{"id":1757,"date":"2025-05-27T18:46:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T18:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/?page_id=1757"},"modified":"2025-12-11T21:36:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T21:36:31","slug":"drawing-near-to-god","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/drawing-near-to-god\/","title":{"rendered":"DRAWING NEAR TO GOD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Drawing Near to God<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text: Leviticus 1:1\u20139<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We live in a world that celebrates access. You can book a flight, order a meal, or schedule a meeting all from your phone. Technology has given us convenience\u2014but sometimes, that convenience causes us to forget the weight and wonder of access to truly important things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about this: If you were invited to the White House to meet the President, you wouldn\u2019t treat it like any other day. You would plan your schedule, choose your outfit carefully, and think twice about how you\u2019d carry yourself. If you were summoned into a courtroom or invited to a royal palace, you wouldn\u2019t arrive unprepared or disheveled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now consider this: How much more should we consider the weight of entering into the presence of Almighty God? The King above all kings. The One who is holy, holy, holy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, let\u2019s be honest. In our spiritual routines, we sometimes treat access to God casually. We rush into worship, we multitask through prayer, and we skim the Word. But Scripture reminds us: God is holy, and He is not approached on human terms. He invites us\u2014but He also instructs us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why the book of Leviticus matters. While it may seem foreign at first glance\u2014full of offerings, rituals, and priestly procedures\u2014it actually teaches us something deeply profound: a holy God desires relationship with us, but that relationship is not entered into lightly. It must be approached with reverence, sacrifice, and wholehearted devotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leviticus 1 opens with a call\u2014not from Mount Sinai, as in Exodus, but from the Tent of Meeting. Verse 1 says, “The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, \u2018Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When anyone among you brings an offering to the LORD\u2026\u2019”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God was initiating the conversation. He was opening the door. But notice\u2014He gives very clear instruction for how that access must take place. In the chapters that follow, we find five kinds of offerings. Today, we focus on the first: the burnt offering. It\u2019s foundational because it sets the tone for every other kind of worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the burnt offering, we learn this central truth: God not only desires relationship with His people\u2014He makes a way for it. But we must come on His terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Come to God with Reverence, Not Assumption<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verse 3<\/strong> says, “If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

God didn\u2019t say, “Bring whatever you have lying around.” He said, “Bring your best.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was no casual offering. The worshiper had to select an unblemished animal, bring it to the tent of meeting, place their hands upon it, and then kill it. This was personal. Intentional. Weighty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? Because sin is serious. And God is holy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We live in a culture of convenience. We like worship that fits our preferences. We want sermons that are short, music that matches our taste, and a God who fits our schedule. But God is not interested in being squeezed into our lives. He is Lord. He deserves our reverence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever tried giving a half-used gift to someone? Imagine re-wrapping a candle you’ve already burned, or giving a shirt with the tags cut off. That would be insulting, not honoring. Yet, how often do we give God leftovers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Application:<\/strong> Let\u2019s bring our best\u2014our best time, our best attention, our best hearts. Let’s approach Him with awe, not apathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But reverence isn\u2019t the only requirement. True worship doesn\u2019t just acknowledge God\u2019s worth\u2014it offers something costly in response. Let\u2019s look at the second aspect of this passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Offer What Costs You Something<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verse 4<\/strong> continues, “You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This wasn\u2019t symbolic only\u2014it was substitutionary. The animal bore the cost. Worship required something from the worshiper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David once said in 2 Samuel 24:24,<\/strong> “I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The burnt offering was completely consumed. Nothing was held back. It symbolized total devotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we come to God, we don\u2019t come bargaining. We come yielding. Offering ourselves completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you go all in on something\u2014whether it’s a business, a relationship, a dream\u2014you don’t hold back. You invest. You sacrifice. That\u2019s what worship is meant to look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus, our perfect sacrifice, went all in for us. He gave everything. So, what should our response be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Romans 12:1<\/strong> says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God\u2019s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God\u2014this is your true and proper worship.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worship that is reverent and costly must also be personal. God\u2019s instructions in Leviticus involve the worshiper directly. And that brings us to our third point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Let Worship Be Personal and Participatory<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verse 5 <\/strong>says, “You are to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and then Aaron\u2019s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was not a spectator experience. The worshiper was involved in bringing, identifying with, and initiating the offering. The priests handled the rest\u2014but the beginning was in the hands of the worshiper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worship today must also be personal. It cannot be outsourced. Church is not a show. Worship is not a performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine attending a wedding but not really knowing the bride or groom. You might enjoy the food and the music, but you wouldn’t be emotionally invested. That\u2019s the difference between being present and participating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Application:<\/strong> Let\u2019s lean into worship. Let\u2019s engage. Let\u2019s come not just to observe but to offer ourselves to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leviticus begins with a call: \u201cCome near.\u201d This divine invitation was not random or generic\u2014it was rooted in God\u2019s holy character and His deep desire to dwell with His people. And through the burnt offering, God provided a specific, sacred way for that to happen. He made the path clear, but it had to be followed with reverence, with sacrifice, and with personal involvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news for us today is that God still calls. The One who spoke from the tent of meeting now speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 10:19\u201322<\/strong> says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus is our perfect sacrifice. Through Him, the veil has been torn, and the way has been opened. We don\u2019t need to bring bulls or goats\u2014we come by grace. But that grace is not cheap. We still come on His terms\u2014with awe, with humility, with wholehearted devotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s not settle for casual Christianity. Let\u2019s not drift through worship with distracted minds and halfhearted hearts. God deserves more. He invites us to draw near\u2014but never flippantly. Always faithfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prayer:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord, teach us to worship You rightly. To bring not just our songs but our lives. Not just our words but our obedience. Let our approach reflect Your worth. Let our reverence match Your holiness. And let our hearts remain tender to the voice that still calls us to draw near. In Jesus\u2019 name, amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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