up with joy. As we spend time in Wyoming for a family reunion. Wyoming is one of the states in the United States if you didn't some people don't know. So, so we had a great time there. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. And we're we're going to talk about uh sin. And uh more importantly though, we're going to talk about Jesus and how he addresses sin. Uh and that's the good news. But to get to the good news, we have to talk about bad news. And so we're going to talk about some bad news today as it relates to sin as rebellion. And we're going to walk through rebellion, redemption, and responses together. And I I think your heart's going to be courage encouraged. I I think my heart's going to be encouraged through this. But I I know this that I I want to hear from the Lord today and I want to make sure that um my heart is right and I would ask you to make sure that your heart is right as much as it can in Christ. And uh let's see what God might do. Would you join me as we pray? Lord, we love you and we need you. We thank you and praise you. We ask that you would be glorified and honored. Lord, we're going to talk about u some hard things. And we're also going to talk about some exciting things. And I I would just ask Lord that you would help us to not have calloused hearts today. It would be easy to justify uh any level of rebellion that we may be walking in at any time. It may be easy to justify our actions and our attitudes, even those that aren't justifiable. So we ask Lord that you would convict us of any rebellion that may be dwelling in our hearts. We ask Holy Spirit that you would also open our eyes to see the ways that you have provided a way out for redemption, for healing, and for your glory. We love you. We thank you and we praise you. And it's in Jesus Christ's precious and holy, holy, holy name we pray. Amen. Amen. Well, we just celebrated the 4th of July. How'd that go for everybody? Great. Was there fireworks and flags and barbecues and parades? Did you all get that? Okay. Okay. First time back in a while. I get it. Okay. You know, here's the amazing thing is that the 4th of July is uh it's our national celebration of rebellion against tyranny. Hang on. Against tyranny, against injustices. In fact, we we formed the Declaration of Independence that has 27 grievances. They they weren't just made up. They didn't just happen that week that the founding father said, "Let's deal with this." uh this had been going on for a long time and we celebrated on the 4th of July our independence and we are going to talk about today rebellion there there there is some good rebellion and that good rebellion is is when there is tyranny when there are injustices there is a time and a space and a place where we should respond in faith to the Lord a and set the captives free but let's be honest There is something about rebellion that I don't know we we we kind of like it. It feels bold. It feels defiant. Uh we sometimes admire it or cheer it on. There is something about us, the way that we are wired that we go, you know what? There is something that is holding us back and we're going to give it everything we got. It's why we love movies. Maybe you've seen this movie. Tell me if you've seen it where there is a there is this person and they're kind of in this this this place of weakness. I can't think of the name of the show, but they're in this place of of weakness and something really bad happens to them. They're being oppressed by the man. I don't know. Uh and and they they walk through this time and then suddenly they've just they've had enough and what do they do? They rebel against him. Oh, and in the end they give it to that person, right? And we love that. What's the name of that show? Oh, yeah. It's every movie that is out ever. That is that is because it we're wired that way. We we like that. Uh but let's be honest, there is a place where rebellion is bad. And it doesn't just uh it it doesn't just break the rules. It breaks relationships. And it it breaks the relationship, our relationship with God. And and so what I'd like to do is I'd like to define that for us. I'd like to walk through it a little bit, maybe identify some uh some rebellion that perhaps is that that that we've allowed into our hearts. So what is rebellion? It's a willful rejection of God's authority. Not just disobedience, but cosmic treason rooted in pride and unbelief. Like we see that from the very beginning. Satan himself is the king of rebellion. that he would be in the presence of God and see the mighty work and the splendor of God and somehow want that for himself so much that he would be willing to go to the garden of Eden like the the audacity of Satan to go to the garden of Eden to go to that place to tempt Eve and to tempt Adam to take something that wasn't theirs. And how did he tempt him? By saying this, you could be like God. It's not enough to be with him. you you could be like him. And there is something in the very essence of rebellion that is just that kind of want to be like God. I kind of want to do it myself. Rebellion is this soldier that turns his gun on his commander. It's mutiny. It's not a mistake. It's mutiny. It's not a mistake. And rebellion is in the heart of every person from the Garden of Eden on. There has been something within us that just would really like the throne. I really maybe I even deserve this crown that is supposed to be uniquely God's. Can Can we talk about it? Can Can we get real for a minute? Uh, I'm going to share some things that are true about me and may be true about you. I hate being late. When when I say when I say hate being late, I I I honestly friends like I I hate that there. And I don't know why. I think I think it was put on me as a child like don't be late, don't be late. Don't be late. If you're 15 minutes early, you're you're almost on time. Be earlier than that. Like that was something that was imposed on me. God in his goodness gave me a wife who doesn't have that boundary. Like that is that's just not where she dwells. And and that's that's that's a good thing. It's stretched me. It's challenged me. But when I'm running late, I have a tendency to overlook some rules. A friend of mine says uh the last thing that that uh was sanctified on him was his right foot, the gas. And when I'm running late, I I might I might go, you know, two, three miles an hour over. Four four or five miles an hour over. Yeah, somebody said over what? Yeah, that's a that's a good question. Um, but what is that? I am saying I know the rules. I just don't want them to apply to me. Uh, I'll decide when rules apply to me. That is the essence of rebellion. Here's another one. I Y'all ever been around extra grace required type of people? EGRs if if you're going no it might be you. So I'm just kidding. Uh it might be you. EGR is extra grace required. And there is something within us that I don't know just kind of it kind of feels good when someone says hey have you ever noticed that so and so needs a little extra grace? Yeah. Do I being around that person who just like drains the life out of me? Yeah, I know what you mean. It does drain the life. Like they walk in the room and they zap all of the energy. What kind of p, you know, and this is called gossip. It's also character assassination. A and our flesh really likes it. It It's also a form of rebellion. I I'll speak what I want even if it dishonors someone. I I have that authority. That is a form of rebellion. Uh how about this? Oh, this is going to be one Sabbath. Are you kidding? I am super busy. I I have a lot going on in my life. I don't have time to rest. I couldn't possibly What would happen if I rest? Like, how is the grass going to get cut? How are these projects going to get done? I have work. Uh I have stuff at work that I still need to do. Uh I have friends and family that I got to go see. What would happen if I took a day off? and and probably we'll never know because we don't. But what does that say? That is a heart that is a rebellious heart that would speak that because God's in control. What would happen if I rested and what if what would happen if if I paused and said, you know what, I'm actually not on the throne. God is on the throne and I've worked hard all week and I'm taking this time, this 24-hour period to to just rest in Christ. I'm going to get refreshed in him. I'm going to spend time in reading his word. I'm going to be very specific and going, "Ah, here are some ways that God wants to be king in my life." That is rebellion. How about this? I am going to choose when to whom, how much I give of my time, treasure and talents because I'm in control. A and it is my money. It is my time. They are my gifts. It is my future that we're talking about. It is my decision. And that attitude is a form of rebellion. How about this? You ever had a spirit prompting? I I I think I think that's kind of a wide range of things that happens. This this has happened to me on multiple occasions. Like here's kind of the easy one. And I think God is like training my ears to hear him. Don't shut the trunk yet. And I shut the trunk, but my keys were in there. and and I wish I wouldn't have shut the trunk cuz that's going to cost me about a hundred bucks to get somebody to come and help me. Uh and and perhaps the spirit of God was telling me not to do that and I and I did it. And and perhaps one of the reasons he's doing it in in that place is to train my ears to hear him so that when he says that person next to you, Kenny, give them the gospel. Share the gospel. I will recognize his voice and I'll I'll respond in faith. How many times have I received those kind of prompts and just said maybe later? That is a form of rebellion. And I would suggest to us that everyone has these tendencies because when Satan did what he did in the garden, the world was flooded with waters of rebellion and we've swam and marinated in it ever since. What does the Bible have to say about it? Well, different words are used in the Old Testament and New Testament. Uh, but here is uh here is the essence of it. It is defiance. I know you're telling me something, but I don't want to do it. Even if it's good, I didn't come up with it. It's defiance. It's betrayal. Yeah, sure. I'll do it. And then not. It's lawlessness. Rules don't apply to me. is discern. I I know you could use me in this place, but I'm going to do my own thing. These are more than just words that you see on the screen. These are heart attitudes that reveal something. Something that Jeremiah told us empowered by the spirit when he said, "The human heart is desperately wicked above all things." And that is certainly true as it relates to rebellion. None of us get off easy on this one. All of us are tempted to respond in rebellion in a variety of ways. And all of us can justify it. But this this isn't just breaking the rules. This is breaking a relationship. So let's talk about a few truths. Let's just identify quickly a few truths before we get into the good news. And I promise the good news is coming. Let's talk about rebellion and and some truths that are revealed with respect to this rebellion. First of all, rebellion is treason. We are going against the king. And if you think about like if we would pull back a little bit and think about what rebellion as treason and to whom we are pointing that treason to. It's really dumb. Like it is we're saying to an all powerful creator I know more than you. Uh no God I got this. What? Like how ridiculous is that? And yet all of us do it. We We might even do it in some subtle ways. I got a lot to do. I don't have time to spend with the Lord. I I'm not going to pray and ask God, I got this. Do you hear the pride in that sort of attitude? I got this. It's problematic and it's treason. And it's treason at a very deep level. Uh in 1st Samuel 8:7, they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. God is speaking to Israel when they wanted a king. They're not rejecting you, Samuel. They're rejecting me. They don't want me to be their king. And I I I think that is certainly true in the United States, especially every four years when we get to this place of voting for a president. And and I know it's true because I go on social media and I see all these posts. I'm like, "Oh boy, I Yep. I think that there are certain people that will better represent me and I should vote for them." And also I love you. And also I I want I want God to reign because I know that every person who is ever going to be in any office anywhere in this world is always going to be woefully inadequate for that position and desperately needs the Lord. And so I'm going to vote for them. And I know they're woefully inadequate and I and I recognize that in myself as well. be careful because rebellion is treason. When we put hope in our uh selves, in our systems, and in our people apart from God, it's a problem. Rebellion is covenantal betrayal. What do I mean by covenantal betrayal? A a covenant is is like when someone gets married, it's a vow. like I I am vowing to honor you, to love you, to care for you. It's uh rebellion is going against that covenant that you have established. Rebellion is the essence of sin. We'll talk more about that in just a moment. Think of betrayal as perhaps this might be a a visualization for that. Uh a couple being married. And if you if you can envision it in the middle of the vows, one of them just goes, "Nope." and turns around and walks out. We got to this place and you're saying, "Nope." And turn around, walk out. That that would be the word picture, the the the visualization that we might be able to embrace to understand what what rebellion is towards God. And by the way, all rebellion is towards God. It may be pointed at some others, but ultimately it is towards God. Let's look at a few verses. These are some key verses on rebellion. And I I would like you to to really pay attention to them. Uh 1st Samuel 15:23 that we've already identified or I'm sorry, we haven't already identified. Uh for rebellion is as the sin of divination and presumption is as ina in iniquity and idolatry. What does that mean? Rebellion is the sin of divination. Well, in the Old Testament, divination again was trying to get the answer apart from God using another deity to get it. And the Old Testament response to that was stoning. Rebellion is equivocated to that. If we are walking in rebellion against God, it is the same as divination. I am looking to another deity and it might also be me for answers about my future. Isaiah 1:2 Isaiah 1:2 uh hear O heavens and give ear o earth for the Lord has spoken. Children have I reared and brought up but they have rebelled against me. This parental relationship is broken. What else do we see in Romans 1:21-23? They have exchanged the glory of God for created things. They would rather have created things than the creator who is to be praised forever more. Do you see the problem with this? What I would like you to do though is take about 10 seconds, look over this these verses and see which one hits you. Maybe one of them more than the other. And maybe for a variety of reasons. Maybe it's, oh, I've never really considered that I'm like, I'm at the same level as witchcraft when I rebel against God, when I choose to not do what God is calling me to do. I've never really considered it quite like that. And maybe it's hitting you for the first time today in that way. Or or maybe it's like uh you see yourself as this child who is running away rebelling against uh the your parents your parent God and doing your own thing only to find that you you can't you're inadequate and you're running away and you're breaking the father's heart in the midst of all of it. Or maybe it's just that that there are some earthly things that you would prefer to play with and have fun with instead of submitted to God. For whatever reason this connects with you, I would like you to go before the throne room of God right now just over the next 15 seconds and just confess that Lord, I acknowledge this about rebellion in my life. And maybe it's, hey, I'm I'm I'm guilty of rebellion and I'm sorry. Or maybe it's I nope. Before I got here, I've dealt with this, but I also recognize this type of rebellion. It it's a default setting in my heart. Whatever it is, I want to give you about 15 seconds to go before the Lord using these verses as maybe a template to get there. Uh, and then we're going to jump into the good news in just a moment. Amen. Rebellion is a sin that separates us from God. All sin separates us from God. Rebellion is one of those sins that separates us from God. Ultimately, if we stay in that state of rebellion, then our separation from God is uh eternal torment away from God. A place that Jesus calls great weeping and nashing of teeth. And I don't believe that the Bible speaks of that figuratively. I believe that is a real place that we call hell. And and so because that is true and that is the bad news like I am desperate for some good news because as I've already confessed to you there is some rebellion in my own heart that if I would allow to take over will take me into fighting a war against God that I will never win. I need some good news. You need some good news. We need some good news. So what is it? Jesus bears the weight of rebellion. That's what it is. He was pierced for our transgressions. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. Do you do you realize what that passage is telling us? is that my rebellion each whether we are talking about uh speeding uh breaking the law in those ways whether we are talking about um uh not listening to the spirit's leading in my whatever whatever all of those things Jesus became guilty for that like he went to the cross guilty for my sin not because he did it but because he took up my sin on that cross as If he was saying, "I received the penalty for being rebellious, for Kenny's lead foot, for for Kenny's gossip, for Kenny's pride. Jesus became guilty for me and for you." Just one of my sins would have put him on the cross. But collectively, we have more, don't we? And Jesus bore the weight of it. What a good God we serve. And he obeyed perfectly. By one man's obedience, the many will be made righteous. So for all who call on the name of the Lord are saved. Not because of our own uh goodness, not because of our own righteousness, not because in and of ourselves we have the ability to save ourselves, but because of the work of Christ. The debt has been paid. And he's just saying the debt is paid. Like come over here. I'm welcoming you into this place. Jesus obeyed this perfectly that we can walk in perfect union with the father, with the son, with the holy spirit. What a good God we serve. Adam drifted. He was walking in unity with God. Like he did name the animals. Okay, let's name the animals. And he names the animals. Uh just don't eat of this tree. Okay. Got it. Got it. But Eve started to and it seemed like a good plan. And it touched on the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And maybe I would like to be like God. God's pretty great. I'd like to be great. And he drifts into sin. But Jesus perfectly and purposefully obeys. And what I'm saying to us today is that following Jesus is going to require us to purposefully obey him. Okay, Jesus, you did the work. I am saved. And now you're working on sanctification in my life. And and sanctification is like this this process of being made holy. And and he's saying, you know, you you don't need to be a leadfoot. Yeah, you're late, but but you're late. That's your own fault. or you're late and it's not your fault and you're going to have to trust me or or yeah, those people are extra grace required and guess what? I love them as much as I love you and and I went to the cross for them just like I I went to the cross for you. And so don't murder them with your words. And God might be doing something in this place, but it's going to require a purposeful response like Jesus gave. And that's the beauty that we can go from rebellion to reconciliation like the way Colossians says it. Once alienated, now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death. Here's a problem that we have, friends. We like to think spiritual and physical. That is a bad dichotomy. It It's bad. It's bad because we start to think that everything physical is bad. And you know what the the Gnostics one of the first heresies in uh in church history that came with that mentality. What we are saying is that the flesh is bad because my flesh says I can have satisfaction, significance and security without God. But the spirit says no you can't. You can't. the the spirit reminds us oh wait your satisfaction your significance and your security is only found in God that is the only place and that that is uh intention the flesh and the spirit but not the physical and the spirit in fact God wants to do some redeeming and he does it physically and I have proof probably about 150 to 200 people in this room that are living proof that God wants to deal the physical, deal with the physical in a spiritual way, they can be united. Do you realize that when Jesus is talking to the Pharisees, they say, "Abraham is our father." Jesus says, "No, he's not. If he were your father, you would rejoice in this day that Abraham saw. But you are like your father, Satan, who is a liar from the beginning. And when he lies, he speaks his native tongue. Jesus equates action with spiritual lineage. If we act like Satan, guess who is our father? Uh but then he says something unique in a different passage. He says this Jesus mother and brothers and sisters come to visit and they say they want to see Jesus and one of his disciples comes to him and says Jesus your mother and your brothers and sisters are here for you. And Jesus has this response. He says who's my mother? Where are my brothers and sisters? But those who do the will of God, he again connects a spiritual lineage. And as we have been bought with a price, as God is working in our life, he is calling us to himself to be his children. He takes rebels and makes them his kids. Can you imagine a a judge who had been attacked by someone who would then get off of it like this judgment step down into the court and say I am going to receive the penalty of this person who attacked me and not just that I'm going to welcome them into my home. Like that is a crazy thought and that's exactly what Jesus did. Yeah, you attacked me. You didn't love me, but I love you. I I'm setting you aside. I'm setting you apart for a good work. If you would call on my name, you'll be saved. What a good God to reconcile us to himself. We are a new people with a new heart. Remember, the human heart is desperately wicked above all things, and we need a heart transplant. Romans 8:4, I will write my law on their hearts and they will walk according to the spirit. What a good God we serve. The egos. You know what? Here's what I know. Before I became a Christian, there were things that I did, not just that I did, but I liked doing it. And I felt no conviction for it being bad. Like I I just did it. Uh, but when I got saved, something happened. And I went, "Wait a minute. That that's not right. This isn't honoring God." And I and I What is this feeling I'm feeling? Oh, it's conviction. Hadn't had that before. God does that with giving us a new heart, of writing his law on our hearts, of calling us to himself, of calling us his children. And Jesus categorizes that. Do we behave like Satan? Do we behave like followers of God? So, how do we resolve this? Great question. Glad you asked. Let's walk through this a little bit kind of quickly. I'll give you some verses to go along with it. Uh, first of all, daily surrender. What does daily surrender look like? Uh, well, Jesus says it this way. If anyone would come after me or follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Uh I I wear this cross uh daily. But this is not the cross he is referring to. Jesus is not saying hey wear a nice necklace every day. When Jesus says take up your cross, this is a call to die to self. This was a gruesome thing that Romans uh those in the Roman Empire got to see of others being crucified for breaking the law. Jesus is saying you pick up your cross and you be willing to die to yourself and and it's going to be hard and follow me wherever that leads. Galatians 5:16, walk in the spirit, but I say walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. There's that juxtaposition. It's flesh and spirit. It's not it's not flesh and physical or flesh and this world in a general term. Uh what else do we see? Submit to the word. Jesus in his prayer in John 17. By the way, let me encourage you this week to spend some time in John 17. Just just read through Jesus prayer. It's a beautiful uh moment that we get of the father praying to the son. And in John 17:17, he says, "Sanctify them in truth. Your word is truth." I how do I get to know the will of God? I get in his word. I I I read his word. I study his word. I try to understand his word. I try to follow him in those place. Though this book wasn't written specifically to me, it is certainly written for me and you. Finally, uh witness as worshippers. Witness uh in Acts 1:8, uh Jesus calls them to be his witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world. It was word and action. That was a witness. It could be in a courtroom. But the word became used in another way and that is that as a witness, I'm willing to give my life to Christ. The Greek word that's used there is where we get the word martyr. I'm I'm willing to be a witness. I'm willing to be a martyr for Christ. And that's going to require my words. It will also require my actions as I follow him. Rebellion is war against God. Jesus is our substitute and our sovereign. He gives what we couldn't give. And only in Christ can rebellion be forgiven and we can be transformed. But it's going to require a submission to the Lord Jesus. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And as I consider the story of rebellion, I I have to say that this is an amazing story. While I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me. While I was a actively at war against him, while humanity was actively at war against him, Jesus was still willing to give his life that we could have life. And we're reminded in second Corinthians 5:20 to be reconciled to God. Reality is we don't negotiate with a king. We surrender. And this king died for us. As we pause here and prepare our hearts for communion, there there's a lot to consider. the the effects of sin and specifically rebellion, defiance, betrayal, and that we're all guilty of that. That's bad news. And the good news that there is this God who came in the flesh who gave his life for us to pay a price that we couldn't pay, that all who would call on him would be saved. And and he offers that to all of us, that he would transform rebels into his children. So today as we go before the Lord, I I I want to encourage you to come to surrender and to worship today. Communion is a time where we participate in the Lord's supper. It's something that Jesus called us to. And as the worship team comes out, I I would just remind us of of that this body that was broken and the blood that was shed that we might have life. It's it's something that weekly Friendship Church participates in on both campuses. And we do this very purposefully because we realize that we have a sin problem. And sometimes that sin looks like rebellion. And and we want to give space to recognize that, to confess it, to repent of it. That means to turn away, to be convinced to turn away, and to turn to God, remembering the body that was broken and the blood that was shed. At friendship, you don't have to be a member of friendship church, but we do ask that you are a follower of Jesus. We we believe that's the biblical mandate. To participate in communion, you should be a follower of Jesus. Practically we ask that you would take some time to just uh ask the spirit of God to examine your heart to confess any sin and repent as needed. And when you have the freedom to do so to stand up and come to the carpeted areas and go to the station nearest you or an open station, get both the bread and the cup and return to your seat. And today at the end of a time of worship, Pastor Jason will lead us in communion together. Let's pray. We love you, Lord. We praise you. We thank you. We ask that you would be exalted. Thank you for your willingness to save a wretch like me, wretches like us who could walk in open rebellion, mutiny against you. And yet you love us enough to give your life that we could have life to be transformed from rebels, enemies to children, your children. Transform us Lord more and more into your image for your glory in Jesus name. Amen.