord.
And God is not pleased with this at all.
God is very upset with this.
And in fact, the Bible says that there went out fire
from the Lord, just like there went out fire that went out
in Leviticus 9 in order to burn up the sacrifice.
Now there comes fire from the Lord, notice what it says,
and devoured them.
And they died before the Lord.
So God actually sends fire down and burns them up and kills
them because they offered strange fire,
because they offered foreign fire.
Now you say, well, what's the big deal
about this strange fire?
And here's what you need to understand about the strange
fire, and here's what it symbolizes,
or here's what it represents.
Strange fire is what we offer God when we offer God
or when we approach God with what he has not provided.
See, God provided fire for the sacrifice.
God provided fire that was to be used in the tabernacle.
They let the fire go out.
So then they bring in foreign fire.
They bring in fire from somewhere else.
And they say, well, we'll just approach God,
and we will just give to God fire,
which he has not provided, strange fire, foreign fire.
But God says, no, that is not acceptable.
That's unacceptable.
So I want you to notice that strange fire, when
we're talking about strange fire, because tonight we're
going to talk about how modern churches,
and when I say modern churches, I mean that in the sense
that in modern days or contemporary days,
but I also mean it in the sense of liberal churches,
how churches today are still offering
strange fire unto the Lord.
I'm going to give you three very specific areas in which we
do that.
But when we use that term, I want to define it for you.
When we talk about strange fire, we're
talking about approaching God and offering him something
that he did not provide, offering him something
that came from a different source,
offering him something that was not provided by God.
So strange fire is when we approach God with something
that he did not provide.
But I want you to notice, secondly, also strange fire
is when we approach God with something
that he did not command.
So it's something that was not provided by God,
and something that was not commanded by God.
Notice verse 1 again, Leviticus chapter 10, verse 1.
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron,
took either of them his censer, and put fire therein,
and put incense thereon, and offered strange or foreign fire
before the Lord.
Notice what the Bible says, which he, the he there
is referring to the Lord, which he commanded them not.
See, God did not command them to just go get fire from wherever
and just bring it to him.
That is not what he commanded them.
He commanded them to just keep the fire of the Lord burning.
So strange fire is when we approach God
with what he has not provided.
And strange fire is when we approach God
with what he has not commanded.
Now, you're there in Leviticus 10.
Go back to Exodus chapter 30.
Let me show you another passage in regards to this.
And I want you to notice that they had already
been commanded.
So it's not like God is just being mean to Nadab and Abihu.
They had already been commanded by God
that they were not to bring strange fire before the Lord.
Exodus chapter 30, look at verse 9.
Exodus 30 and verse 9, the Bible says this.
And ye shall offer no strange incense thereon,
nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering,
neither shall ye pour drink offering therein.
I want you to notice that they were already told,
when you bring incense, when you bring fire, when you bring,
he said, don't bring anything foreign.
Don't bring anything strange.
Here's what God is saying.
I have provided the fire.
You use the fire I've already provided.
And the Bible here calls strange fire
what God has not provided and calls strange fire
what God has not commanded.
Now, go to John chapter number 4.
And let me just show you one verse real quick.
And then we'll kind of get into the application tonight.
You say, why did Nadab and Abihu die?
They died because they approached God
with what God had not provided.
And they approached God with what God had not commanded.
And here's what you need to understand.
God is a holy God.
And we need to be careful how we approach him
in a form of worship and how we approach him
in a form of reverence.
John chapter 4, notice verse number 23.
Notice what Jesus says here to the woman at the well.
John chapter 4 and verse 23, the Bible
says this, but the hour cometh and now
is when the true worshippers.
Notice, if there's true worshippers,
then there must also be false worshippers.
If he's saying, there are some people who worship God
in truth, then there are some people
who worship God in deceit or in falsehood or in life.
He says, but the hour cometh and now
is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father,
notice what he says, in spirit and in truth.
He says, the true worshipper will not only
worship God in spirit, but he'll also worship God in truth.
He'll not only do it with his spirit and in a spiritual way,
but he'll also make sure that he does it right,
that he does it correctly, that he does it honestly,
that he does it with integrity, that it is done in truth.
For the Father seeketh such to worship him.
So who is the Father seeking to worship him?
He is seeking those that would worship him
in spirit and in truth.
Why is it that God killed Ananias, not Ananias,
that's a different sermon, Nadab and Abihu?
Why is it that God killed Nadab and Abihu?
Here's why.
Because they approached God with what God had not provided,
and they approached God with what God had not commanded.
Now, they literally approached God with strange fire,
a foreign fire.
God literally gave them a source of fire.
They let that fire go out.
They went somewhere else.
They got fire from somewhere else.
They went to another fire.
They started their own fire.
They brought the fire.
But God was so serious about this
that he sent fire from heaven to kill them
and to devour them.
So when we talk about strange fire,
we're talking about approaching God,
worshiping God, honoring God,
with that which he has not provided,
and with that which he has not commanded.
Now, go to Galatians chapter number one.
You're there in John.
He's gonna go Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians.
And let me just apply this to you tonight,
because there are three major areas,
as far as I can see and tell,
and maybe there are more
that I'm not thinking about or missing,
but there are three major areas
that I can look today at the landscape of Christianity.
And of course, that's Christianity so-called,
because there's many things out there
that call themselves Christians that are not.
But we can look at the landscape of Christianity,
of religion, of spirituality,
and I can see kind of some strange fire
that's being offered to God today,
some strange fire that's being offered to God.
He did not provide it, he did not command it,
he does not honor it, he does not want it,
but yet it's being offered to him.
And these are areas that we,
as New Testament Christians, need to be aware of.
We need to be able to identify it and say,
no, no, no, that's strange fire.
That is not what God wants.
You say, well, what are the areas?
Well, number one, if you'd like to write these down,
counterfeit gospels are strange fire.
Counterfeit gospels are strange fire.
Because remember, what is a strange fire?
It is something that God has not provided,
and it is something that God has not commanded.
And today, there are counterfeit gospels out there,
false gospels, they didn't come from the Bible,
they didn't come from God, God did not provide them,
God did not command them,
and yet you've got millions of people
attempting to approach God with a false gospel,
and I'm here to tell you
that it will not be accepted by God.
Galatians 1, look at verse number six,
notice what the Bible says.
Galatians 1, chapter six, the Bible says this,
I marvel that ye are so soon removed.
This is Paul speaking to the church in Galatia,
and he's talking to people that are saved,
but they've been duped and they've been misunderstood,
or they've been misguided a little bit,
and he says, I marvel that ye are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ,
notice what he says, unto another gospel.
I want you to notice today, people think like,
oh, the gospel's just the gospel.
No, here we're told that there's another gospel.
You say, well, what's that other gospel?
Notice verse seven, which is not another,
but there be some that trouble you
and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
See, he says, there's the gospel of Christ,
there's the true gospel, the message of salvation,
that salvation is through the death, burial,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
that by simply believing in Christ, you can be saved,
and then there are those who have perverted it
and turned it into another gospel.
See, there's a fire that God provided,
it's called the Lord Jesus Christ,
and then there's a strange fire out there
that people are trying to push upon society,
but it's strange fire.
God didn't provide it, God didn't like it.
And look, and I realize that you know this,
we're here on a Sunday night,
but it's good to be refreshed on some of these things,
and it's good for us to just remember
what we've already learned.
You're there in Galatians, keep your finger there,
we're gonna come right back to it.
Go to Romans chapter number 11,
you're there in Galatians, just go back,
2 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians, Romans,
Romans chapter number 11.
What are these strange fire gospels?
What are these counterfeit false gospels
we're talking about?
Well, the first one, very simply,
is the gospel that adds words to salvation.
Now look, this is so clear in the Bible,
the fact that people believe
that you have to add words to salvation
is just so ridiculous.
There's so many verses that we could go to,
but let's just go to one just to prove it to you,
because here's what people will say,
the adding words to salvation crowd,
they'll try to tell you, they'll say,
even Roman Catholics, I mean, even just basic
work your way to heaven people,
they'll say, you'll tell them,
oh, you believe in a word of salvation,
and they'll say, no, no, no, no.
We don't believe in words.
We believe in faith, but you also must have words.
So they'll say, we don't believe in just working
your way to heaven, you have to have faith,
but you also have to have words,
or you've got some people that'll say,
well, you don't have to have words to be saved,
but if you really do get saved, there'll be some words.
Here's the problem with that.
The problem is that the Bible teaches very clearly
that with salvation, you cannot add words
in any way, shape, or form to the gospel.
Romans chapter 11, look at verse number six.
Now, here's what James is gonna say.
The gospel, salvation is by grace, right?
For by grace are you saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God,
not of works, lest any man should boast.
The Bible tells us that for the wage of sin is death,
but the gift of God, see, the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord.
See, salvation by definition is a gift,
and a gift by definition is free.
And when the Bible uses the word grace,
that's what the word grace means.
The theological term, if you wanna write this down,
is unmerited favor.
It's favor bestowed upon you that you did not earn,
that you did not deserve,
but if you wanna just use a layman's term,
it just means free.
Grace means free.
Grace means you get it for free.
It's a gift.
Often, when I'm out sowing, I'll use this idea
or this illustration, and I'll tell somebody,
you know, you've heard of a grace period, right?
Maybe you've got a grace period on your home here,
and the mortgage is due on the 1st,
or the rent's due on the 1st.
They gave you till the 5th to pay it.
They call that a grace period.
What is that?
It's just free time.
Why?
Because grace means free.
That's what it means.
Romans 11, verse six, says this.
And if by grace, now please understand,
when you see the word grace there, it means free.
It means unearned.
It means I didn't earn it.
I didn't pay for it.
I didn't do anything.
It was given to me.
He says, and if by grace, then it is no more of works.
Now, the word works there is referring to earning something,
working for something, because when you work for something,
you're earning it.
You go to work.
Your boss gives you a paycheck.
He's not giving you a gift.
You would be offended if you worked all week
long for your boss, and he walks up to you and said, hey,
I just wanted to give you a free gift
and gives you your paycheck.
That's not a gift.
You earned it.
You worked for it.
You put labor into getting that, and here's what he says.
Here's what God is saying.
If salvation, Romans 11, 6, if it's by grace,
and if by grace, he says, then it is no more works.
Here's what he's saying.
If it's free, you can't earn it.
If it's free, you can't work for it.
Otherwise, here's what he's saying.
If you could earn it, if you could work for it,
he says otherwise, grace is no more grace.
Here's what he's saying.
If you can pay for it, then it's not free.
If you have to work for it, oh, no, no, no.
We believe in salvation by grace,
but you also have to have works.
I mean, faith without works is dead, right?
Here's the problem with that.
If you have to work for it, then it's not free.
He says, look, if it be no more of works,
otherwise, grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then it is no more grace.
Otherwise, work is no more work.
Here's what he's saying.
You can't mix the two.
It's either free or it's not.
You either get it for free or you earn it.
But you can't say, well, I got it for free,
and I earned it a little bit.
He says, look, if you work for it, then it's no more grace.
And if it's grace, then it's no more works.
So the adding works to salvation,
I'm here to tell you, that is a strange fire.
That is a counterfeit gospel that is being.
And here's what you need to understand.
That gospel will not stand, and that gospel
will not be accepted by God.
But there's another one, the repent of your sins gospel.
And look, these are all the same.
They just go.
This name, heresy, just a different name.
The repent of your sins gospel says, well,
you don't have to work for it, but you
have to repent of your sins in order to be saved.
Let me just give you one verse.
You go to Romans 10, 9.
But let me give you this, Jonah 3, 10.
The Bible says this.
And God saw their works that they
turned from their evil way.
The word repent means to turn.
In reference to salvation, actual repenting in regards
to salvation, it means to turn or to change your mind,
to go from unbelief to belief, to go from believing
in the wrong thing, trusting in the wrong thing, to believing
and trusting in the right thing.
But when we're talking about repenting of your sin,
we're talking about sin, it's actually
turning away from sin.
Here's a problem.
God calls that works.
He said, and God saw their works that they
turned from their evil way.
When they turn from their evil way, God said, that's works.
So if you tell people you've got to repent of your sins
in order to be saved, you just added works to salvation.
You just perverted the gospel of Christ.
That's a counterfeit, false, strange fire gospel.
Let me give you another one.
How about the gospel of lordship salvation?
Romans 10, 9 says this, that if thou
shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
Now, our King James Bible says to confess with your mouth
the Lord Jesus.
But did you know that the modern Bible versions,
and we're going to talk a little bit about the modern Bible
versions tonight.
The modern Bible versions all change this to say,
it doesn't say, confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
But it says, confess with thy mouth that Jesus is Lord.
Now, you think, well, what's the big deal?
They just kind of change the order of the word.
But when you change the order of the word,
you change the whole meaning.
Before you're believing on Jesus Christ
and confessing the term Lord there was a title.
It's like if somebody said, hey, you
need to go and confess to brother so-and-so or Mr.
so-and-so.
He's just telling you that's who you need to confess to.
That's who you need to call upon.
And by the way, that's why we believe
in calling upon the Lord for salvation.
People get this idea where we don't
have to pray for people to get saved.
Well, look, you just tell me that you believe.
Well, I can't save you.
You got to tell God that.
You got to call upon Him.
You've got to confess to the Lord Jesus
that you're a sinner in need of salvation
and you need Him to save you.
But if I said, hey, you need to go ask brother so-and-so
and he'll give you the gift, that's
different than me saying, you need to tell me
that so-and-so is your brother.
You understand that's different?
And as soon as you change that term and you say, oh, you know,
you have to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
that's lordship salvation.
That means I've got to make Him the Lord of my life.
Now look, Jesus is Lord whether you like it or not.
Jesus is Lord whether you admit it or not.
Jesus is Lord whether you live your life like He is or not.
But when you tell people that you
have to make Him the Lord of your life, which
is the gospel preached by almost every Southern Baptist
out there, many Southern Baptists and just normal
Baptists teach and preach this, when you tell people
you have to make Jesus Lord of your life,
you're saying you need to make Him the boss of your life.
Well, guess what?
If He's the Lord of your life, then He's
going to be in charge, and you're
going to have to repent of a lot of sins and quit a lot of sins.
And these are all just sly ways of adding works to salvation.
And here's all I'm telling you.
It is a counterfeit gospel.
It is a strange fire.
Because when we approach God, we must approach God
with what He has provided and with what He has commanded.
And He has not commanded a plus works salvation.
He has not commanded a repent of your sins salvation.
He has not commanded a lordship salvation.
Go back to Galatians chapter 1.
And I want you to notice, because remember,
Nadab and Abihu, they brought strange fire.
How did it go for them?
They were consumed with the fire.
God consumed them with the fire of His wrath.
Because He said, that is not the fire I provided.
That is not what I commanded.
You say, well, how will it go for those who bring a strange
fire of a false gospel to Jesus?
Galatians 1.8, notice what Paul says.
He says, but though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you,
then that which we have preached unto you, notice what he says.
He says, let him be accursed.
The word accursed there means to be damned.
He's literally just saying, let him go to hell.
And he's not saying it like he's just cursing out,
like, go to hell.
He's actually saying, let them be damned.
Let them be accursed.
You say, why?
Because another gospel will not save you.
Another gospel will not get you into heaven.
Another gospel will land you in hell.
Because God does not accept strange fire.
And when we approach God, we must approach God
with what He has provided.
And we must approach God in how He has commanded.
Look at verse 9.
And we said before, so say I now again,
if any man preach any other gospel unto you,
then that ye have received, let him be accursed.
He says, let him be accursed.
He says, God will not accept it.
And you find this all throughout the Bible.
Let me show you a couple of examples.
Go to Genesis chapter 4.
First book in the Bible should be fairly easy to find.
Genesis chapter 4.
In Genesis 4, we find early in scripture people already
trying to bring a false way, a false belief to God.
Genesis 4, 3, notice what the Bible says.
This is a famous story of Cain and Abel.
Genesis 4, 3 says, and in the process of time,
it came to pass that Cain brought
of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
So Cain and Abel are bringing an offering to the Lord.
And Cain brings of the fruit of the ground.
Now, he was a farmer.
He was working in the garden.
He was working on the ground.
So he brings to God that which was the fruit of his labor.
He brings the fruit of the ground.
And this pictures labor or work.
He brings an offering unto the Lord.
Notice verse 4.
And Abel, he also brought the firstlings of a flood.
What does Abel bring?
He brings a sacrifice lamb, which pictures, of course,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
So you've got two offerings being brought to God here.
One represents labor and work.
The other one represents sacrifice
and the shedding of blood.
And notice how God responds to it.
Verse 4, and Abel, he brought also the firstlings of his flock
and of the fat thereof.
Notice what the Bible says.
And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.
But unto Cain and to his offering, he had not respect.
And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
I'm here to tell you, it doesn't matter how sincere.
It doesn't matter how kind.
It doesn't matter how religious.
When people approach God with a false gospel,
he will not respect it.
He will not accept it.
Now, this is an illustration of what will literally happen
on the day of judgment.
Let's look at that, Matthew chapter 7.
We're going from the first book in the Old Testament
to the first book in the New Testament.
It should be fairly easy to find.
Matthew chapter 7, look at verse 22.
Matthew, what does this look like?
Someone bringing a false gospel before the Lord.
Someone bringing a false belief system before the Lord.
Someone bringing strange fire before the Lord.
What does it look like?
Matthew chapter 7, look at verse 22.
Matthew 7, 22, the Bible says, many.
This is what Jesus says.
Many will say to me in that day.
Now, the day he's referring to is the day of judgment.
I personally think he's talking about the great white throne.
He says, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name?
Notice that these are religious people.
These are even people that were in ministry.
He's saying, didn't we prophesy?
Didn't we preach in your name?
And in thy name have cast out devils,
and in thy name have done many wonderful works.
Notice verse 23.
Does God accept, or does he have no respect for their offering?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you.
Depart from me, ye that work, iniquity.
You say, why?
Because here's the point.
Counterfeit gospels, counterfeit gospels are strange fire.
And counterfeit gospels will not be accepted.
God did not accept foreign fire, literal fire,
from Nadab and Abihu.
And God will not accept a strange fire
of a false gospel.
And these people, and you say, well,
how do you know that these people aren't safe?
Well, for the same reasons that we ask people questions,
when we go out sobering.
Don't we ask people, hey, do you know for sure you died today?
Are you on your way to heaven?
And if somebody says, I'm not sure,
then we don't ask any more questions.
We just say, well, look, the Bible
says you can be 100% sure you're on your way to heaven.
It has nothing to do with how good of a person you are,
what religion you are.
If I could just take a few minutes
and show you how you can know for sure,
and you'd be interested in seeing it.
But what if the person says, yeah, hey,
do you know for sure you died today?
Are you on your way to heaven?
Yeah, I think I'm on my way to heaven.
Then what's the next question we ask?
We ask, well, what gives you that confidence?
What are you trusting in to get to heaven?
You say, why do you ask those questions?
Here's why.
Because that question, what is it that you're trusting in,
that'll let us know what they believe.
Because when you ask somebody, what are you
trusting in to get you to heaven?
And they say, well, I prophesied,
and I've cast out devils, and I've done many wonderful works.
You say, how do you know these people weren't safe?
Here's how I know.
Because if I'm standing at the great white throne
judgment of God, and God is asking me and saying,
why should I not send you to hell?
Why should I let you into heaven?
The last thing I'm going to say is works.
You know what I'm going to say?
I believed on Jesus Christ because you
sent your son to die on the cross for my sins,
and I put my trust in him.
That's why you should give me eternal life.
See, a saved person, the Bible says,
let the redeemed of the Lord say so.
Say, how do you know these guys aren't saved?
Because they're saying the wrong thing.
This is the same pastor and youth pastor.
You knock on their door.
What are you trusting in to get you to heaven?
Well, you know, I've cast out devils
and done many wonderful works.
And you know what?
That is a false gospel.
That is a foreign gospel.
And you know what they're going to hear on the day of judgment?
I never knew you.
It's not that you were saved and you lost it.
No, you were never saved.
And this is unacceptable.
And look, you say, well, why do we need to be squared away
on this?
Here's why.
Because look, when you're out soul-willing,
you better be clear.
Because there's people out there that'll just say whatever.
They'll just go with whatever.
And they'll say, oh, yeah, it's faith.
Believe.
Oh, yeah, sure.
You better make sure that you're actually being thorough
and you're asking questions.
You're not being rude, but you're
making sure they understand why.
Because the devil wants to bring in a strange fire
of a counterfeit gospel.
That sounds a lot like true salvation,
except for the fact that they're adding works to it.
By the way, how about this one?
The false gospel of losing your salvation?
If you believe that you can lose your salvation,
you're not saved.
You say, well, how can that be?
Here's why.
Because it goes back to what are you trusting in?
Are you trusting in Christ to save you,
or are you trusting in yourself?
Well, I'm saved as long as I don't kill myself.
Well, then it sounds like you're basing your salvation on you
as long as you don't, as long as I stay with it,
as long as I stay in church, as long as I don't rob a bank,
as long as, look, what are you trusting in?
These are false gospels.
And today, there are many Nadabs and Abihu's
who are approaching God with strange fire, a false gospel
that he did not command, that he did not provide.
You know the gospel I got provided?
It's the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It's believing on him alone.
It's understanding that I can't earn it.
I can't save myself.
I am a sinner, condemned to hell.
There is nothing I can do to save myself,
and I must simply believe on Jesus Christ.
Go to 2 Corinthians chapter number 2.
2 Corinthians chapter 2.
If you kept your place there in Galatians,
go to 2 Corinthians chapter 2.
We're talking about strange fire.
Say, why do we care about strange fire?
Well, it got Nadab and Abihu killed.
It's interesting because they brought strange fire,
and then God sends his fire to consume them.
And you know, everyone who brings
the strange fire of the false gospel to God,
God is going to send fire to consume them.
God is going to destroy them in his fire
because it is a corrupt gospel.
So we're talking about the strange fire.
Number one, what are the strange fires that are prevalent today
among religious circles?
Well, one is the counterfeit gospel.
It's a strange fire.
Any gospel that adds works to salvation,
that tries to remove complete faith in Jesus Christ,
it is a counterfeit gospel.
But number two, let me give you a second one.
Not only do we have the counterfeit gospels
are a strange fire, but also this,
the corrupt Bible versions are a strange fire.
You know that there are corrupt Bible versions out there?
And I realize I'm preaching to the choir.
But today, people think like, oh, anything that says
Holy Bible must be good.
I would say the vast majority of books that say Holy Bible
are not good.
There is a such thing as corrupted Bible versions.
Go to 2 Corinthians 17, or if you're there,
look at verse 17 of chapter 2.
Even at the time of Paul, there were already
corrupted Bible versions.
Notice what he says, 2 Corinthians 2.17.
For we are not as many.
He says, we're not as many.
He says, there is a lot of people out there, notice,
which corrupt the word of God.
But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God,
speak we in Christ.
Even during the time of Paul, during the first century,
he says that there was many that were corrupting
the word of God.
And you know what?
Today, there are still many who are
corrupting the word of God.
Go to Psalm chapter 12, Psalm chapter 12.
And look, modern Bible versions, corrupted Bible versions,
I don't have time to go into all the details about it.
If you're not sure what we're talking about when
I'm talking about modern Bible versions,
here at Verity Baptist Church, we believe the King James Bible
is the inspired and preserved word of God.
And if that doesn't make sense to you,
you're not sure what that means, we've
got a documentary out there called New World Order Bible
Verses that explains it.
I preached a three-part series not that long ago
called A More Sure Word, where we went through,
spent three weeks, and thoroughly talked about it
and looked at it.
And I'd encourage you to look up those resources
and read about it.
But here's what you need to understand.
The Bible tells us that there is an inspired and preserved
word of God.
Psalm 12 and verse 6 says this, the words of the Lord
are pure words.
The word pure there means that they are inspired.
They're clean.
They're the opposite of being corrupted.
He says the words of the Lord are pure words.
As silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times.
So notice, in Psalm 12.6, we have
the doctrine of inspiration.
God inspired his words, and they are pure.
They are clean.
They are without corruption.
In verse 7, we have the doctrine of preservation.
Thou shall keep them, O Lord.
Thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.
Now, here's what we believe.
We believe that every language could
have the inspired and preserved word of God in that language.
Because God created languages.
God can preserve it, and God can use
men to bring those Bibles into existence
and to preserve them and all that.
And here's what we're saying.
In English, we believe that the King James Bible
is God's perfect, inspired, pure, and preserved word.
Go to Matthew chapter number 4.
But while you go there, let me just say this.
And again, I don't have time to go into all the details
and all the things.
But let me just say this.
The modern Bible versions, there's
a lot of problems with the modern Bible versions.
And if you've been with us when we studied this out,
we've brought up all the Bibles and compared them
and looked at verses and looked at things.
I'm not going to do that tonight.
But let me just tell you this.
The modern Bible versions today have
omitted 16 complete verses from the New Testament.
Now, it's worse than that.
Because they've omitted all sorts of words and phrases
out of many verses where you couldn't
say that the entire verse has been omitted,
but like half of the verse was omitted.
And when you go through and just omit half of this verse,
half of that verse, a whole section of this verse,
a whole sentence of this verse, eventually
that adds up to way more than 16 omitted verses.
But there are just 16 complete verses in the Bible.
If you've got an NIV in your hand,
or an ESV, or an American Standard, or a New King James,
one of those modern Bible versions
where these verses are going to be missing,
let me just read these to you.
I don't have time to have you turn to them.
And you don't need to.
But here are 16 verses just completely gone
from modern Bible versions.
Matthew 17, 21.
Howbeit this kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting.
This is a passage where we are told that the way that sometimes
the devil attacks us with such strength
that there's no way for us to beat him unless we give
ourselves to prayer and fasting.
And that's kind of the key that unlocks the ability
to be able to cast out devils that maybe we
couldn't cast out before, or have victory over them.
I wonder why he would remove that verse.
Maybe he doesn't want you to know
that you need to be fasting and praying so that you
can overcome the wicked one.
But this verse is just gone from modern Bible versions.
Howbeit this kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting.
How about this one?
For the Son of Man is not come to save that which was lost.
For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.
That verse is gone.
I wonder if that's why all these churches that
use modern Bible versions, none of them go soul winning.
None of them do any sort of evangelistic
trying to reach people, confront people with the gospel.
Well, look, in their Bibles, for the Son of Man
has come to save that which was lost, that's gone.
Here's another one, Matthew 23, 14.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,
for you devour widows' houses and for a pretense
make long prayer.
Therefore, ye shall receive the greater damnation.
A verse where he's damning religious people that
aren't saved, that's gone.
I wonder why that one's left.
Some of these deal with doctrine.
Some of them don't.
Mark 716, if any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
That's gone.
You say, well, that's not that big of a deal.
Look, it's God's word.
Every word of God is pure.
And look, you shouldn't mess with the word of God.
And the Bible says, if any man have ears to hear,
let him hear in Mark 716, unless you got an NIV or an ESV.
How about numbers five and number six
are both the same verse in two different places?
Mark 944, Mark 946, both say, whether worm dieteth not,
and the fire is not quenched.
And both of those verses have been removed
from the modern Bible verses.
Two verses about hell.
I wonder why that one was removed.
Mark 1126, but if ye do not forgive,
neither will your Father which is in heaven,
forgive your trespasses.
Mark 1528, and the scripture was fulfilled which saith,
and he was numbered with us transgressors.
This is a verse that is actually proving
a prophecy fulfilled of the Lord Jesus Christ removed.
Luke 1736, two men shall be in the field,
the one shall be taken in the other left.
John 5, three through four.
Now verse four is what's completely removed.
For an angel went down at a certain season in the pool
and troubled the waters.
Whosoever then first, after the troubling of the waters,
stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
But also the last part of verse three,
waiting for the moving of the water.
The last part of verse three and all of verse four
was removed.
Acts 837, when you've got the eunuch asking,
what does hinder me to be baptized?
He's asking, what's stopping me from getting baptized?
You've got the question in verse 36.
You've got them getting baptized in verse 38.
But verse 37, the answer, he's asking,
what's hindering me from getting baptized?
Acts 837, and Philip said, if thou believeth
with all thine heart, thou mayest.
And he answered, I believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God.
Gone.
Wonder why they would remove that.
Acts 15, 34, notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide,
there still, gone.
Acts 24, verses six through eight,
the last part of verse six, all of verse seven,
and the first part of verse eight, gone.
It says this, and would have judged according to our law.
But the chief captain, Lysias, came upon us,
and with great violence took him away out of our hands,
commanding his accusers to come unto thee.
Acts 28, 29, and we had said these words,
the Jews departed and had great reasoning,
arguing among themselves, gone.
Romans 16, 24, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
would be with you all, amen.
Gone.
1 John 5, seven, and eight, for there are three
that bear record in heaven, the Father,
the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are gone.
And these three are one, that's gone.
And there are three that bear witness in earth,
that little part is gone as well.
Probably the greatest verse on the Trinity, gone.
From modern Bible versions.
You say, well, what's the big deal?
Well, here's the big deal.
Matthew 4, four, you there?
Jesus said, but he answered and said, it is written.
Now, he says it's written because he's quoting
the Old Testament.
He says, man shall not live by bread alone,
notice what he says, but by every thought.
Is that what he says?
But by every idea, is that what it says?
No, he says, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God.
See, Jesus had this idea that you could have a Bible
that had every word of God in it.
He had this thought that you could have every word
that proceeded out of the mouth of God.
And he said, hey, man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God.
You know what we need?
We need an every word Bible.
You know what the NIV is not?
It's not an every word Bible when 16 verses are missing.
It's not an every word Bible when there's just full sections
of other verses missing.
It's not an every word Bible when the verses that are left,
they've got all these little notes at the bottom saying,
well, we're not really sure if that verse
is really accurate or that verse,
and just casting doubt upon the word of God.
Here's what I'm trying to tell you.
Corrupt Bible versions are strange fire.
God did not provide them.
God did not command them.
And when we approach God with an NIV, he's not happy.
When we approach God with an ESV, he's not accepting it.
He said, you brought that from a different source.
He said, well, why do we need to be,
pastor, we all know that we've all watched
the New World Doorbell versions.
You know why we need to know that?
Because some of you will get backslidden
and leave this church and you know what, it's fine.
If you don't like me or you don't like my wife
or you don't like the staff
or we did something to offend you,
you don't have to come to this church.
You know that you can actually,
one of these days I'm gonna preach a sermon
called How to Leave a Church.
Because you know that you can actually leave a church
and still be right with God?
You know that you can leave a church in a way
where you say, you know what, I don't, pastor,
I don't like you, you're ugly and you're short,
you're not funny or whatever,
and I'm just gonna go somewhere else.
You know that you could just go somewhere
and you know that you can go to another church
and just be a blessing?
You don't have to get backslidden.
But you know people will leave a church
like Verity Baptist Church
and then they'll just go to some NIV church.
Or they'll go to some ESV church.
Or they'll go to some New King James Church
and it's like, what in the world?
How in the world do you leave here and go there?
Look, you need to just be assured of the fact
that modern, corrupt Bible versions are a strange fire.
They were not provided by God.
They were not commanded by God.
Counterfeit gospels are a strange fire.
Corrupt Bible versions are a strange fire.
Let me give you a third one, we'll finish up.
Go to Ephesians chapter five.
If you kept your place in Galatians,
just right after Galatians you got Ephesians.
We're talking about a strange fire.
Remember, what strange fire?
It wasn't provided by God, it wasn't commanded by God.
It's something we use to approach God,
but it didn't come from God.
Counterfeit gospels are a strange fire.
Corrupt Bible versions are a strange fire.
Here's a third one.
Contemporary Christian music is a strange fire.
Contemporary Christian music did not come from God.
It's not commanded by God, and it's not pleasing to God.
Let me just give you a few statements about music,
and I don't wanna get into all sorts of detail about music.
I preach entire sermons about music and our stands on music.
But let me just say this, music is spiritual.
Whether bad or good, it's all spiritual.
Whether it's the spirit of God or the spirit of Satan,
music, you need to understand this, music is spiritual.
Ephesians 5, 18 says this,
and being out drunk with wine, wearing is excess,
but be filled with the spirit,
speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord.
Here, we're told that we oughta sing spiritual songs.
You say, why?
Because music is spiritual.
Colossians 3, 16, if you'd like to go there,
just, you got Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.
Colossians 3, 16 says let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
So, music is spiritual.
The nature of music is spiritual.
Whether it's good or bad, it's all spiritual.
Whether it's a good spirit or a bad spirit,
it's all spiritual.
And I don't have time to go to Ezekiel 28
and show you how Satan is a musical being,
but music is spiritual, and here's what you need,
and maybe we won't go to Ezekiel 28, I don't know,
but go to Psalm 22.
I'll decide in a minute.
Go to Psalm 22.
If you open up your Bible, just write in the center,
you'll more likely follow the book of Psalms.
Psalm 22, understand this, music is spiritual.
And understand this, God inhabits the music of his people.
When God's people direct their praises
and their worship through music to him,
the Bible says that God actually inhabits that music.
Psalm 22, verse two, oh my God, I cry in the daytime,
but thou hearest not.
And in the night season, and am not silent,
notice verse three, but thou are holy,
oh thou, that inhabits the praises of Israel.
Notice that God's holiness is mentioned,
and the fact that that holy God actually inhabits
the praises of his people.
So, music is spiritual, whether good or bad, it's spiritual.
And God loves music to the point
where he actually inhabits.
The Bible says that, oh, thou inhabits the praises of Israel.
When we sing to God, God inhabits that.
You say, how does the God?
Well, the Holy Spirit of God is inside of you.
You're being filled with the Spirit
when you're singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
You're directing that praise to God,
and God is receiving that praise,
and he inhabits that music.
And you need to understand this.
Go to 1 John 2.
I'm giving you kind of just some things to understand.
I could preach a whole thing on music,
and I'm not going to now, but maybe another day.
Go to 1 John 2.
If you started the book of Revelation and head back,
you've got Revelation, Jude, 3 John, 2 John, 1 John.
Revelation, Jude, 3 John, 2 John, 3 John.
Music is spiritual, whether good or bad, it's spiritual.
God inhabits the music of his people.
Number three, nothing from the world
is of God or pleasing to God.
1 John 2, 15, love not the world.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
Notice what the Bible says, if any man love the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.
If you love the world, the love of the Father,
you can't love the Father and love the world.
You've got to decide.
He says, if any man love the world, the love of the Father
is not in him.
For all, you see that word all there?
Now, we're not Calvinists.
Well, all doesn't really mean all.
You see that word all?
For all that is in the world.
Is anything left out of that?
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,
notice what it says, is not of the Father.
Is there anything that's in the world that came from God,
according to this verse?
No.
For all that is in the world is not of the Father,
but is of the world.
And if you love anything in the world,
then you don't have the love of the Father.
So we're applying these principles to music.
Music is spiritual.
Whether good or bad, it's all spiritual.
God inhabits the praise of his music.
He's so involved in music that he inhabits you.
And when you sing praises, you're
filled with the Holy Spirit of God.
And you sing praises.
You direct praises to God.
And he inhabits those things.
And then the Bible tells us that nothing from the world
is of God or pleasing to God.
So what makes us think that we can then take the world's music
and use that to worship God?
Here's that one I just said.
Contemporary Christian music, music of the modern day
that is used to worship God is strange fire.
It's not pleasing to God.
God did not provide it.
God did not command it.
God does not respect it.
Look, for us to get this idea, I mean, it's just ridiculous.
Christians today, I mean, do you know
that there's any genre of worldly music out there
you can find a Christian version of it?
Before I was saved, I listened to country Western music.
You must have been real depressed.
I don't know why you would listen to that.
My dog died.
My wife left me.
But you know, you can find that same music, just something
about Jesus added to it.
I mean, they've got stupidity out there.
I mean, Christian rap, I can't even
imagine something more stupid.
Christian, OK, is Snoop Dogg part of the world?
I think he is.
Is Tupac part of the world?
But here's what Christian hip hop artists, they're like,
let's go act like them, get their music,
get their ideas, get their clothing,
get their beats and their style.
And let's just make it about Jesus.
And they think that's acceptable to God.
No, that's strange fire.
When we take the world's rock and roll music
and we add Jesus to it, that's strange fire.
When we take the world's country Western music
and add Jesus to it, that's strange fire.
God is not pleased with anything that's from the world.
He says, look, if you love the world,
the love of the pop's not in you.
And all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, I'm proud of life, all of it,
none of it is from the Father, it's from the world.
So when people come here and they say,
all you guys' music is so different,
we're like, praise God, because it came from somewhere else.
How can God be pleased?
How can God be pleased with music?
When we take the world's music
and then we would direct that towards God.
You know what that is?
That's strange fire.
You didn't get that fire from God.
You got it from somewhere else.
You took it from another source.
And God says, that's foreign, that's strange.
I don't respect that, and I don't want that.
Go back to Leviticus chapter 10 where we started.
Let me just show you one last thing and we'll finish up.
Leviticus chapter 10.
You know, we focus on the fact that God
killed Nadab and Abihu.
And that's definitely the climax of the story.
Whenever God drops dead to anybody,
it's kind of the climax of the story.
But here's what's interesting
and here's what I don't think we really grasp sometimes.
If you look at, if you go back to Leviticus 9.24,
just real quickly, the Bible says,
and there came a fire out from before the Lord
and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering
and the fat, which when all the people saw,
they shouted and fell on their faces.
Remember in Leviticus 9.24, God was not killing anybody.
He was just providing fire that might be used,
that might be used for the service of the tabernacle,
for the incense, for those things.
What's interesting is that in Leviticus 10.1,
the Bible says, and Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron,
took either of them his censer and put fire there on
and put incense there on and offered strange fire
before the Lord, fire that God did not provide
and fire that God did not command,
which he commanded them not.
And notice the wording here.
Notice how it's similar to what we read in Leviticus 9.24.
And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them,
and they died before the Lord.
The Bible says there went out fire from the Lord.
Leviticus 9.24 says there came a fire out
from before the Lord.
We like to highlight the fact, and I think we should,
that God sent fire to kill Nadab and Abihu,
but you know, honestly, I'm not necessarily sure
that that was the primary thing
that God was trying to accomplish.
That's definitely something that God accomplished.
You know what I think?
I think God sent fire from heaven, Leviticus 9.
Nadab and Abihu were supposed to keep the fire burning.
They were supposed to keep the fire going.
You can look at, in the Old Testament,
they're given instructions that they're supposed
to remove the ashes.
They're supposed to replace the wood.
They're supposed to make sure the fire keeps burning,
that the fire never goes out,
that fire was never supposed to go out,
but they allowed it to go out.
They allowed it to burn out,
and then they bring strange fire, and God says,
well, I guess I better light the fire again.
He sends fire down, and in the process, they die.
He's just reigniting his fire.
He said, well, what's the lesson there?
Here's the lesson.
Be careful about bringing strange fire to the Lord,
whether it's a false gospel or contemporary music
or corrupt Bible versions,
or whatever it is that you've decided
that I will worship God in this way,
and you know that that's not, that didn't come from God.
God did not provide it, and God did not command it.
Because God might just decide to go ahead
and reignite the fire and might burn you in the process.
He might say, well, there's a need there.
This fire needs to get relit,
and you're just a casualty of his wrath.
So we need to be careful,
because we like to think about this loving God,
but we also have a just and holy God,
and he is within his rights, even in the New Testament,
when Christians choose to approach God
with what he has not provided
and with what he has not commanded to drop them dead.
This fire had to have a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, thank you, Lord, for your word.
Thank you for the Bible, thank you for these stories.
And Lord, help us to remember that you are not pleased
with strange fire, and there's strange fire out there.
And maybe there's more applications than I've thought about
and more applications that could be made,
but help us to be clear about the strange fire
of counterfeit gospels,
the strange fire of corrupt Bible versions,
the strange fire of contemporary Christian music, Lord.
Help us to make sure that we are always approaching you
in spirit and in truth,
that we are approaching you
with that which you have provided
and with that which you have commanded.
Lord, help us to do our best to walk with you,
to respect you,