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Welcome to Redemption Church. My name is Chris Fluitt and I am happy to be with you today. I am with some of you in person and I am with some of you online through ‘livestream’ and ‘podcast’, and I am glad to be with all of you all. I pray that this Word of God will make a difference in your life today.
Deal with the Devil
We are in the 2nd week of our series “Deal with the devil.”
Do you know about the one we call the devil? He is a liar and the father of all lies. He is a murderer from the beginning. The devil is not to be trusted.
We asked you last week, would you ever make a deal with the devil? Many people unknowingly make deals with the devil. The devil makes deals through words, hearts, minds, and actions. Instead of a physical contract, the devil seeks a spiritual agreement.
Amos 3:3 (KJV) Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
When we are in agreement with the devil, we have begun to walk with him… we have made a deal with the devil.
The devil deals with pride
Last week we told you the devil deals with pride. We told you that pride is choosing your self-will over God’s will.
Self-will, pride, leads to disobedience, and the Bible has a strong term for disobedience against God…
Today we will reveal that the devil deals with rebellion
The devil deals with rebellion
We know what disobedience is. Disobedience is the failure to follow through with the command of God. Disobedience is sin… “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)”. None of us have ever obeyed God fully to the level of His glory. For this reason we are all sinners.
Rebellion is much worse than disobedience. Rebellion is disobedience on steroids.
Rebellion – A rejection of authority. A revolt against authority.
Do you see how rebellion is stronger than disobedience?
If I am cooking a casserole and I get out a cook book and try to follow the recipe, but overlook an ingredient… or get my amounts wrong… or set the oven to the wrong temperature… If I have somehow differed from the command of the recipe I have disobeyed the recipe.
But rebellion is different. If I set out to cook that casserole, but I look at the recipe and decide I will do the opposite of everything it suggests and then throw the cookbook into the dumpster… that is full rebellion against the recipe, the cookbook, and the author.
The devil deals with rebellion
The Devil uses rebellion because it is exactly what he did. Scripture reveals in Revelation 12 that the devil caused a third of the angels to rebel in a war against God in the heavens.
He wants us to do more than simply disobey God’s commands. Satan desires for us to join him in his rebellion against God.
He wanted Adam & Eve to join the rebellion, but they heard the command of God and repented and began to offer sacrifices of repentance. Adam & Eve disobeyed, but when they heard the voice of God they confessed their fault. They were disobedient but not in rebellion against God.
…but the same cannot be said for their son Cain.
The rebellion of Cain
It is obvious in scripture that Adam & Eve taught their children to give sacrifice unto the Lord who had spared their life and forgiven them. In Genesis 4 we see the 2 sons of Adam & Eve giving sacrifice.
Genesis 4:4-11 (NIV) And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
This story starts with Cain in disobedience. His sacrificial offering was disobedient and not accepted. Like the earlier recipe analogy, Cain had the wrong ingredients. There was still hope for Cain even though he had been disobedient. God said…
Genesis 4:7a (NIV) If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?…
Cain could have done what was right and been accepted and forgiven of disobedience.
We serve a God full of grace & love. And when we are disobedient He still comes to us and offers redemption, restoration, and reconciliation. And if we do what is right, we will be accepted.
If we do what is right, we will be accepted. – Genesis 4:7
This is our message to the world.
The addict, the liar, the greedy, the murderer, the religious hypocrite, the thief, the adulterer, the prideful, the hateful, the lost & confused… There is a God who wants to accept you into His kingdom. God says do what is right and there is acceptance for you. This is the gospel message of Jesus Christ; that through His blood there is acceptance for the disobedient.
But the disobedient Cain heard the voice of God, and instead of surrendering to the authority of God He rebelled.
Genesis 4:7 (NIV) If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
The sin of rebellion is a spooky scary thing. It is like a predator monster just outside your door. It lies in wait, crouching, desiring to have you.
Rebellion wants you. And when the sin of rebellion has you… it may get your brother also. When Cain rebelled against the authority of God, Cain went out and killed his brother, who is the image of God.
The devil deals with rebellion
The devil wants you to join his rebellion. So his plan is to get you to go from disobedience to rebellion. Here is how you go from disobedience to rebellion.
Cain was disobedient, but when did he become rebellious?
Rebellion is a rejection of God’s authority, and God’s authority is found IN HIS WORD.
God spoke to Cain, but Cain rejected the Word of God. The rejection of God’s Word is the very heart of rebellion.
Cain had disobeyed in presenting the wrong sacrifice. Cain rebelled when He rejected the authority of God’s voice.
BE CAREFUL with the Word of God. The Word is a two edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) that cuts both ways. This word can cut your enemy down to size, but that double edged blade can cut you as well.
Have you ever caught yourself praying for God to speak?
God please speak
God please speak to me.
Please speak to my family.
Please speak to the politicians and world leaders.
Please speak to the people I am struggling with.
Please speak to my lost loved ones.
Be careful with that prayer. There is something worse than disobedience. When God speaks to the disobedient, they may reject his word and fall into utter rebellion.
Sometimes it is more merciful for God to NOT speak.
John 12:48 (NIV) There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.
God judges on a curve, and that curve is based on the exposure to the WORD!
Matthew 12:41-42 (NIV) The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
I take these verses literal. In Matthew 11:24 Jesus looks at an audience that is rejecting His word & authority and says “It will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” Luke 12:48 says “if you have been given much, much will be required..”
Hearing the WORD and REBELLING against the authority of the WORD will bring more judgment upon you, yourself.
Sometimes God gives me a message and even reveals who it is for… I preach it and yet the person for whom it was intended, does not show up to hear the message. It is enough to make a pastor second guess himself. Did I really hear the Lord…? But, I know when I have heard from the Lord.
God in His mercy will sometimes send a Word, but in His mercy will allow someone never to hear a word they will rebel against; saving them from heaping more judgment upon themselves.
You are not just hearing another sermon… you are hearing the WORD OF GOD. Every time you hear the authoritative WORD of the Lord, it offers the opportunity to RECEIVE or REBEL.
Instead of “please speak to me”, pray “Lord help me receive & obey your word.” “Forgive me of being in rebellion against your word.” “I may not even understand your command but I surrender my life to your command.”
I want you to know however, that rebellion is more than a decision, rebellion is a spirit.
Rebellion is a spirit
One of the essential examples of rebellion in the Bible is the life of the first king of Israel… King Saul. He fell past disobedience and completely rebelled against God and the God’s prophet Samuel.
God commanded Saul, and Saul rebelled against God’s Word. Here is what Samuel says to king Saul.
1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NIV) But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
Rebellion is like the sin of divination, also translated as witchcraft. Divination and witchcraft is seeking spiritual evil & demonic forces to help you. You can see how God would be angry with seeking the help of evil… walking & talking with demons…
Well God’s Word says REBELLION is like the sin of divination. In other words rebellion against God is like taking the devil by the hand and walking in agreement against the Lord. Rebellion against the Word of God is like saying yes to every demon in hell.
Rebellion is wicked. Rebellion is a spirit.
Rebellion is a spirit
Witchcraft is a spiritual sin. Witchcraft is an irresistible seductive desire for power. Rebellion is the complete denial of God’s power.
When you refuse to obey God’s command… it is not because you have reasoned in your mind… it is because you have been seduced by a spiritual serpent.
Be careful what you do with the Word of God. You either RECEIVE or you REJECT it. There is nothing in between. You either walk with God, or with the serpent. Either the Lord Jesus is your everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6) or the devil is your father (John 8:44).
What in God’s Word are you rebelling against? Your rebellion is more than a mental decision. It is a deal with the devil.
“Sure Pastor… I may not get everything right according to scripture… but I do a lot of good things… I go to church, I sing, I pray sometimes, I often give money, I volunteer….
Let’s go back to the word of God…
1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV) But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
Obedience is better than sacrifice. Stop trying to justify yourself with a list of the places you have obeyed God’s Word, and looking past and ignoring all the places you are openly rebelling against His Word.
Our disobedience is not ok. Our rebellion is not ok. Do not be seduced by a serpent, RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD!
The Word of God will not allow you to stay comfortable in your sin. Now, you can find a church somewhere lead by a preacher with an easy-going message. You can find a preacher who will tickle your ears just right…
2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV) For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
Acts 5:29 (NIV) “We must obey God rather than human beings!
Are we rebelling against God’s Word?
Are we walking hand in hand with the spiritual sin of rebellion?
You must deal with the Devil
I have good news for you. You can deal with rebellion. You can break the deal of the devil.
Jesus died on the cross for rebels like you and me. Romans 5:7 says that Christ died for His enemies.
Cain died in his rebellion…. But he did not have to…
King Saul died in his rebellion… But he did not have to…
Let me give you the example of David. Did David disobey God? Yes on multiple occasions he disobeyed God’s commands… and yet David is called THE MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). Why?
Psalm 119:9-16 (NIV) How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
Psalm 119:105 (NIV) Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Psalm 19:7-10 (NIV) The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
You want to be a man or woman after God’s own heart? LOVE HIS WORD! RECEIVE HIS WORD! OBEY HIS WORD!
You can’t just amen this sermon, today. You need to receive it… celebrate it… obey it…. Put it into action. NO LIPSERVICE!
Jesus will forgive & restore the disobedient & the rebellious.
1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
He will forgive us our sins. The word there is hamartia which means to miss the mark… to be less than obedient. If you will confess your sin… Jesus will forgive your disobedience.
And purify us from all unrighteousness. The word for unrighteousness is adikia which is more like rebellion. It means to be unjust, to reject and rebel against the just law of God. If you will confess your sin… Jesus will forgive your rebellion.
Come confess.
Come receive the authority of God’s Word.