How serious is God?

Lesson: How Serious is God
By: Matt Atkins
Location: UNO Aphitheater
Students: 6

If you were going to choose a heart surgeon, how would you choose one?
What protective procedures do you think they have in place to keep you safe?
Would you expect your surgeon to follow those procedures and how closely would you expect him/her to follow them?

How serious do you think God is when he commands something?

2 Samuel 6: 1-7 Uzzah
David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

God didn't take lightly his instructions to his people then and he doesn't take it lightly now. He is clear on how we can have a personal relationship with him. It is our responsibility to find his instructions and follow them just like it was David's, and after the loss of Uzzah, David took very seriously God's instructions on handling the ark.

How can this apply today? What instructions did God give that people today overlook or don't take seriously?

I John 3:17-18 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

How serious are you about following God's proceedure or do you want to gamble with your salvation?