Rebellion

Have your Bibles with you turn with me if you would just second Samuel chapter 15 were gonna start out verses 1 to 6. After this, Absalom got himself a chariot horses and 50 men to run before roaring. Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate, and when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment.

Absalom would call to him and say what city are you in when he said servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel, Absalom would say to him, so your claims are good and right. There is no man designated by the king to hear you. Then Absalom would say all that I were a judge in the land, and every man was the dispute recalls might come to me now would give them justice. Whenever a man came near to pay homage to him he would put out his hand take hold of him and kissing.

Thus, Absalom did all of Israel came to the king for judgment, so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel, that with me as we got our Lord in prayer.

Heavenly father we were born with a sinful, rebellious heart being obedient to our God-given authorities is not come natural to us. We like calling the shots we enjoy.

Get our egos stroked as we act rebellious.

Fill us with your spirit.

Lord, that our desires would be submission to your wheel and not rebellion. 3000 years ago, the prophet Samuel reviewed King Saul and said to him, rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, witchcraft is associated in our sales with the demonic. We don't usually think of rebellion or un-submissiveness as being that dangerous radically bad use of Scripture today to prove to us that rebellion is extremely wicked and they give us the heart to find it.

Absalom was a liar, a murderer, a crooked politician, one who seem to have no heart for the things of God. May we leave this place today realizing that rebellion leads us down all those wrong payouts help me to preach truth today and to exalt Christ.

What is in the precious holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. You may be seated. We are really focusing today primarily on the rebellion of Absalom in the next few weeks were gonna see how Absalom had no idea how terrible that rebellion was and how much it was gonna costing knowledge. Also, today, to keep your eyes on David because this rebellion of Absalom toward David's heart to pieces. David wanted to do something about it and he tried to do something about it and David's lover. Absalom was forcing him in the compromise as a king and as a father, parents listen to me carefully here as your children grow and mature, they can come to the point where they very well may try to rebel against your authority, you will face the decision at that point in time of having to either please God, or to please your children.

This is tough stuff because you love your children and you want your children to desire fellowship with you. But what happens when, like Buck, your authority and I thought there knows that God and God's word.

What happens then when they essentially say I'm living my life as I will live my life. I'm doing what I want to do and I expect you mom and dad. I expect you to condone my sinful lifestyle we have Scripture that might help us out here think we do go back to the parable of the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15 parable Jesus told and we hear about the prodigal son who desires all a party life. He desires to go to the far country where he can spend his time and drunkenness with prostitutes and live in our life is if God doesn't exist, what does the father do. What should he do during that time should he just quit loving his son absolutely not. Did he do that.

Absolutely not.

Should he just give in to his son. No we should not do that. Should he just quit offering counsel. No we should not do that. But what did he do a letting go a letting go to the far country, and when he went to the far country lost everything. He lost his name.

He lost his money. He lost his health. He lost his dignity and while he was there he was broken and so we came back home and he came back home with a repentant heart and repentance spirit came back home and where was his dad's dad was right there at the gate waiting for him to come home and when he saw his brokenness when he saw his his willingness to repent he ran to and he hugged his neck and he kissing and he invited them back into the family, but the father never reduced to standards.

He never ignored his sons rebellion. Now who's the father represent here.

The father represents God and focused.

God always does.

Right. I would submit to you today that David is violating God's example of fatherhood. He should never have allowed never have allowed the standards of God's word to be broken without repentance and confession of sin from Absalom.

He should not have allowed Absalom to come back to Jerusalem until there was genuine repentance until there was genuine brokenness, but he did do that and what that happened it created a hell on earth. David for Israel and also for Absalom Roger Ellsworth said it this way, Absalom was a truly despicable human being.

He thought of no one but himself.

He was proud and arrogant. He was deceptive and dishonorable.

He was a cold-blooded killer. But David refused to let go of this dangerous love, peace, all principal down the river in favor of his personal feelings for this deadly viper of a son, and many today are repeating David's error. Hemi's subject principal to feeling so won't you keep David in mind as we go through this passage, but primarily would you be looking today at Absalom's rebellion when I was in and seminary works in a place called Max produce the farmers market in Raleigh. I had to be at work at 4 o'clock in the morning.

One particular morning I got hungry and before I got there and stopped off the waffle house and so I was sitting there at the waffle house and all of a sudden a man came in with two young ladies and they been partying all night and they came in and they were drunk and they were loud and they were obnoxious when anybody else came in after that they would get as far away from them as they possibly could. Well, they were sitting there at the table and all of a sudden one of the women got mad and she reached over and she took a plastic container of praying that they used in the coffee and she took it and she squeezed it and sported milk all over the man and then the man got mad. He picked up and another plastic container and he squeezed milk all over her. There was milk everywhere on the floor on the tables all over them and then little waitress got up she had kind of a agitated look on her face but she wouldn't say anything. She brought the mop over and she brought rags and she cleaned it all up, got it all cleaned up and then one of the lady said you know maybe we ought to stop the stuff and the guy said this, he said, why should we. What can she do to us. His attitude is pretty typical of a lot of Americans today and what was his attitude. His attitude was this, I have no respect for God-given authority only time that I will buy out to God to to my God-given authority is when that authority is more powerful or stronger than I am. You know this might sound strange to you but in that situation in that restaurant. This little waitress who probably weigh less than 100 pounds, was that man's God-given authority and she has a responsibility to wait on them and take care of the human and serve them their food.

She also had the authority over him detailing what he needed to do in that particular restaurant that was very, very important books Portland Oregon has made a decision to ignore their God-given authority and to ignore the laws of the land they made that decision. They are, they invited NT 5 into the city back last summer when all these riots were going on. They made a mockery of the police. I made a mockery of the security guards that NT became the end they burned down buildings that burned down the police department they they destroyed buildings. I destroyed police cars and they stole just millions and millions of dollars worth of merchandise. Since that time that the crime rate has increased 525% in Portland, Oregon, and the mayor said will. This is just what we need to do we just need to let it go and politicians in college professors all over America have given that the thumbs up. They won't rebellion and brothers and sisters.

Rebellion is killing this nation. So our crime rate is soaring families or splitting churches or dividing in attitudes absolutely stink. Here's where the deception lies. The world tells us that rebellion is freedom, but the Scriptures teach us that rebellion is bondage.

The rebellious heart says I don't want limits on my life. I don't want restrictions that mess up my fun. I don't want restrictions that keep me from reaching my potential. I don't want boundaries in my life.

I want to live my life is I want to live it and I don't want anybody saying anything about it. But that is not freedom that is bondage back to Absalom. Absalom was a young man who had everything in the world: forming.

He was good-looking he was strong.

He had hair than any woman would've died for ADA was extremely intelligent man.

He was a born leader. He was a man who had a magnetic personality and he was heir to the throne of Israel. They in fact it went.

When David would die would be the one that would automatically succeed David as the king of Israel, but Absalom did not want to wait. He didn't want to wait to become king. He wanted to become king right then and there and what he wanted was his father's authority. Now I want to share with you today for principles concerning rebellion .1 a perilous decision. Look with me versus one into after this, Absalom got himself a chariot horses and 50 men to run performing in Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate, and when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment. Absalom would call to him and say from what city are you, and when he said, your servant is in such and such a tribe in Israel. So the key to the whole rebellion problem is the heart. Share this with you before, but there was a little boy who was standing up the back seat of his dance car, they run down the road. Father looks in the mirror seizing stand and up the said son you need to sit down little boy shook his head knows dad could see in the mirror and saw his dad lifted his voice up a little son, you need to sit down right now little boy just just crossed his arms, looked in the mirror, it is daddy shook his head no. Well, at that time the father reach back to the backseat.

How is just slightly right on his rear end and then the little boy just kinda slid right down in the seat and he said there was a scowl on his face and a big mule lip and the father looks back in the mirror. He said son you have something to say little boy said yes sir he said I'm sitting down on the outside but I'm standing up on the inside but that's a heart problem, and until that heart problem is solved. Obedience is always good to be a problem with that little boy because where your heart is eventually your feet are going to follow.

So what am I saying will essay you got a problem with the rebellious heart and you just don't want to submit your God-given authority and authority might be a boss. It might be a supervisor.

It might be a parent might be a husband. It might be a teacher. It might be a coach.

Here's a good question if you don't feel like obeying that God-given authority and you obey it anyway. Are you being a hypocrite. The answer that is no, I don't like paying taxes. I think our government is spending our tax dollars and some very foolish ways. Right now our tax dollars and a lot of it is going to countries that absolutely hate us and I think they're probably using that money to build weapons that they might one day use against us that Kathleen drives me crazy. Yet God has given me a command in his word that I am to pay taxes and if God gives me a command in his word that I am to pay taxes, then whether I like it or not I am to pay taxes when I do that it bolsters my witness and also helps me to realize that this world is not my home, Absalom is made a conscious decision. He says I will no longer be submissive to my dad's authority and when that decision has been made in his mind, his conduct immediately changed. I mean immediately why well. When a person makes that decision that he's gonna be rebellious against his God-given authority and he continues on in that the time can come when God will lift his hand of restraining grace off of that person. Let that person do what is wicked heart wants to do and it's not long before his conscience becomes extremely hardened and is not long before he can do things he never imagined that he could do in his conduct becomes extremely evil. So Absalom goes out to the busiest gate to confide in the city. He begins talking to the people as they come through a Texas to point to political deception. Look at verse three and 535 Absalom would say to him say your claims are good and right. But there is no man designated by the King to hear hear you. Then Absalom would say all that our judge in the land, and every man with a dispute or cause might come to million.

I would give injustice and whenever a man came near to pay homage to him he would put out his hand and take hold with him and kissing son not sound like a lot of American politicians goodness put down your opponent constantly point out their failures and then make a plethora of promises that everyone knows including yourself that you're not going keep just a few babies get everybody's way to your side.

Roger Ellsworth said the following, Absalom was a very shrewd man. He knew he could not possibly wrest the kingdom from his father by simply announcing that he wanted to be king. He knew he would first have to wage a successful campaign for the hearts of the people that he is, he would have to turn their hearts from his father to himself.

In addition of this Absalom began to to build the reputation of being a man of the people he always made sure that he was at the gate of the city very early in the morning the gate was the place for the elders heard and settled various cases and grievances. Evidently, the duly appointed officials were not always there early in the morning. Perhaps they going careless in discharging their responsibilities. This gave Absalom an opportunity he would talk to the aggrieved parties together is the gate assure them that their claims were valid even though he heard only their side of the story and casually observed that it was a shame at the Kings officials were not even they are to hear the case.

All in all, Absalom made the case that justice was going down the drain in Israel and that he was the lone champion who is seeking to stem the tide.

In addition, all this Absalom perfected a very personable when some approach with all those who approached him, refusing to let them bow before him. He rather treated them as dear friends and equals takes us to .3 and that's a prideful theft. Look with me at verse six.

Less Absalom dear to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment, so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel through lies and false promises. Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel away from David only tell you how wicked rebellion is people who become rebellious will do whatever they have to do to hurt their God-given authority than authority.

That is over them and they lose respect, total respect for that authority. And they actually desire to hurt their authority. Now, I don't think Absalom wanted the throne. I think he did what little and a lot that I don't think he wanted it near as much as he wanted to hurt David. It was this idea. I resent your authority.

David, I resent your authority and I'm gonna show you I'm in a show you that I'm smarter than you are, and are more capable than you are. Oftentimes children really rebel against their parents and they do that because of the parents restrictions on them and those restrictions give the child the idea that the parent is an enemy to them heard about a little girl who was trapped in a basement and there was a terrible flood that was going on the door of the basement was locked in the water was up already over the door little girls in that basement and the only way out was going through a heat.that would take her to the outside was a little girl was claustrophobic. She was scared to do that. Her father begged her to come she would not so. Finally, the father had to cope crawl down the the peanut by himself. He grabbed his little girl in her in his arms pulled heard kicking and screaming and they went to that he.they finally got outside not long after they got outside the water in that basement runs all the way up to the ceiling, she would have died if she had not got gotten out she would have drowned to death that that little girl who's now an adult steel.

Thanks for dad for forcing that issue. While in the confines that heating she viewed her dad is an enemy when she was the only outside and she saw the water rising up all the way to the ceiling of that basement. She knew that that would have been her watery grave and she quit resuming her dad he had used her authority to save her life. People don't fight your authority unless your authority is commanding you are forcing you to sin peters. A good example of this. Peter and John were out preaching and the authorities in Jerusalem came up to them and said look here, you will never preach or teach in the name of Jesus again Peter almost laughed at ace in whale. Whether that's right in the sight of God said you have to decide that I can promise you this I will never quit preaching and teaching Jesus Buckley authority because the authority of God was more important than the authority of man and he would not sin and quit preaching the gospel. We have a pastor right now in Canada that is in prison because he will would not close the doors of his church down a during the coded pandemic and that because of that they took him and they put them in jail and so is in prison and they asking this question they should acquire you being so belligerent. He said I'm not being belligerent I'm being obedient to the word of God and the word of God says in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 25 that we are not to forsake the gathering together of the brethren, yet we are commanded to obey our authorities unless they are forcing us or commanding us to see and Romans 13, 123 says this let every person be soon subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God is appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one was in authority, then do what is good and you will receive his approval on what you notice the cleverness of Absalom's attack on David while David is busy running the country doing the kingly things that that the king has to do during all this time I Absalom is playing on the heartstrings of the people of Israel is people were coming to David with their complaints with their gripes with their concerns and they would come to David and his counselors late site, but we have this concern. This is not going the way that we think that it should go, and they were not not getting taken care of. So what is Absalom that he goes to these people and he says I wish I could help you out.

I feel your pain. I see the plight that your under and if I were the king. None of this would be happening. You would be taken care of I would be ministering to you I care about you, but this David my daddy doesn't give a hoot for you is not concerned about you at all and that evil deceptive way. Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel away from his dad. Fourthly, there's a powerful problem look with me at versus 12 to 13 and while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, except for his or fail the Gilliam night David's counselor from the city. Gallo and the conspiracy grew strong and the people with Absalom kept increasing and a messenger came to David saying the hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.

Absalom had even stolen away some the hearts of the counselors in the trusted advisors of David. One of them was a elderly man whose name was a hit the fail now who was a hit the fail I hit the fail had a son whose name was a lion ally him had a daughter whose name was Bathsheba.

I had the fail was the grandfather of Bathsheba. Can you imagine the conversation that Absalom had with answer fail. Absalom probably said my dad used your granddaughter to gratify his sexual needs to used her feet took advantage of her.

She was happily married.

The family had a good name and boom. David came in he forced her to commit adultery with her and then he killed her husband Uriah the Hittite a mighty man of valor, a man who was greatly loyal to David and killed them and took his life in order to cover every sin. That's the kind of thing that's going on here just wicked wicked thing.

So Absalom has many of these people on his side nail and there's this false sense of security.

This being built up in an Absalom's heart.

He believes that his rebellion is paying off. They believes that he's getting away with it. He believes that he's outsmarted his dad. He believes that he has has pull the wool over God's eyes, and he believes that actually thinks that he's gotten away with it will and few chapters will get to see just how deceived he was for Absalom does not take the throne. He is killed and he dies ignominious death.

Joab finds Absalom hanging from a terebinth tree from his long beautiful locks of hair and I and Joab goes up to him he takes sword likes, sticks, and Janzen through his heart and puts it into his life.

Folks, Absalom made the decision to rebel. He refused to submit to his God-given authority. He said my wheel is more important than God's will is rebellion. Send him to a godless grave and to an eternity in hail that happened 3000 years ago is about a thousand running 1,095,000 days ago and limiting this every single day.

Absalom thinks about that.

Why was I such a fool wanted.

I think getting my way was all that mattered. Why did not just submit to the Lord and live Absalom should have studied the life of King Saul David's predecessor in one day Samuel came to Saul and said God's get ready to tear the kingdom out of your hand and he's going to give it to a man after God's own heart because you have rebelled against God and then God said this to two King Saul. He said rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, a person who is involved in witchcraft has given himself over to Satan and his powers, and a person who is rebelling against God's authority is doing the same thing. He doesn't realize it, then that is that serious but is that serious. Don't you think for a minute about the last time that you had a rebellious heart. She felt a rebellious spirit against somebody that was your God-given authority. Maybe as a supervisor at work and was the boss made it was apparent maybe your wife and your husband is your God-given authority. But you feel like he hasn't been loving you as Christ loved the church. Maybe it's an elder that you are in disagreement with Meg is a teacher, whatever it is I'm asking this when that rebellious this field up in your heart what Kathy Winstead you have.

I'll tell you what you had. First of all there. There was anger was horrible anger. What were you were all frustrated and you were just eel and you are lashing out at people for absolutely nothing. And there was confusion.

Things were disorderly things were disorganized, seem like nothing would come together and there was guilt you hurt people during that time, and you hurt the heart of God. You are people that you loved, and while it's going on. You didn't even care that you are hurting within later it was all this horrible terrible guilt. What happens when you allow rebellious spirit to rule in your heart. What happens then you pull yourself out of God's protection. God himself primarily protects his people you've experienced enough experience that I mean in you in ways that we could just share testimonies about over and over again. Sometimes he just does it just God and sometimes he uses human authorities to protect us where there be a boss or parent husband teacher whoever it might be uses those authorities. It is like God is a spiritual umbrella over you and let spiritual umbrellas over you because you're under that God-given authority than Satan tries to fire those fiery darts achieved and it doesn't work. They just bounce off that spiritual umbrella that you become rebellious and you move out from under that spiritual umbrella and Satan starts find their way home.

Psalm 17 versus 8 to 9 God's authority and David's the one who wrote that song God's authority is pictured as a hen gathers her chicks together and protecting them up under her wings, beautiful picture. I had first church that a pastor was in Creekmore North Carolina and while I was there. There was a terrible fire in the firemen went to to the fire was at a farmhouse and if this farmhouse there was a barn, and though it was a lot of pastureland around big barnyard. It was very very dry and the pastor caught on fire. The house caught on fire. The barn caught on fire. The barnyard caught on fire and there were a lot of animals there horses died. Cows died pigs.chickens died. Ducks died and then finally when they got the fire put out the firemen started walking through just checking things out to see if there might be some hidden spark somewhere and as he walked to the barnyard.

He saw little my own that was standing there and he walked over he kicked it and when he did all these little chicks came running out.

He said he still stood there with tears rolling down his cheeks as he realized that that mother hen had given her life to save this chicks that's the illustration that David uses to explain to us how God protects us is also the illustration of what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary for Jesus became our substitutionary atonement. Jesus died for us. Jesus died that he might take RCN and give us his righteousness that he might take our hail and give us his heaven. Why should we not prevail.

I think here's the reason because nobody's ever let you like Jesus Christ/O Lord God, hide us under the shadow of your wings spray heavenly father. When things don't go our way.

It is easy for us to mock our God-given authorities.

For example, our police are being denigrated, laughed at, ignored and abused. You said in Romans 13 that you put them in their position and gave them to us for our protection. Cities all over America rejecting their authority and the consequences are unbelievably horrible crime rate is soaring. People are being brutalized and murdered property is being stolen and vandalized. The nation is reeling. The problem is rebellion. Father, help us as Christians to set the example Lord. Also, we ask that you use Absalom as a reminder to us that rebels against God. Don't finish whale help us as parents to teach our children the dangers of being a Absalom. We love you Lord, thank you for loving us forts in the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen