I really want to focus on this story for a moment and extrapolate a good sermon out of it, but it says in verse number eight
What it says it says take the rod and gather thou the assembly together thou and Aaron thy brother and speak ye under the rock
Before their eyes and it shall give for this water and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock
So thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drinks. We have a story here where the children of Israel. They're thirsty
They're complaining and we see Moses and Aaron are commanded of the Lord to give them drink
They've gone to the Lord. They've asked the Lord, you know, how are they gonna resolve this issue this problem?
where the children of Israel are thirsty, they're needing something to drink and
God tells them very specifically here that he's supposed to take his rod and
Notice that him and Aaron they're supposed to speak unto the rock before the eyes of the people
So it's not even in private. This is in public
They're pretty they're basically speaking to this rock in front of everyone and notice
The rock is somehow gonna give forth his water and thou shalt bring forth of them water out of the rock
So thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts to drink
So God wants them to perform a very specific
Miracle and this miracle has to do with bringing, you know
literal water out of a little rock and that's how he's going to satisfy their thirst notice in verse number nine and
Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he commanded him and
Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock and he said unto them here now you
Rebels must we fetch you water out of this rock and Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod
He smoked the rock twice and the water came out abundantly and the congregation drank and their beasts also
Now and just a cursory reading of this or just a quick glance through this or maybe your first time through this
You may not catch all the things that are happening
But let's first analyze this did Moses do exactly as the Lord commanded him
The answer is no because what did God tell him to do?
God told him to speak to the rock and then the rock would bring forth abundantly. What did Moses do?
Moses said must we
Fetch you water out of this rock and then he smoked the rock twice
He just smokes the rock and then water gushes out of the rock now
Just from a carnal perspective. You're like, this is weird
but you know all of this actually has spiritual significance and there's a very important reason why all this is happening and
I want to teach you that and then I want to kind of get into my sermon
But look what it says the verse number 12 and the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron
Because you believe me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel
Therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them
So notice God was upset with them. God was displeased with Aaron and Moses. He said you didn't believe me
Okay. Now here's the thing
This is a very difficult story to analyze or maybe to get the first time
But I think when you slow down and you just kind of understand all the elements that are at play here
It actually makes perfect sense. What's happening in this story now
Let's read a little bit more and then I'm explained it look at verse number 13
This is the water of Meribah because the children of Israel strove with the Lord and he was sanctified in
Them now, let's back up. Okay verse number eight
God the Father tells Aaron and Moses do what speak unto the rock now most people understand who's the rock?
Spiritually when we talk about this, that's Jesus Christ, isn't it?
Okay, and so he was supposed the children of Israel are thirsty what is that a picture of
They're needing life. Okay life comes from water, but if it's a spiritual picture, what are we talking about?
We're talking about the living waters
Okay. Now if you're thirsty for righteousness if you're thirsty for eternal life
How are you gonna get that through Jesus Christ? What is it that God wanted Moses to do?
He wanted to speak unto the rock and then the rock would do what?
It would give that water now, how does someone get saved they call upon the name of the Lord?
They confess Jesus with their mouth and then what comes brushing forth those living waters
Hey, if you ask the Lord for you know that living water, he's gonna give it to you
But here's the problem Moses didn't do what?
They didn't believe
Okay, they didn't actually do what he said. So they do something completely different now
He tells the children of Israel you rebels must we
Fetch water out of this rock for you
Okay, now here's the thing Moses pictures a lot of things Moses pictures the law
Moses pictures the children of Israel. Okay, he pictures them as a whole now
What did the children of Israel do to Jesus Christ?
They crude it they crucified him they smote him with the rod
They smote him twice instead of speaking unto him and receiving eternal life
What did they do they tried by their own righteousness by their own effort to get the water out of the rock?
Which is a picture of what Moses did by smiting the rock and what are they doing?
They're basically giving the glory unto themselves must we fetch the water out for you, but what were they supposed to do?
They're supposed to sanctify the Lord not to sanctify themselves
Because you know what the law can't save you
Moses can't save you
He was supposed to speak unto the rock and the rock was just supposed to bring forth abundantly
Ultimately signifying what it's the Lord that saves you and Jesus Christ that gives you that
Salvation and again, it's supposed to sanctify God
What does sanctify mean to set something apart right when you speak unto the rock?
And then the rock just brings forth abundantly you're setting that apart. You're sanctifying it
You're picturing the gospel of Jesus Christ, but when you go up and you smite the rock with your rat with your staff
It looks like you're doing it
It's like you're willing to justify yourself and get the light for yourself and you're providing for yourself
You know what it takes faith to speak to the rock and just let the water gush out by faith
And that's the same with salvation. What what do people constantly want to do?
They want to get the water of living life out with their rod
They want to go and smoke the rod and smoke Jesus Christ
And you know what? That's what work salvation looks like today is trying to smite Jesus Christ with a rod
You know what?
Salvation by faith is just speaking and letting God do the work and God opens abundantly and God gives you that water
So, you know in this story when we read it, it just seems like why is God so angry that he just hit a rock
You know, it's like but it's the spiritual picture that we have here is the fact that he's disobeying the gospel
It's the fact that he's illustrating how you can't get saved by works and it's really desecrating what Jesus Christ did for him
And it's not sanctifying the Lord and because of all those spiritual pictures
God is now gonna punish Aaron and Moses severely for their
Transgression now I like this too because you know when you talk about the law what the law could not do
Jesus did right and obviously God still performs a miracle
Through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ we get life and even through the smoting of the rock
We they still got the waters even through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. We get those living waters, but go to verse 23
Verse 23. I wanted to explain that
section of Scripture for a quick moment and then I want to really get in the meat of my sermon, but
We see that Aaron and Moses are gonna be punished
Look at verse 23 in the Lord spake of Moses and Aaron amount whore by the coast of the land of Edom saying
Aaron shall be gathered unto his people free shall not enter into the land
Which I have given unto the children of Israel knows this because he rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah
So notice what he says to Aaron
He says you rebelled at my word and therefore he's not going to enter into the Promised Land
He doesn't get to go verse 25 take Aaron and Eliezer his son and bring them up on the mount whore and
strip Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eliezer his son and
Aaron shall be gathered unto his people and shall die there
and Moses did as the Lord commanded and they went up in the mount whore in the side of all the congregation and
Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eliezer his son and Aaron died there in them in the top of the mount
And Moses and Eliezer came down from the mount and when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead
They mourned for Aaron 30 days, even all the house of Israel
Now, what do we see in this story?
We see Aaron is the first one punished but Moses has the same fate what happens there and because he rebelled
He ends up being replaced
Because he rebelled he ends up getting replaced by Eliezer and the title of my sermon this evening is this
rebellion leads to replacement
Rebellion leads to replacement when you rebel against the Lord when you rebel against his commandments
Then he'll replace you and if you don't want to be replaced, you know, you need to do obey
You know Bay God's Word and now this applies to every area of your life
if you want to be replaced in some area, you know what rebel and
Sometimes your punishment may not be immediate
You know what if you continually stay in a state of rebellion you will eventually be
Replaced and that's why it's important to obey and to follow all of God's
commandments
though if you would to Deuteronomy chapter 32 for a moment and
Notice what happens there and he's stripped of his privilege, you know being the top
Priest, I mean being the high priest is of great honor that is of great respect and Aaron loses it wife from rebellion
And
Because everybody know there is no position and which cannot be taken away from you
There is no spot that God says oh because you're in that spot. You can't be replaced
No, if God will replace the high priest he'll replace any position and you know what that goes for pastors, too
You know just because someone's a pastor doesn't mean that God won't replace them
God could strip that person of his position and you know what rebellion leads to replacement
That's why it's important to follow all of God's commandments in every area of life where you find yourself
You know, even just being a lowly soul winner. If you're just gonna constantly rebel against the Lord you might get replaced
and
We see that Aaron is replaced with Eleazar and this is a common theme throughout the Bible
Even Moses himself is going to be replaced. Look at Deuteronomy 32 and look at verse 48
Bible says the Lord spake unto Moses that self same day saying get thee up into this mountain
Abiram unto Mount Nebo
Which is in the land of Moab that is over against Jericho and behold the land of Canaan
which I give unto the children of Israel for possession and
Die in the mount where thou goest up and be gathered under thy people as Aaron thy brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered
Under his people because he trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah
Kadesh and the wilderness of Zen because he sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel
Yet thou shalt see the land before thee but thou shalt not go in go thither under the land
Which I give the children of Israel
So Moses himself one of the greatest prophets of the entire Bible doesn't get to enter into the Promised Land now
Obviously, it's because he rebelled obviously it's because he transgressed
But it also gives us that spiritual picture that no man through the law will ever enter the Promised Land
It's only through faith, you know, it's never by the righteousness of the law
It's by the righteousness, which is a faith
Which speaketh on another wise right confess with your mouth and believe in your heart and the Lord Jesus
That's how you get saved not by following the commandments. And so it's a picture of what the law could not do
So who's Moses gonna be replaced with?
Joshua and what is Joshua a picture of Jesus Christ and leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land and we get a lot
of those spiritual pictures, but why is Moses replaced because of rebellion and
he's replaced with
Joshua specifically and
Jesus and
What's interesting about this is Moses also prophesies about the children of Israel themselves go back to chapter 31 and look at verse number
25
Chapter 31 verse 25 that Moses command of the Levites which bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord saying
Take this book of the law and put it in the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God
That it may be there for a witness against thee. I know thy rebellion and thy stiff neck behold while I'm yet alive with you
This day you have been rebellious against the Lord and how much more after my death
Gather unto me all the elders of the tribes and your officers
That I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to record against them
for I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves and turn aside from the way which I commanded you and
Evil will follow you in the latter days
Because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands
Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song until they were ended
So Moses, he tells the children of Israel look you guys are rebellious
You guys are stiff-necked and when I'm gone, it's gonna be worse
After I depart, I mean you guys are gonna corrupt yourselves even more you're gonna be more rebellious
And when you study the law God even makes provision and says hey when you set up a king
This is what you need to do and hey whenever your belt
I'm gonna make a new covenant with you guys and then we're eventually giving you a new prophet
So he's already telling them they're gonna fail and they're going to basically rebel and because of that they're gonna be severely punished
But ultimately this is also is gonna happen. They're gonna be replaced
The children of Israel will be replaced. It sounds like you believe in replacement theology pastor Shelley. The answer is yes
You know the children of Israel were replaced with Christians
You know, what's interesting about the Bible is the Old Testament is written in Hebrew for the most part, right?
But then the whole New Testaments written in what
Greek
You know, I did that because you replaced the people it's no longer to the Hebrew speaking people
It's to the Greek speaking people yet. Somehow people won't believe in replacement theology
How does the whole New Testament get written in a completely different language?
it's because they were replaced and
They were placed with the common Gentile who spoke Greek as they were the ones that received Christ
They're the ones that carry the torch and you know what it's not a shocker to me that the most
Preserved Bible we have the days in English because guess who carries forth the English but carries forth the Word of God English speakers. I
Mean show me what other country is really championing the gospel today
Mexico
African countries
India North Korea
Japan I mean it makes sense that we have a King James Bible today because obviously
that's who God is using that's who's choosing but you know what rebellion leaves a replacement and
We could be replaced and just like these other nations. They can be greatly used by God
But you know what when you don't serve the Lord whenever you rebel against the Lord, he will replace you
He will use someone else
That's why it's important to follow his commandments and the Jews were replaced because they weren't getting the job done
All day long. I've stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gang-saying people
I mean he just kept trying to use them kept trying to be long-suffering kept trying to give them grace
But you know what at the end of the day
He just counted them all in unbelief and just replaced them all and just allowed the Gentiles to receive the gospel
He even destroyed his entire
Jerusalem his precious little city, you know, he just wiped out the face of the map why because of rebellion
He did it in the Old Testament. He did in the New Testament and
There's no new thing out of the Sun God will continue to do this to people and you know
What's interesting me is this Moses is preaching to people and telling that they're going to rebel and you can see this
You know, there's people that come to church
People that come in your lives and you can tell the only reason they're in church is because someone is dragging them there
You've been to church and you see the teenager. He doesn't care about God. He doesn't care about the Lord
He's just there cuz mom and dad are dragging him there and as soon as mom and dad stopped dragging him there
You know and I know he's not gonna serve God and it's like Moses is sitting here looking at the people and he's like you guys
Are not gonna serve the Lord
I can already tell like as soon as I'm gone as soon as the cats away the mice will play and he's just
Realizing that they're not gonna serve the Lord and you know what they're gonna end up being replaced
You know what? You got to be in church because you want to be in church
Because when you're not eventually you might just get replaced
Now go through the first Sam is chapter 15. I want to show you another story here
Here's another reason that Moses, you know, when we think about Moses we think about air
Why did they do what they did?
Well, here's what they did. They wanted the credit for the work in which they were gonna do
instead of sanctifying the Lord and blessing the Lord just speaking let it come out must we fetch this water out for you and
That little bit of pride leads to what rebellion because they want the recognition. They want the acknowledgement
Isn't that a workspace salvation?
Well, you know
I don't want just you can't tell me that these gang bangers are gonna go to heaven if they confess Christ and it's like
Why not? You know why they say that because they think they're better than them
Well, I've been living this really separated life. I only drink alcohol every other day, you know
I'm only a derelict most of the time, you know, what are those people are derelicts all the time, you know
It's like they think they can find somebody worse than them and it's like dude. You're already on a really low bar here. Okay?
We found you in the ghetto. All right, we it wasn't like you were just living this ultra separated Christian life already
Okay, we didn't find you already serving God at the independent frontal Baptist Church. You don't even know what church is
You don't know what a hymnal is you don't have a Bible and you're gonna tell me that you're so holy and righteous
Yet that's that pride that creeps into a lot of people's heart and stops them from trusting Jesus Christ
And you know what pride can creep into all of our hearts not just for salvation and you know what pride does at least rebellion
You start thinking that you're better than you really are and because of that you start rebelling against the Lord
You know when the God tells you to do one thing you think I think better than that
No, I don't need to do that. No, I'm good
I'll do it my own way or you want the credit or you want someone to recognize you
You know what when you start lifting up yourself, God will start replacing you
You just continually give the honor and glory to God and to sanctify the Lord in the eyes of the people not to sanctify yourself
Not to lift yourself up not to elevate your ideas above God's ideas
You know what a truly humble person will look at the Bible and say why disagree that must be right
They're not gonna say why disagree let me tell you what I think the Bible says let me tell you what it means
No, that's pride and when you start sanctifying yourself and lifting up yourself and smoting the rock, you know what you're gonna get replaced
you got to keep elevating the rock and speaking of the rock humbly and
Graciously and asking for it to give you life and it to open up unto you now in first Samuel chapter 15
we have a story of another guy who got lifted up with pride King Saul and
Because of his pride what happens rebellion look at verses 1 through 3
It says Samuel also said in the Saul the Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people over Israel now
Therefore harken thou under the voice of the words of the Lord the saith Lord of hosts
I remember that which Amalek did to Israel how he laid weight for him in the way when he came up from Egypt
Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and
Spare them not but slay both man and woman infant and suckling ox and sheep camel ass
Now God's commandments clear here
Kill them all wipe them out. And you know, this is hundreds of years later. So notice what God God still remembers
God still cares God still wants Amalek to be destroyed and he's telling Saul
You know what you need to follow my voice you need to destroy these people it's time to wipe them out
so the Commandments clear Saul understands verse number seven and
Saul smoke the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to shore that is over against Egypt verse 8
And he took a gag the king of the Amalekites alive and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword
But Saul and the people spared a gag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings and the lambs
And all that was good and would not utterly destroy them, but everything that was vile and refuse
That they destroyed utterly so notice they do that which is right in their own eyes
Well, let's save Joe Biden and then let's just save all of his money
Let's save all of his houses and all his goods and all his cars
But you know all the stuff that's just trash like Kamala. We'll just we'll burn that, you know
We'll get rid of that dirty whore or whatever. You know what?
They're gonna save the most wicked person a gag and then they're gonna also save all the stuff that's good
Why because that's what they think you know what you need to humble yourself and say if God said destroy it all destroy it all
Don't take that cursed thing into your tent. Don't take their goods
God is the cattle of Thousand Hills. He doesn't need their money and you don't need their money. You need to follow God's Commandments
Now look at verse number 10
Then came the word of the Lord and Samuel saying it repented me that I set up Saul to be king
He has turned back from following me and have not performed my commandments and it grieved Samuel and he cried under the Lord all night
This is quick
Saul I mean he's little in his own sight. He becomes king. He's winning the king's battles
He's fighting for the Lord and then he fulfills like
95% of God's commandment here. I
Mean he killed virtually everything
Body spared a little bit right? They didn't do all of God's commandment
They followed most of God's commandment, but just that little bit of
Rebellion just that little bit of not following God's commandment. And you know what God says I'm sad that I even made King Saul King
And guess what God's gonna do he's gonna replace him
He's gonna take him out verse number 20 and Saul said in the Samuel. Yay
I have obeyed the voice of the Lord
so now Samuel
You know goes to Saul and he tells him that he's broken the Lord's commandment and that he's done wrong
But Saul argues with him verse 20 and Saul said in Samuel
Yay
I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me and
Have brought a gag the king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites
But the people took of the spoil sheep and oxen the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed
To sacrifice under the Lord thy God and Gilgal now
I believe that both Moses and Aaron and Saul basically have the same problem here
What is the problem that they're basically the people are provoking them to sin?
Why well the people are making Moses and Aaron so angry and they're so tired of having to cater to them that they want to
Go ahead and get the credit. So they go ahead and smoke the rod twice
but it's those people's rebellion and their bad attitude that kind of caused them with their anger to make bad decision and
With Saul the people are putting pressure on him to what not kill that which is good
Not destroy all the things that are gonna give them riches
And so because of that pressure he kind of succumbs and he allows them to not destroy everything but in both these situations
They're weak leaders and they rebel against the Lord
It's a weakness in their leadership now, obviously Moses a great leader in whole but in that part he was a weak leader
He did not obey the voice of the Lord he rebelled against Lord
He didn't sanctify the Lord and you know what if everyone in the church is against me
But the Bible's on my side. I better obey the Bible
because you know what the goal is not to see what everybody thinks and believes it's what God said and
Even if it's not pleasant, even if it's not good in your eyes, even if it's not something that's come Lee
Wow why we have to destroy the infants and the sucklings and all the good stuff and all the money
that's because God said to
And you know what?
That's an important role in any position of leadership is to obey God's voice
Not the underlings not to see what people like and what people want why because that rebellion can lead
something
replacement
Replacement and Saul is gonna end up being replaced. Why because he rebelled against the Lord look at verse 22 and
Samuel said that the Lord is great delight and burnt offerings and sacrifices as an obeying
the voice of the Lord behold to obey is better than
sacrifice and to harken than the fat of Rams for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and
Stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry
Because that was rejected the word of the Lord. He hath also rejected thee from being King
Now this is incredible because in our eyes
This is such a minor trespass, but notice God does not look at as a minor trespass
You know that tells me every one of God's commandments are important
Don't overlook the little ones don't overlook. You know what God looks at every sin and transgression is rebellion
And he says rebellion is like witchcraft
Witchcraft seems pretty intense. I mean if you're gonna say like what's a really evil sin
Witchcraft, you know consulting with familiar spirits with devilish spirits, but he says any rebellion is like that and he says stubbornness
I mean, this is just you know as iniquity or idolatry
Specifically, you know as grievous as it would be to us to watch somebody in our church bow down to a graven image and worship
It that's just stubbornness
You know and stubbornness is frustrating
It's really frustrating when someone just digs in on false doctrine
They dig in and their sin and their black backslidden nature. They won't be corrected by the word of the Lord
You know, it's one of the most frustrating things
And fortunately for me, you know, it comes to people in this room. That's usually not as common of occurrence
But you know with family members
with friends
You could just show them something all day long and they're just like no, I don't believe it
You know, it's like trying to argue with the left about election fraud or something. It's just like no, I didn't see it
No, you know, it's like here they are on videotape
Pulling out ballots underneath tables. No, they didn't
Where is the video? You're like, here's the video
It's like I didn't see it watch it again
And they're like no and you're like, it's just so frustrating
You know what? You can't reason with someone that's unreasonable. You can't logic with someone that's illogical
You
Can't show truth to someone that only loves lies
and at the end of the day God looks at our rebellion and says I can't work with that and
I wish Republicans would realize you can't work with Democrats
It's not well, we just need to work together. There is no working together. You don't negotiate with terrorists and
The other thing today God does not want to work with someone that won't work with him
When you just say, you know what? I know what this Bible says, but I'm not gonna do it. That's not pleasant to me
I don't want to work that way
And then when he just point-blank says look you've obeyed the you disobeyed me and saws like no, I haven't
And you know what you'll show people like clear Commandments in the Bible and they're like, ah, nope, I don't believe that
Nope, I don't agree with that
That's a wicked heart. And you know what that can lead to replacement
Rebellion leads to
Replacement that's not the heart. Look David and King Saul when you really compare these two men
This is we have to understand David sins are arguably much more grievous. I
Mean if you were to say hey, he didn't kill a really wicked person. Okay, that's a sin, right or
Laying with a woman committing adultery and killing her husband
Way worse, you know when David is confronted about a sin
He immediately is like yeah, I've said
What is what does Saul do? Oh, I didn't do it. No, I didn't sin
Notice a very sharp difference in their attitude and why that's that rebellion
Rebellion and you know what? It's stubbornness
It's iniquity and it's not fixable in many cases
And so that's why it's important in our hearts that we don't have a rebellious spirit and in fact when we sin
We immediately take ownership for it. We try to correct that we try to fix it
You know if I work with people it doesn't bother me that they make mistakes
You know, it makes me upset is when someone can be point but proven that they made a mistake and they just deny it
No, I didn't do that. No, that's not what happened. That's not what I meant
When I said nobody burns in hell that's not what I meant
It's like that's just stubbornness
Why wouldn't you just say oh that was wrong?
Obviously, that's wicked, you know, why don't you preach against yourself for preaching so much heresy? Oh because you're rebellious
You know what that rebellious spirit will do it'll lead to your replacement
Go to verse 24 and look at this and Saul said in the same life sin. So finally he admits it
Right transgress the commandment of the Lord and thy words because I feared the people and obeyed their voice
So he knew the whole time. He's just lying at first
And he's like, you know what? I'll just admit I feared the people I was afraid
I didn't want to go against them because why he's a weak leader verse 25 now therefore
I pray thee pardon my sin and turn again with me
Then I may worship the Lord and Samuel said in the saw
I will not return with thee for that was rejected
The word of the Lord and the Lord has rejected thee from being king over Israel and as Samuel turned about to go away
he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle and rent and
Samuel said unto him the Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day and have given it to a neighbor of thine
That is better than thou man that had to sting
He
Just he just it's completely ripped away and you what too little too late
for Saul too little too late and it's gonna be replaced with
David and it's gonna eat him up for the rest of his life. Go to Matthew 21. Go to Matthew chapter 21
Notice the rebellion leaves replacement
We have King David come in and David takes over and David's anointed king and David replaces King Saul
Why because of Saul's rebellion and we need to take this application into our own lives
You know in any area of your life if you want to get replaced at work rebel against your boss
Go against your boss. Don't take ownership of the faults with your boss, you know, you'll get replaced
you know in every area of your life, you have to be careful that you obey and that when you
Don't obey that. Guess what you take ownership?
And you take responsibility and you want if you do it too late you may have already been replaced
That's why it's important how you handle yourself. And you know what he lost out on that privilege
He's no longer gonna be a king blessed by God that that's off the table
You know, you can make life altering decisions. You can make a mistake
You can make some kind of a problem for yourself where there's an all a life altering consequence to that decision
And that's why it's important keep yourself pure. That's why it's important to obey the voice of the Lord
That's why it's important to do all of his commandments so that you can receive the maximum amount of blessing for your life. I
Bet Moses wanted to go to promised land
You really think he wants to wander there for 40 years in the wilderness and still not to get in
I bet that hurt
I bet that was frustrating to not make it in to the promised land after 40 years
Most of you in here aren't even 40 years old
He wandered for 40 whole years as an old man through wilderness with a bunch of stubborn stiff-neck complaining
unthankful ungrateful
Millions of people it's just like that had to be terrible
you know what they got the better of him at the end and he rebelled and
He ended up transgressing the Lord himself and he doesn't get to enter in and so that's why it's important
No matter what your comrades are doing no matter what your brother in are doing
You serve the Lord because your rebellion can lead to a replacement
Matthew 21 look at verse 33
Here in the parable
there was a certain householder which planted a vineyard and hedged it round about and digged a wine press in it and
Built the tower and let it out the husband men and went into a far country
And when the time of the fruit drew near he sent his servants to the husband men
They might receive the fruits of it and the husband took his servants and beat one and killed another and stoned another again
He sent other servants more than the first and they did unto them
Likewise the last of all he sent unto them his son saying they will reverence my son
But when the husband saw the son they said among themselves, this is the air come let us kill him
Let us seize on his inheritance
They caught him and cast him out of the vineyard and slew him when the Lord therefore the vineyard cometh
What will he do under those husband men? So Jesus gives them a parable and what is it? They rebel rebel rebel
What do you think they're gonna say?
Destroy and replace right? What does it say?
They say at him he will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out his vineyard unto other husband men
Which shall render him the fruits in their seasons
So notice what happened rebellion leads to replacement and any normal rational person would agree with this
Even the blind Pharisees even the blind Jews understood this they say man someone just constantly rebelling against you
You're gonna wipe them out and replace them. The problem was they are preaching against themselves
The problem is that was the Jews because all the servants were all the prophets and then the son was Jesus Christ
And notice God the Father was not pleased that they were not rendering in the fruits of his vineyard. He says in verse 20 42
Jesus saying to them did you never read in the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected the same as we come the head of
The corner this is the Lord's doing and is marvelous in our eyes
therefore I say unto you the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and
Given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and whose service shall fall in this stone shall be broken
But on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to powder
You know what?
They needed the Word of God to break their spirit to break their heart of all their wickedness and say you know what you need
To trust in Christ, you know what if they refuse that it'll just crush them
It'll just destroy them and notice that the kingdom of God
Was taken from them and given to another nation now. What is the kingdom of God?
Going to heaven is the gospel of Jesus Christ and you know what they were the light to lighten the Gentiles
But because they weren't bringing forth fruit. It was taken from the physical Jews and it was given unto
Spiritual Jews a spiritual nation and they are the ones bringing forth the fruits
You know what as long as we keep doing that God will keep using us, but if we stop
He'll replace us if he can if he can break off the natural branches how much more the grafted in ones
He can break off those grafted in ones is just as easily
That's why it's the poor the thing that preserves our nation is those that preach the gospel
Because God is gonna just wipe out nations and do all kinds of things over and over again at his will as he sees fit
And you what rebellion will lead to replacement
And I know what most people in this room probably think that the United States is Babylon. You know what that's not set in stone
that's not written in the Bible and
If America just rebels against the Lord, he might come in a hundred years and America might not even be a nation
You know what would preserve you and me following God's commandments obeying his voice bringing forth the fruit
But rebellion will lead to replacement and if America as a whole just rejects God and hates God and rebelled against the Lord
He'll say you know what? I'll take that from you. I'll give it to Jamaica
I'll give it to Mexico
I'll give it to Morocco because you know what?
There's nothing stopping the Lord from giving the gospel to a nation that's bringing forth the fruit thereof
You know what in the nations that rebel against the Lord will be replaced
You mark my words. I bet King Saul thought on tough stuff. You know what you're gonna be replaced by someone better than you
Oh, we're the best nation. There could be someone better than us
They were placed with the Russians, you know
It's hard to believe but I'm just saying he could
Now let's give you a couple examples of this go to Acts chapter 1
I'll give you a few more quick examples and I believe I've already proven my point but
We talked about him in the morning, but here's another person that rebelled and got replaced Judas
Why cuz he wasn't the superstar apostle
As he was rebellious
Fake imposter and because of that he got replaced
Acts chapter 1 verse 20 for it is written the book of Psalms
Let his habitation be desolate and let no man dwell there and his bishop Rick notice this let another take so notice he's gonna be
Replaced and who replaces in verse 26 and they gave forth their lots and the lot fell upon Matthias and he was numbered
With the eleven apostles, but Judas gets replaced by Matthias
Why cuz rebellion leaves her placement, you know half nine Phineas are replaced by Samuel
Why because they're rebellious and you know what they'd have to buy who replaced
Anybody that rebels against the Lord will be replaced
And you know what it might not be tomorrow, you know half nine Phineas were wicked for a while
But then sudden destruction came upon them and you know what some people think just because they don't get punished right away
That there is no punishment
You know, you can get away with sin for a little bit
You can get away with rebellion for a little while. You know, what if you just stay in that state
Just wait for that sudden destruction to come upon you
You know if you take off a candy bar out of the shelf and you walk out of the store
You might not get crushed right away
But then it's gonna escalate and you're gonna start taking bigger things and bigger things and eventually you will get crushed
We did go if you would to accept 12. We did a little simulation at pure words. We're doing this
We went to a shooting range and we're do some shooting and then they had this like training where you get to train
to like these realized scenarios
And it would be all kinds of different stuff
One of them somebody was going to the bank and it was like a bank robbery in progress that someone stumbles upon
and
the bank robbers they come out the doors and
you know, you're supposed to kind of give them some verbal commands like what they're supposed to do and then they kind of respond and
The guy that's holding the gun is he's pointing at them
He's in this room, but I won't tell you this
he's pointing the gun at these bank robbers and he tells them, you know drop the bag of money and
So these bank robbers they've been caught there's someone pointing a gun at them
They drop the bag of money and then he just pulls it away
They were surrendering and he killed them
But you know what if they hadn't robbed the bank
They wouldn't got shot anyways, and you know what even them trying to do the right thing. They still got killed
Telling you what you know what rebellion leads to replacement
So what's the important lesson don't think you're gonna get away with it. Even when they say I'm sorry. I didn't mean it
They still got blasted, you know
You say this is not a very positive message. Well, let me give you let me finish with a positive message
Okay
Acts chapter 12. Let's see another guy in the Bible that gets replaced. Acts chapter 12 verse 25 and
Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry and took with them John whose surname is Mark
There's a guy named John Mark. He is going on the ministry with Barnabas and Saul talk about an awesome position
I mean you get to be a servant of Saul and Barnabas. This is great opportunity
You're on the front lines and look at chapter 13 verse 1 now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers
As
Barnabas and Simeon that was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and mania
Which had been brought up with Herod the tea-truck and Saul as they ministered to the Lord and fasted
The Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
Where into I've called them and when they had fasted and prayed they laid their hands on them and they sent them away
So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed unto Seleucia and from thence they sailed to Cyprus and
When they were at Salamis they preached the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews and they had also John to their
minister so know what acts chapter 13 starts off and it's describing a church that has a lot of
ministers, I mean they've got extra pastors extra evangelists extra apostles and because they have all these extra
superstars
They're going to divide and conquer. They're gonna say hey, let's send a couple guys out
You know the work of the Lord isn't just stuck with us
Let's send out a few guys and you know
They pray about it and the Holy Ghost reveals into them sin Saul and Barnabas way
I mean get these guys out there doing the work of the Lord again
So they go but notice they didn't go by themselves
Somebody else went with them notice who went with them verse 5 and they have also John to their minister
So they on their own accord took some people with them
But who was sent Barnabas and Saul they were the ordained leadership they were the ordained evangelists
But they just had people going out there to minister unto them and to support them meaning what you know
There's a lot of people behind the scenes of every great man of God
There's always people that are ministering unto them and helping them succeed that you don't always know about or they get a very
Nominal mention, but you know, they're very important to the work of the Lord and you can't serve the Lord by yourself
You need other ministers and serve what's a minister someone who serves them
They serve Barnabas and Saul so that they can do the work of the Lord more effectively and helping
You know like a deacon a deacon is not going to be as honorable of a role in the sense that
You're not gonna have as many people praise you for it. You know what who cares?
You really just want the Lord to think that you're doing a good job
And what's the job of a deacon just serve people?
Serve leadership serve the church serve the widows do that which is right a very honorable and respectable role
But you know a lot of people don't want to be a deacon because it's not like deacon
Jonathan Shelley, you know, they want I want pastor, you know, my name's not on the card, right?
You know, I'm not up there and I'm you know
Not everybody's just like it's not your name and lights or whatever and it's like you don't want that anyways, okay
Trust me. It's not worth it
But at the end of the day you just want God to recognize you and you know what John is an important minister to the gospel
He's an important person
And he should realize that his job even though he may not have had his hand, you know
Been laid hands-on or something like that. He's still important to the work of the ministry
But what happens verse number six?
And when they gone through the island of pathos, they found a certain sorcerer a false prophet a Jew whose name was bar
Jesus which was with the deputy of the country
Sergius Paulus a prudent man who called for Barnabas and Saul and desire to hear the Word of God
But a lioness the sorcerer for so as his name by interpretation was stood them
Seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith then Saul who also is called Paul
failed with the Holy Ghost set his eyes on him and said Oh
Fool of all subtlety and all mischief thou child the devil thou enemy of all righteousness
Wilt thou not cease to revert the right ways of the Lord?
How do you think Paul felt about this guy?
Verse 11 and now behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee and thou shalt be blind
not seeing the Sun for a season and
Immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand
Then the deputy when he saw what was done believed being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. He's like, I'm gonna believe now
I don't want what this guy got
And it says in verse 13 now when Paul and his company loose from pathos
They came to Perga and Pambilia and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem now, it's interesting, you know, we don't know exactly
Why John left the Bible doesn't say something real explicit, but notice what happens
He goes with the work of them. They're preaching the gospel. They run into this false prophet
He rebukes him sharply and then immediately John leaves
now this is just
Speculation but maybe left because of this circumstance. He says you know what? I think you should have given him a tract
Why didn't you give a lioness a sorcerer a tract, you know, we're supposed to love everybody you're not very loving Paul
And you know what? I actually heard this from lots of people. I
Heard there's people they come to our church and then they're like, you know what?
I don't like your church because I think fags get saved and I
You know, they there's like I don't like how you preach against all these false prophets. I think they're saved and whatever
It's just like okay. Yeah
We don't know why John left maybe he just got tired of the traveling maybe he was just home sick
I don't know but something happened that caused John to just say see ya
To just leave and did not go back
Now go view it at 15 good acts chapter 15
Because of this rebellion, you know, what happens he gets replaced by Paul Paul doesn't want to use mark anymore
He doesn't want to use John look at verse number 36
So there's a future time where they're gonna go out and some days after Paul said in a Barnabas
let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do and
Barnabas determined to take with them John whose surname was mark
but Paul thought not good to take him with him who departed from them from
Pamphylia and went not with them to the work. So notice the Apostle Paul says well, wait a minute
This guy already bailed on us before why would I want to take a minister that's gonna bail on me
That's the last thing you want
The last thing you wanted to take some guys just gonna quit on you
And so the Apostle Paul says, you know what? I don't want to take this guy
But Barnabas had determined he wants to take him
So notice what happens it says in verse number 39 and the contention was so sharp between them
that they departed asunder one from the other and so Barnabas took mark and sailed into Cyprus and Paul
Chose Silas and departed being recommended by the brethren in the grace of God and he went through Syria and Cilicia
Confirming the churches but notice what happens Paul is not willing to take John Mark because he quit on him
Because he rebelled and so he replaces him with Silas
now
Some people are saying well was that right?
Was it right for Paul to not let John Mark go with them or you know?
What was basically how do you determine if that was right or not?
Well, I believe based on what Tim is what Paul writes that that was a good decision for him to make
Okay, and it makes a lot of sense why you would make that decision and you know when you're put in the position of Paul
He has the right to choose whoever he wants
you know
Obviously he should forgive John Mark if he's apologized or if he's asked for forgiveness
He has he has a you know, grant him that forgiveness, but that doesn't mean he has to choose him
And you know what just because
Someone is asked for forgiveness does not mean they're gonna always be in the same level of trust
They're gonna have the same position, you know King Saul should have just stepped down
You know what God could use them in other ways
God could allow him to end his life in a better way than he ended it
But because he stayed rebellious he had a worse ending, you know when you get replaced
you need to just accept the new position that you're in and
Then when you're in that
You can have a good ending now go through the second Timothy chapter 2
Here's how I want to end the sermons. I want to end it with this phrase rebellion leads to replacement
But let me say this
faithfulness leads to restoration
Faithfulness leads to restoration, but here's the thing John Mark hadn't yet been able to prove himself
Okay, so if I'm going back out and the woods, you know, I'm gonna take Silas
You know what Silas is a great preacher Silas was recommended by the brethren Silas stick stuck around when everybody left
Silas stayed behind and you know Paul's like I'm gonna pick this guy
If I have to pick between Silas or I have to pick between Mark
Silas
And you know what? You say is that a right decision? It was
because guess what then Mark goes with Barnabas and then even more work gets done and
I believe that it's the right decision first of all because why because the Apostle Paul gets to do whatever he wants
So whatever the Apostle Paul decided was gonna be right in that scenario
It was right for make the decision and it fits in perfectly with all the instruction
he gives under the inspiration of all the ghosts look what it says in second Timothy chapter 2 verse 2 and
The things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men
Who should be able to teach others also now here's the thing Silas is a great teacher
Silas is a great preacher who has not proven to be faithful John Mark at this point
So why would he then take him when he hasn't even been faithful
He's disregarding his own advice
He's saying you know what? No, I'm not gonna take this guy. He hasn't been faithful
Now obviously Barnabas maybe has a different attitude about things and he wants to repair
Mark's reputation and allow him to have a second chance. You know what the Apostle Paul he is the tip of the spear
He can't just be always working on you know, the guys that have a second chance
He might have a first chance policy, you know
I mean why cuz he got to be faithful in the ministry and he doesn't know what this guy's gonna do
He doesn't want to go back into jail by himself
And you know when Paul's in jail in Acts chapter 16, he knows they're with him Silas and they're singing praises together
You know what? He doesn't want it to be like, oh great John. Let me again, you know, I wish I'd seen that coming
He doesn't know that he's gonna be faithful
He doesn't know what he's gonna do and we've already shown yourself to be not faithful
Now you kind of have a little bit of negative, but you know what faithfulness leads to restoration
Faithfulness leads to restoration, you know
The Bible says no man having put his hand to the plow looking back is fit for the kingdom of God
So then how can I take that verse? I mean if the Apostle Paul is thinking about that verse and then thinking about John
He's like, sorry
You
Know what the Bible also says this adjust me and fall seven times and rise it up again
And at the end of the day, you don't want to define yourself by one mistake you define yourself by not getting back up
You define yourself by not continually serving the Lord, you know, we're all gonna rebel
We're all gonna do things and make mistakes
But you can be fully restored. Look at 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and look at verse number 10
Where Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present world, so we know exactly why this guy abandoned
He liked the car the money the goods. He wanted it. He was he had the fear of missing out a football
he wanted to watch the Cowboys lose again and
You know, it was a disappointment and is the part of the Thessalonika crescents to Galatia Titus and Dalmatia
Now it doesn't say explicitly but in this context it even sounds like Titus is
Perhaps not doing things that are right Titus is not with the Apostle Titus is you know off
Verse 11 only Luke is with me
But notice this take mark and bring him with thee for he is profitable to me for the ministry
So, you know what that tells me?
Apparently mark started getting faithful
Maybe that one time and making that bad mistake made him take his life more seriously and say you know what I did that
but I'm not gonna do it again and
I'm gonna be faithful and then after he shows himself to be faithful over and over again now
What is the Apostle Paul's opinion of this guy? Hey bring this guy
Hey, this guy is gonna be faithful. Hey, this guy is gonna do that which is right and you know what that faithfulness leads to what?
Restoration because we have mark now restored in the eyes of the Apostle Paul
But in the past that wasn't the case and you say was that right for for the Apostle Paul to do
Well, it sounds like it worked out perfectly, didn't it?
Maybe that rejection by Paul was the motivation mark needed to realize. Oh, wow. I need to get my act together. Oh
Wow, this is serious. Oh, wow, the Apostle Paul now looks at me as someone unreliable because I wasn't reliable
Do you know what? I need to change my life
I need to become faithful so as I don't be I'm not replaced in the future, you know
He's gonna take his lickings and then because he does that he gets right and notice what happens now
He has full restoration with the Apostle Paul go to first John chapter 1 last verse. I'll have you look at
You
You're not gonna be measured necessarily by all of your Falls you're gonna be measured by how many times you get up
How many times you get up
You know a no man no man of God is perfect what guy in the Old Testament can you really look at I mean
There's only a handful that you could even say seem to model a pretty godly life
Consistently throughout I mean they all make mistakes. They all have problems Moses has severe problems
I mean Aaron has severe problems
yet Aaron at times is greatly used by God and
delays the wrath of God and is a gap, you know stands in the gap of the children of Israel and is
Standing between the dead and the living
Yet, you know, he kind of has a rocky road
Okay, I mean all kinds of guys Abraham one of the greatest guys in Bible makes a lot of mistakes
David makes a lot of mistakes
You know what you're gonna be measured by how you pick yourself up not by the mistakes that you make
Because we're all gonna make mistakes and if you just continually stay in that rebellious state
You're not willing to take ownership of your actions. You're not willing to correct yourself
Rebellion will lead to replacement you rather have this faithfulness though will lead
Restoration look at verse John chapter number one verse number nine if we confess our sins
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
You know no matter what you did no matter where you're at
God can still use you and
God wants one thing God wants us to confess our sins and to forsake our sins so that he can cleanse us from all unrighteousness
And no one in this room is perfect including myself. And what we need to do is we need to constantly seek the Lord
Or forgiveness we need to constantly seek for his forgiveness of the sins in our life because if we constantly leave or live a rebellious life
He may replace us
He may replace you in your position in ministry he may replace your position your family
He may replace your position in your job. He may replace your position in all areas. Hey may replace your position in heaven. I
Don't want that
We need to constantly confess our sins and we need to show ourselves faithful in the Lord so that we can be led to
Restoration let's close in prayer. Thank you father so much for your word. Thank you for your Commandments
Thank you for forgiveness and the grace that you extend towards us. I
Pray that we would take the commandments of the Lord seriously that we understand the Bible says fools make a mock at sin
But rather we would take your Commandments seriously and soberly that we would not just have a continual rebellious
Attitude or
perspective on life
But rather we would constantly be humbled by the Word of God
That we would sanctify the Lord in our eyes and in our hearts and that we would continually try to show ourselves
Faithful so that you could restore us when we fall in Jesus name we pray. Amen