Spirit of Rebellion

You know, brethren, Lucifer's original sin has intrigued most of us to one degree or another, I'm sure. I think we've all contemplated about the sin of Lucifer. We know that Lucifer was a perfect spirit being in the day that he was created, but he was only perfect until iniquity or a sin was found in him. Now, we know he was not a human being. He was spirit.

He had a lot going for him, you might say. He had been given dominion over the earth and over apparently one-third of the angels. He was indeed a very powerful angel, a mighty archangel. He was very high in God's government. He had everything, really, except perhaps you might say one thing. He was not the Most High. He was a created being by the Most High, by the One who became Jesus Christ, as all things were created through the One who became Christ, it says in the Scripture, all things that were made were made. The Father, of course, working through the Word, the Logos, the Spokesman to create Lucifer. So, Lucifer was not eternal. He was spirit, but he wasn't eternal. The Father and the Son are eternal. He was under authority.

So, let's ask ourselves, why did Lucifer sin? Well, no doubt, pride was the sin that was committed. Lucifer became proud about who he was and, undoubtedly, he began to resent the authority that was over him. He wanted to be like the Most High. In fact, he wanted to be the Most High. And, of course, apparently, a third of the angels followed him in rebellion against God. So, again, why did Lucifer rebel? Certainly, he did rebel. He became filled with pride. But we might ask ourselves, why did he become so full of pride? What was perhaps the root cause of Lucifer's problem? Maybe it wasn't just pride. But maybe it was because he was not very thankful. Maybe he did not give God thanks to the degree that he should have for creating him, for creating him so perfectly, so wonderfully. Perhaps he just wasn't really as thankful as he should have been. And not being thankful allowed this pride to well up in him. I believe that's something that we should think about now. We've just had Thanksgiving Day. It seems to me that oftentimes when there's pride, it's because people just aren't thankful. You know, they're really not thankful for all that they have going for them. And oftentimes, it leads to pride.

Was it not a lack of gratitude or thankfulness toward God, the Creator?

Isn't that why Lucifer became filled with pride? Why was he not satisfied with what he had been given? He'd been given so much. Why wasn't he satisfied with that? Why did he want more?

So, brethren, perhaps rebellion is often caused by a lack of gratitude, a lack of thankfulness for what God is giving us and has done for us as well. Perhaps sometimes we rebel because we're not as grateful. We're not as thankful as we ought to be. So let's consider Thanksgiving and the sin of rebellion today. Why do people rebel? What is it they are rebelling against? Why is rebellion referred to as the sin of witchcraft or as the sin of witchcraft? And as, again, we are still thinking about Thanksgiving Day, let's ask ourselves for what should we really be thankful first and foremost? And if we are truly thankful toward God, will we sin in rebellion against Him? I'm talking about really, really, really thankful. I think we'll sin less in rebellion, certainly, against God if we're truly thankful for all he does for us. So rebellion goes as far back as Lucifer, who became Satan the devil when he rebelled. And, of course, the rebellious angels became demons when they followed Satan and rebelled against God. Evidently, they weren't as grateful as they should have been either. They joined in with Lucifer. Now, two-thirds of them didn't, though. Perhaps they were more grateful toward God, their Creator. Rebellion obviously also goes as far back as the first human beings. They also rebelled against God. They rebelled in the Garden of Eden. They were not satisfied with being able to eat of every tree in the garden.

They wanted to eat except one, right? They were told they could eat of every tree in the garden except one. And that, of course, was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were told not to eat of that tree. Lucifer comes along, or Satan, the serpent, and gets Eve to follow him. He lies to her. She believes him. She also was led by her lust, by her, you know, for things that she wanted that were forbidden. She desired to eat that fruit. Adam also joined in and followed in that sin, decided to rebel against God because that's truly what it was. It was rebellion against God. He said, you can eat of every tree, but don't eat of this tree. So they rebelled when they ate of that tree. Because of their rebellion against God and for not being completely thankful, of course, for what God had given them, for wanting even more, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden.

And it wasn't long before Cain rebelled, of course, you know, several years as Cain grew, and rebelled and killed his own brother. There was a commandment against killing. He understood that he ought not murder, but he rose up in hatred and rebellion against Abel. Perhaps he wasn't thankful for his brother. Thankfully, maybe he didn't appreciate his brother enough. He wasn't thankful for the fact that he had a brother, a good brother. So he rose up against Abel and killed him. He was jealous. He was envious of Abel. Abel was probably more faithful, more obedient, certainly, than he was. And he was jealous because of it. And he didn't appreciate his brother. Instead of really appreciating his brother's example and being grateful and thankful for that example, he turned against him. When he was corrected for not giving a proper sacrifice to God, he resented Abel all the more. Instead of repenting of his sin, he rebelled against God. And he sent a great sin by killing his brother. He also rebelled against his parents. Certainly, his parents loved Abel. They didn't want Cain to kill their son. So man has been guilty of rebellion ever since Lucifer or ever since Adam and Eve were created. Mankind is followed in that sin. We're all guilty of rebellion sometimes. In fact, every time we sin, are we not guilty of rebellion?

Every time you sin, every time I sin, are we not guilty of rebellion? If we know better, if it's not a sin of ignorance, if we know better and we do it anyway, then we are rebelling against God. There are other factors as well. Perhaps we're led by envy or jealousy or lust or greed or other things as well. But rebellion is also a part of this. In Genesis 6, verse 5, it talks about how wickedness had become so great on the earth that every thought of the heart of man was evil continually. It was a bad world. So God desired to destroy man, and he was going to start all over again with Noah. Noah was not rebellious, not for the most part anyway. He was obedient. He was a righteous person, so God was going to start over again with Noah and with 7 others in his family. Now let's fast forward through the time of Abraham, through Isaac and Jacob, through Joseph. Obviously, more could be said about them. But let's go to the time of Moses. And let's think about Israel, the children of Israel, the selection of Israel as God's model nation and their deliverance from Egypt. Now God had poured out plague upon plague upon plague on Egypt as he delivered the children of Israel. God clearly revealed himself. He revealed his great power, his might, his ability to deliver and to fight battles for Israel. He made himself very evident. However, let's go to Exodus 32 where it talks about the golden calf.

It wasn't long before Moses had gone up on the mountain, was fasting up on the mountain, was going to receive the Ten Commandments, and the children of Israel are turning against God. Exodus 32. Let's begin in verse 7. Exodus 32.

You know, the people went to Aaron, and Aaron went along with him. He didn't have to, but he did. And he molded this golden calf. Verse 7, the Eternal said to Moses, Go, get down! Get down off the mountain! God is revealing to Moses what's going on here. Go, get down! For your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, they've corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly, out of the way which I commanded them, they have made themselves a molded calf. Now, we know that that was one of the commandments. Thou shalt not bow down before any graven image. You shall have no other gods before me, God says. But they molded this calf, and they worshipped it, and sacrificed to it, and said, This is your God, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt. Now, how offensive would that be?

These were actually gods of Egypt. These molded calves and these idols were actually something they learned in Egypt. This idolatry that was going on. They were going back to Egypt.

They were saying that that's what brought them out of the land of Egypt.

Verse 9, The Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people.

Therefore, let me alone that my wrath may burn hot against them, and I may consume them, and I will make of you a great nation. Moses shows the type of person he is.

Instead of saying, Well, that sounds like a good idea, God. I'm sick and tired of those people. Anyway, they didn't really listen to me well. They rebelled against me as well. Let's just do away with them, and you can start over with me. But Moses instead pleaded with the Lord as God, and said, Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak and say, He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from your fierce wrath and relent from this harm to your people.

You know, God could have done that. He could have started over again. And it would have been within His right to do that. But Moses really did love these people, and he went to bat for them and asked God. I mean, God loved them too. But God was just going to wipe them out, start over again, and bring them back later on. But Moses thought it wouldn't look good to the nations around, and so he pleaded for them, and God relented. But very interesting, what we see here, undoubtedly Moses was a very thankful person for all that God had done for him.

And also, he was even thankful for the people, for those rascals that he was trying to deliver out of Egypt into the Promised Land. So he loved them, and he went to bat for them and asked God to relent, to change his mind. So I find that quite interesting.

Now, in Numbers 14, if we go there for a moment, this is another very interesting account. You know how Joshua and Caleb had faith in God. They believed in God. They trusted in God. They said, look, you know, we have God on our side. We don't have to worry about the giants. You know, they were two of the spies that went in to spy out the land.

They were the only two out of, what, 12? Ten were killed because they were unfaithful. And they said, look, they're giants. They're going to eat us up. Whereas Joshua and Caleb knew that God was on their side and that it would be the giants that would be eaten up through God's power. So let's go to Numbers 14. Let's read a little bit. Verse 1, So all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. This was after the spies had gone into Canaan.

They came back with a bad report. Joshua and Caleb, you know, they gave the good report. They said, let's have faith. Let's trust God. But the congregation, well, actually, they came out and the congregation was upset about it. They thought the giants were going to all kill them. Verse 14, so all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.

And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron. When you complain, you're not very thankful, are you? Most people don't really complain a whole lot if they're really thankful about everything that's going on in their life. They complain when they're not. And they may have good reason to complain sometimes. I'm not saying they don't. Sometimes we have a good reason to, you know, to offer up a complaint.

But there are times when people complain when, you know, really things are going pretty well. They've been blessed. They have so much to be grateful for. And yet they still complain, and that's what was happening here. All the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, if only we had died in the land of Egypt. Oh, that'd be a wonderful solution, wouldn't it?

If only we had died in Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness. Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword? Okay, so I guess they'd rather die any other way except falling by the sword. That our wives and our children should become victims. Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?

Let's go back to Egypt, where we were slaves. So it seems like they completely forgot that God had delivered them, that God had the power, that God decimated Egypt. They want to go back to Egypt. And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

And that's when Joshua, the son of Nun and Caleb, spoke up. And in verse 8, if the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and he will give it to us a land which flows with milk and honey. Notice verse 9, "...only do not rebel against the Lord." Don't rebel against the Eternal, nor fear the people of the land.

Oftentimes, people do rebel when they fear, too. When there's fear. I think we've seen that even in the Church of God in recent times. I think it's interesting to consider. But sometimes people start to fear things, or they lack faith in the fact that God's working in the Church, that God's present, that God's real, that God's alive, that God's a part of the Church. So they begin to fear, okay, well maybe things are happening that aren't good.

And they begin to... they fear that, and then they start to take matters into their own hands. They start leaning to their own understanding. They become more and more ungrateful for the leadership that is in place. So they become disgruntled. They start to complain, and they start to even discredit people's character. They start character assassination. That's what happens when people are lacking faith, and they're keeping their minds... they have their minds and hearts off of God and what God is doing.

And they start to even fabricate lies and come up with things that just aren't even true to justify a rebellion. I really think if we look honestly at our history in the past 20 years since United started, we'll see that a few times, where people did begin to follow this pattern.

Maybe not grateful enough, not thankful for where God had placed them, where God had put them. And then the next thing you know, they're fearing certain things that may happen, that could happen. Maybe the leadership's going this way or whatever. And then before long, a full-scale rebellion is taking place. I hope we can learn the lessons of our history. I hope we can look back and say, yeah, you know, that's what happened. To a large degree, that's what happened. And we shouldn't go that way if ever we're tested in that way again.

And that brings us to Cora's Rebellion, number 16. Numbers 16. Now, this is something we used to preach a lot about. Those of you who have been around a long time, you probably remember Cora's Rebellion being brought out a number of times. And perhaps in some cases to justify things that shouldn't be justified. You know, in the past, I'm talking about, you know, 40, 30, 40 years, you know, in our history, sometimes Cora's Rebellion would come up and everything was a rebellion. But that's, you know, that's not always true. It's not always a rebellion. You have to look at each situation on its own to determine whether it's really righteous indignation. Maybe it's righteous indignation. You know, maybe that's really something that should, that we should have, a righteous indignation against something that's wrong, that's evil, that's going on. You know, that's not Cora's Rebellion. Cora's Rebellion was against, Cora's Rebellion was against Moses, the one that God had appointed. And Moses was pretty spot on, you know, he wasn't perfect, but he was doing what God led him to do, showed him to do, and he was a pretty good leader overall. And Cora, along with 250 men of renown, it says, Cora was a man of renown, and so was 250 others. Nathan and Abiram, you know, things didn't go well for Nathan and Abiram, and for Cora that day, and for Cora's family. They all perished in that rebellion. They took upon themselves things that God did not intend, that God did not want them to do. So I think we have to be careful when we speak about Cora's Rebellion, because I think it can be overused, can be overdone, but at the same time, I think there are times when it's a good thing to bring it out. It's certainly in the Scripture, and it certainly happened, and God didn't like it. So, again, we should use it somewhat sparingly. Now's a good time to use it, because nothing's going on.

Nothing's going on that I'm aware of. There's no rebellion underfoot.

So I can use it pretty much without too much worry that anyone gets the wrong impression. Okay, in Deuteronomy 9, let's go there. Deuteronomy chapter 9.

Deuteronomy chapter 9.

Again, this is actually reviewing some of the rebellions that took place in Israel. In fact, that's what my title says, or the heading in front of chapter 9. It says, Israel's rebellions reviewed. So we're going to take a moment just to review a couple of these things. I'm not going to read a lot of it here, but let's look at verse 7.

Remember, and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord. So up until the time when they were going to be allowed to go into the Promised Land, remember they had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of their sin and their rebellion against God, because they did not enter into the land when they were supposed to. When they listened to those spies who were unfaithful, and they rose up against Moses and against Aaron, they rose up against God, then God basically said, fine, for those 40 days that those men spied the land, you're going to spend 40 years in the wilderness. You're going to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Now, I'm not going to forsake you. I'm not going to leave you behind. In fact, I'm going to feed you every day because on the the preparation day, you're supposed to take double because I'm not going to send anything on the seventh day. So there was actually a miracle every every single day while they were there in the wilderness. There was the miracle of the manna. It came on six days. It didn't come on the seventh. So every single day there was a miracle that was going on that God was showing that he still loved the children of Israel, even though he was making them wander in the wilderness. And all of those who were older died in the wilderness because of their rebellion.

Now, God hates rebellion, and there are consequences when we rebel against God.

So it says, you have been rebellious against the Eternal. Now, if we drop down to verse 24, it says, you have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you.

So that's just Israel's nature, stiff-necked and rebellious. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

So we all should admit that we have a tendency to also be rebellious. We all have that tendency. I know I do. Sometimes I get stiff-necked, proud, vain, agitated, complaining.

We all get that way if we're honest at times. There are times when we all have to struggle and deal with this rebellious attitude, this stiff-necked approach, even if we've been in the church a long time. I mean, I've been in the church a long time. God granted me His Spirit over 40 years ago. And I feel like I've been led by the Spirit, hopefully most of the time. But there are times when I have not been so led by God's Spirit because it was my choice. I desire to walk in the flesh. And that's what happens when you start walking in the flesh. So, we should be careful that we're not allowing our rebellious nature to rise up at times.

We should be careful that we're not allowing our stiff-necked approach to get us in trouble at times. Vain, proud, that sort of approach. Now, God, again, is certainly against rebellion. And again, I think that if we are truly thankful for all that God is doing in our lives, it's a lot harder to be rebellious. It's much more difficult to be rebellious if we are truly thankful people for what God is doing in our life, everything that's going on in our life.

If we're grateful for those things, then we're far less likely to rebel. If there's no good reason to resist, sometimes there is a time to rebel against some things. For example, back in 1995, we had to stand up and say, no, we're not going to follow you, even though it was the Church of the time, 1994-95, when the doctrine was being dismantled, when there was heresy that was being blatantly taught, and ministers were being suspended and fired because they wouldn't bow down or go along with these things. Even members were at times being excommunicated and disfellowshipped because they would not follow in that deception and that sin. So there are times, but as long as we're doing the right thing, then God's going to bless us and take care of us. He's going to show us the way to go. That's the key. What's the right thing to do? What would God have you do? What is the proper thing to do? Now, God surely does hate rebellion in general, though. Look at Deuteronomy 21. Let's notice what God's instruction is to the children of Israel in regard to a rebellious son.

Deuteronomy 21, verse 18. If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of the father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city, and they shall say to the elders of his city, This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard. So this wasn't some small child. It wasn't a small child. It'd have to be at least Rusty's age or close to that. Somewhere in that neighborhood, these were people who had become drunkards and gluttons. Smaller children, that's not going to happen with a small child, but with an older child, perhaps in their late teens. Verse 21. Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear. Now, I don't mean to cast anything upon Rusty, by the way, because Rusty is not a rebellious young man. He's a good example, and it's good to have that. He's running the sound system, so that's a good thing. Anyway, the point I'm making is, this was an older teenager. It was somebody who should have known better.

They had plenty of time to turn around and do the right thing. They had plenty of instruction, but their heart was bent on evil. That's what we're talking about. This is a person whose heart was bent on evil. They were going to continue in their evil ways if they were allowed to live, and they were going to hurt the family. They were going to hurt the children of Israel. So the instruction was to take them out and stone them. Now, I don't know if they ever actually did that. There's no case that I know of where they actually did this. Perhaps they did. I'm not saying they didn't. I just don't know if anyone knows of any example where they actually took their son out and stoned them to death.

It would take a certain type of parent to go along with that as well.

So anyway, the point I was making here is that God does hate rebellion. And as it says here in verse 21, and all Israel shall hear and fear. I guarantee if that's what this country did to those who were drunkards that were like late teens or early twenties, if we took them out and stoned them all, people would get the idea and we'd have a lot less of that kind of behavior. It just wouldn't go on because people would see the consequences of their actions, and they would bring their line into much... A lot of people would change their behavior because they would see that, I guess I better not do that. I better not live that way. Maybe their heart wouldn't still be exactly right, but they would modify their behavior, which would make things better for most people around them, for sure. But we've gone on, you know, thousands of years later. We see the rebellious nature of so many. And we, you know, there's so much evil in the world today. And there was in the past, too, clearly. Human nature is human nature. But also for our small children, it's important that we teach them not to rebel and to obey. I remember a few years back, I'd heard this is a true story. It wasn't anyone I personally knew, but I'd heard about a little three-year-old girl who was really cute as could be. And she would use her cute behavior to rebel.

You know, and unfortunately, the parents would allow that. You know, sometimes these kids can be so cute that you don't do what you should do. And there was one case where she had gotten out on the road. They didn't realize she'd gotten out of the house, out on the road. She was three years old.

And they, you know, they saw that and they, I think she was just about on the road, not yet on the road. They hollered at her to come back. And of course, she smiles and doesn't obey them. And so she goes out on the road and a car comes along and she's killed.

Things do happen like that. You know, children are sometimes killed when they don't obey.

Because it's dangerous out there, you know, and it's good for our children and you kids that are listening. If mom and dad tell you to do something and tell you to stop, you better listen and do the right thing because you don't know what may happen next. If you're not careful, you know, if you get out on the road, those cars that are going 60 miles an hour, in fact, you know, there was a young 12-year-old that was killed in the church some years ago. You probably know who I'm talking about.

He didn't see the car coming, you know. He wasn't careful, frankly, or he wouldn't have been out on the road. He got careless, you know. It wasn't that he was rebelling. I think in that case, he just got careless. But there are times when if you'll just obey, it can save your life.

But sometimes people think the kids think they're cute and they can joke about it and get away with it. For example, there was a little story told about Lee E. Clov, who was a minister. He shared the following true story about a conversation with Max, a first grader, in Lee's congregation. Lee was the minister. It was a first grader and his father, Todd. So the father, Todd, says, Max, why didn't you answer me when I called you? Max didn't respond. And then finally, the father says, how many times didn't you hear me? And Max says, I don't know, maybe three or four times. Yeah, right. That's real funny, huh? Well, it's not really that funny. The rebellion is not a funny thing. Disobedience should not be a funny thing. So when mom and dad call one time, that's when you're supposed to listen. And if you don't, then you disobeyed. And if they are on the ball, they're probably going to discipline you for that. The first time. Not the second, third, or fourth time, but the first time. That way, next time, there won't be a second, third, and fourth time. Because you will learn that they mean business and that you should obey.

In Deuteronomy 31, verse 27, again, speaking about the children of Israel, our forefathers, Deuteronomy 31, verse 27, "...for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck, if today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord, then how much more after my death..." Now, this was Moses talking to the children of Israel. He was concerned they were about to go into the Promised Land, and even Moses would not be allowed to go into the Promised Land. And do you know why? Because he disobeyed. He was rebellious.

God told him to do a certain thing. God told him to speak to the rock, and out of the rock would come water for the children of Israel. But Moses lost his temper, and he struck the rock, and he disobeyed God. And God said, because of your disobedience, you're not going to be allowed to go into the Promised Land. So Moses was already 120 years old by that time. He was 120 years old. He had gone for 40 years. Well, he was in the wilderness with him for 40 years. So a few months before that, before they ended up in the wilderness, he'd been leading them out of Egypt. He'd been faithful all those years. But he wasn't allowed to go into the Promised Land. I think God's sending a message to all of us that he does mean business. He wants us to learn obedience. Now, that doesn't mean that Moses won't go into the ultimate Promised Land, because Moses will be in God's kingdom. But he was not allowed to go into the physical Promised Land, because God's sending a message to all of us that we should listen and obey.

Now, it is really a very fascinating history about Israel. Remember, there came a time when the children of Israel decided they needed a human king. Remember that?

They wanted a human king. Just like all the other nations around, they wanted a king, too. Somebody with eyes, with ears, with flesh. They didn't want God to rule over them. In fact, God said that to Samuel. He said, they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me. Samuel was actually the spiritual leader, the human leader. He was the prophet that God was using, the judge or the prophet that God was using at that time to guide Israel. There was no king. God was their king. He says, Samuel, they have not rejected you, but they've rejected me, that I should not reign over them. So they rebelled against God. They wanted a human king. In 1 Samuel 12, let's go there. We'll see that God allows for a king. He let him have a king. 1 Samuel 12. Remember who that first king was? King Saul. Saul was the first human king. Saul had been coronated as king.

In 1 Samuel 12, this was the chapter that talks about his coronation. In verse 14, instruction that's given to the children of Israel. If you fear the Lord and serve him, and obey his voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord. Okay, God's still going to be in charge, even though there's going to be a human king. If you fear the Lord and serve him, and obey his voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God. However, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord the Eternal will be against you, as it was against your fathers. Now therefore stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. Actually, he goes on to show his displeasure with them by destroying some of the crops, and showing them that there are consequences for the rebellion. Their crops were very valuable to them, of course. They depended on their crops, but God sent thunder and rain, and it says in verse 18, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. They also feared Samuel because they knew that Samuel was the one God was really working through.

Samuel was still the prophet of God.

So there was a certain type of fear in regard to Samuel, and there should be a certain type of fear that we have. If God places someone in authority, a human leader, then there should be a certain kind of fear not to disobey or not to rebel against whatever it is. I mean, it's not like ministers wield much authority or power these days. At least if they do, I haven't seen it. We only have a power where people give it to us.

It's all based on whether or not you respect the authority within the church. That's when people will sometimes do what you ask them to do. I think ministers are pretty careful not to boss people around these days, at least the ones I know.

But in a rare case where they may say, well, I'd like you to do this, then it'd be probably a good idea to follow their instruction as long as they're not telling you to do something you shouldn't do.

I believe there still is authority in the church. I believe that God still works through the church. He works through the ministry. He works through those who have been appointed on the Council of Elders, for example. I believe there still is authority in the church and that we will be held accountable to follow the leaders as long as they're doing their best to obey God. It doesn't mean they're perfect, but they're giving it their best shot. And frankly, the problem with human leadership is if you get rid of one, you've got another one that steps in to take his place. That's just the nature of things right now. We have human leadership.

So it just goes on to show here again in these verses that, as it says, And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all of our sins the sin of the evil of asking a king for ourselves. And Samuel said to the people, Do not fear you have done all this wickedness, yet do not turn aside from following the eternal that serve the Lord with all of your heart. And do not turn aside, for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit. God does want us to continue to obey him first and foremost. Remember what Paul said. Paul said, Follow me as I follow Christ. That's how we should always look at any human leader. If they're following Christ, then follow them. If they're not asking you to do something that's contrary to God's law or God's ways, then be cooperative and don't rebel. Be supportive and work together as a team.

I believe that is the message of the Bible. And I think we spent quite a bit of time in the Old Testament, but even in the New Testament, and we'll probably go to a scripture or two before we quit. But the theme is throughout the entire Bible. God does want us to learn obedience. That's why He gave commandments. Commandments require obedience. The Ten Commandments, we're supposed to keep them. We're supposed to observe them, not just in the letter, but even in the Spirit and go beyond the letter of the law. There was an interesting story written back in 2011. It was entitled, New York Rider Dies Protesting Motorcycle Helmet Law. In 2011, on the 4th of July weekend, a group of motorcyclists gathered in Onondaga, New York, to write and protest against the New York State law that requires motorcycle riders to wear a helmet. I don't think you have to wear a helmet in Oklahoma, right? I don't think so. Anyway, in New York, at that time anyway, they were required to wear a helmet. One of those writing in the protest was a 55-year-old man from Parish, New York. During the ride, police say, his 1983 Harley Davidson spun out of control. He flew headfirst over the handlebars. His head struck the pavement. His skull was fractured. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. The police and the doctor treating the man said afterward that if he had been wearing a helmet, he probably would have survived the accident. The group organizing the protest ride said that while they encouraged the voluntary use of motorcycle helmets, they opposed mandatory helmet laws. Whatever the case for or against laws concerning motorcycle helmets, you cannot miss the irony of this accidental death. The man died protesting a law that if he had obeyed it, would have saved his life.

This was a very ironic case where he's protesting against wearing a helmet, and that very thing, not wearing a helmet, he was breaking the law. He's protesting against it.

And that's what killed him. He didn't wear the helmet. Now, maybe if he'd protested the law with a helmet on, he'd still be alive today. But he didn't, and he's dead. I think it just, again, I mean, I don't... if you drive a motorcycle in Oklahoma and you decide not to wear one, that's your business. If it's not against the law, then you're not breaking any laws.

You may scramble your head all over the, you know, the pavement. But some laws are put into effect for our good, and I'm sure that was the motivation in New York, is that it's pretty dangerous to be hitting the pavement without a helmet on. So in New York, they went so far as to require it. In some states, they don't require it, but a person would be wise to wear it anyway because you can wreck a motorcycle going 20 miles an hour and kill yourself, or 10 miles an hour and kill yourself. But if you had a helmet on, it might make all the difference in the world. Now, if you're going 80 or 75, it's probably going to kill you anyway, whether you have a helmet on or not. But the point is, and sometimes when we rebel against laws, they cost us our lives.

Now, let's go to Isaiah... no, I'm sorry, 1 Samuel 15, as we get close to wrapping this up. 1 Samuel chapter 15. 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 23. 1 Samuel 15 verse 23. Remember Saul spared King Agag. He was told he was supposed to kill Agag, and yet he thought he knew better than God, and so he decided to keep him alive. And of course, he also made a sacrifice that was unlawful for him to make. Samuel didn't show up in time, and so he just went ahead and took matters into his own hands and made a sacrifice. Well, this is what it's talking about here. Verse 22. So Samuel said, Also, the plunder, the spoil, was supposed to all be destroyed as well, and he kept the plunder alive, thinking he knew better. So Samuel could hear the sheep and the oxen making noise. So Samuel said, Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Because he was going to sacrifice these things to God. God said, Destroy him. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft or divination. My margin also says divination, something divine. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft or divination. And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. And because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he also has rejected you from being king. So Samuel was rejected as king. David was actually given the kingship, I think it was almost 20 years later, though, before he actually received the crown. So Saul tried to kill him for 20 years, and David had an opportunity to kill Saul, but didn't take it, because he would not raise his hand against the anointed one. Even though he knew that he was supposed to be next in line, God said, thou shall not murder. He wasn't going to murder Saul. Although he did get involved in a lot of wars and probably killed other people, but for this particular case, he wouldn't raise his hand against God's anointed king Saul. So rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. Now, that's interesting, because divination isn't it true that people that get involved in witchcraft, they're trying to get some kind of power from the dark side. They're trying to get some kind of power from Satan. Now, that's really what witchcraft is all about. It's tapping into Satan and his power.

And that's why Ouija boards and everything else, you should stay away from him. That's sorcery, that's occultism. You're not supposed to become familiar with evil spirits. You're supposed to avoid that sort of thing and reject that sort of thing.

So rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. It's against God. It's totally against God. It's satanic. Rebellion is satanic. And we should not rebel against God. And we really should be more grateful for all that God does, and then perhaps we wouldn't be so apt to rebel. If we really think about all that God has given us and the wonderful plan that he has for us and our future and what he's going to give us, then maybe we would stop and say, it's not worth it. It's not worth it to risk all of that for the fleeting pleasure of sin. Isn't that what Moses said when he was being called of God out of Egypt? He could have been given all the riches of Egypt. He was in line to become Pharaoh. He would have probably become Pharaoh. At least he would have been high up ranking in the Egyptian dynasty up there at the very top. And yet he said, you know, that was temporary. He would not sin against God in that way, seeking that temporary pleasure. Instead, he would obey God. So he gave all that up to obey God. And that's what we've done as well. We've rejected Satan's way of life. We don't want any part of that. And yet sometimes we find ourselves compromising. Sometimes we find ourselves rebelling against God. The next time you're tempted to sin, think about that. Think of it as rebellion. Think of it's not just it's not just a simple thing of seeking your own ways or your own pleasure, but it's really rebellion against God. Think about that. Maybe that will help you not go down that route that road. Maybe it will help you resist the temptation.

And be thankful for what God's given you and don't want more. If God says it's bad for you, believe Him. You don't need to do that. It's not healthy for you. Do the right thing. Be thankful to God for all that He does for you. Be appreciative and give thanks to God.

So, brethren, as we approach Thanksgiving Day, or I'm sorry, as we are now past Thanksgiving, not approaching it. This is a sermon I gave a few years ago. I didn't change the notes.

Let us be grateful, though, to our God and to His Son Jesus Christ for the rich blessings that He has abundantly poured out on us. We are indeed the most blessed people on the face of the earth. We've been given so much. So, let us be satisfied. Let us be content with all that God has done for us, that He's given to us. Let's humble ourselves. Let's be truly appreciative of these things. And let's not be so stiff-necked and rebellious in the future. Let's not follow our forefathers. And again, some recent forefathers, I believe, it's not just ancient forefathers. It can be recent forefathers. There are still things going on in the world today. People are still rebelling against God and rebelling against God's government and the family of God. God hates division. God hates these things. So, we should see them for what they are. Let us be submissive to God's will in our lives. Let's not fear anything except God. Let's not fear what might happen or what could happen or what people are telling us is happening. Let's not fear those things, but let's truly fear God. And let's also be truly grateful for what we do have. And let's strive to do the right thing at all times. And remember, the sin of rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. It's satanic. It's demonic. Let us rejoice and be thankful for our calling.

Let's rejoice at this time of thanksgiving, which obviously should extend throughout the year, throughout eternity. We should always be grateful and thankful for what God is doing. And let's most of all be grateful for that wonderful plan of salvation that He's extended to each and every one of us.