By: Hanny Lynn Stearns
Fish N
Loaves Ministries, Inc.
“Multiplying
God’s Word Around The Globe”
July 31, 2016 The Sin of Rebellion and
Defiance
When I woke up this morning I did not know
where the Lord was going to take me in His word as I prepared for church. I was
not feeling anything really heavy, but I was led to just pray (in the spirit)
as I showered and got dressed. So I did. I opened my two Bibles before leaving
the house, and as usual for me, they opened to exactly what the Lord was trying
to say to me. Here are the two verses. Then I will expand on it as it all tied
in perfectly with what we heard at church this morning…
Isaiah 30:15
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
“In returning and rest you shall be
saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
But you would not,
But you would not,
John 10:11-18
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the
sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not
own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the
wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a
hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My
sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I
know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.16 And other sheep I have which are not
of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there
will be one flock and one shepherd.
17 “Therefore My Father loves Me,
because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it
down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
This command I have received from My Father.”
Ok,
with that in mind, look at what I opened to in my Bible when I got to church…
1
Corinthians 9:27, 10:12-13, 23, 31, 33
But I
discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have
preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed
lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to
man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of
escape, that you may be able to bear it.
All things are lawful for me, but not all
things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things
edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.
Therefore,
whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
just as I
also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
What does all this mean? Well, I am sharing with you my experience from
yesterday, with the sincere desire that it will help you in whatever area you
have struggled. For me it was food addiction. My mind thinks, “Gee, of all the
things that had to have a hold on me, why did it have to be something I would
have to face every single day at least three times a day?” But in reality,
anything that has been too big for a person to kick on their own is something
they will always have to be cautious of – be it food or something else.
Yesterday I had a good day, as far as eating was concerned - until last
evening, that is. I made some muffins. I do a lot of muffin baking. It is my
way to have a healthy, non-wheat, gluten free grain, in moderation as my food
plan allows. Last night I tried a new recipe and when I was all done pouring
the batter into the muffin pans, I proceeded to lick the bowl clean. Then, when
the new muffins emerged freshly baked from the oven, I began to give samples to
our sweet puppy. He really liked them. My husband really liked them. Then I
thought I better just try a little bite or two myself.
That was the problem. I had already eaten my quota of food for the day.
I did not need anything further. I was overstepping my boundaries – I was “pushing
the envelope” as they say. So when I got to church and opened to these verses,
my heart took me to what I had opened to at home. It all came together. Even
while our pastor was preaching the offering message, I was getting my own
message from the Lord. I immediately confessed my sin (of rebellion and
unbelief) as I was taking notes on all this. I was hearing what the pastor was
saying, but Holy Spirit was speaking to me louder. I kept writing. Tears formed
in my eyes. We were scheduled to have communion today. I knew I did not want to
take the Lord’s supper with guilt on my hands. So I quietly confessed and
repented. He, of course, accepted my confession and forgave me – thank Him for
His endless mercy!
The Lord reminded me that it isn’t always the devil causing us to do
these things – it’s our own flesh. He reminded me that we have to put it under
every single day – just like the passage above says. We have to bring it into
subjection.
We are currently on a series at church about being willing and obedient
from Isaiah 1:19. Anyone can listen to it online for free at www.faithlifechurchsarasota.org,
then click on free downloads, series list, and the title of the series.
(Willing and Obedient) It has been very helpful in showing us what causes us to
sin in the first place – it is defiance, or rebellion, both of which are of the
devil. He is full of pride and arrogance.
The reason people don’t submit to God’s will is because they don’t trust
Him. Hence, the Isaiah 30:15 verse that the Lord showed me before I ever left
the house. Sadly, He has had to show me this verse numerous times. I don’t want
Him to have to keep going over this with me.
In 1 Timothy 1:13, Paul was defying the will of the Lord in ignorance…
although I was formerly a blasphemer, a
persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
But Jesus rebuked this type of behavior when He dined with the disciples
at the last supper…
Mark 16:14
Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at
the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they
did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
He didn’t reach around the table and give them a “warm and fuzzy” hug
and say, “That’s OK honey, you’ll get it another time.” No, He is not pleased
with unbelief or hard hearts and He addressed it as it was. The bottom line is
that faith in the Lord is a choice. If we choose to trust Him, we would not do
the things we should not do. Instead of being arrogant, we would humble
ourselves and trust God to help us.
Jesus gave us the example of humility in this…
Luke 2:51
Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
Jesus obeyed and honored His parents. He obeyed all the laws and
customs. He honored God by honoring all the authority that was in place over
Him. Jesus acted as a servant – He humbled Himself…
Luke 22:27
For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who
serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you
as the One who serves.
We need to learn from Jesus. He is meek and lowly. Not weak and
spineless. It was humility that made Him shine so brightly. He didn’t take
credit for anything He did – He gave all the credit and glory to His Father in
heaven. He was not seeking fame and popularity. While the devil is full of
pride and rebellion, Jesus is meek, humble and submissive to the Father’s will.
Philippians 2:1-11
Therefore if there is any consolation in
Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
affection and mercy,2 fulfill my joy by being
like-minded, having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be
done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind
let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let
each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests
of others.
5 Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the
form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but
made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of
men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.9 Therefore
God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every
name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
After I heard all this I realized that I had not fully trusted God. If I
had, I would not have traded in my blessing for a smidgen of muffin batter and
half of Jesse’s muffin. Like Esau who gave up his birthright for a lousy bowl
of stew, I do not want to miss out on being used by the Lord to bless you and
many others. I was acting in unbelief. I didn’t need that food. I wasn’t
hungry. I was done eating for the day.
Earlier yesterday afternoon, the Lord showed me that when I come home
from the store, tired and hungry, and I find myself wanting to just grab anything
to eat and risk blowing my food plan, I need to just walk away. He was showing
me more about the command to “watch and pray.” It doesn’t mean hours of
laboring in prayer like the devil would have people think. It means to just
stop a minute. Look at what is happening. Leave the room and ask the Lord for
help. Then, after we get the answer, we can go back into the situation with His
strength instead of trying to do it on our own.
That worked for me yesterday afternoon. But I failed to consider it last
evening with the muffins. Tonight I have to make more muffins. You better
believe I will not be licking the bowl! Like many of you, I’m sure, I want this
behavior completely out of me! I asked the Lord to create in me a clean heart,
in Jesus name.
Jesus obedience gave us an example. Because of His obedience, every life
was impacted on the face of the planet. We all have to remember, and I’m
preaching to myself as much as anyone else here, that when we choose to walk in
disobedience, we are foregoing the blessing of being used by God to help
others. That is selfishness. And we miss out on our rewards. We won’t even know
the fruit of our obedience if we refuse to do it. We won’t know what we have
missed. That is very SADD-U-CEE!
Disobedience will mean that all kinds of things that were supposed to happen
in our lives won’t happen. God will pick someone else who is willing. If Jesus
had not been willing and obedient, we would all be sunk! Forever! If I don’t
obey the Lord, I won’t find out whose life could be touched by my obedience.
Look again at how God exalted Jesus in Philippians 2. He wants to promote us as
well.
The one who is the greatest is the One who humbled Himself the most. If
we give in to the flesh, we cannot be used to help others. But if I/we humble
ourselves and obey, and trust God, He will put us in a position of authority –
and that can only be good if we continue to lean on the Lord all the way
through. The Lord can promote us and move us forward, giving us victory every
step of the way – but we have to trust Him!
I hope my sharing this with you has helped you in some way today. As I
come up higher, I would like to bring you with me. God has done so much for me.
I want to share that with many other people – including you!
Be blessed my friends in Jesus name!
Psalm 81:10
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land
of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
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