Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the dangers of a rebellious heart in his sermon 'Awake Thou That Sleepest - the Snare of a Rebellious Heart.' He warns that rebellion against God and others can lead to spiritual dryness and self-deception, ultimately trapping believers in a snare that hinders their growth in faith. Beach highlights the importance of hearkening to God's voice and obeying His commands, using the example of Saul's disobedience to illustrate the consequences of rebellion. He calls for a collective prayer for deliverance from rebellion and self-deception, urging the congregation to seek God's grace to overcome these snares. The sermon serves as a reminder of God's love and the necessity of humility in receiving His correction.

Nobody is going to tell me what to do. The Holy Spirit is seeking in our lives to do such a work in our heart where we will not allow an attitude of rebellion to get a hold of us, to where we manifest attitudes toward one another, particularly toward God, in that fashion. No one. He is not going to tell me what to do. One of the dreadful sins that must be dealt with in our life, beloved, if we're going to grow as Christians and come into the full intention of God's heart, is we must allow our hearts and our spirits to be subject to the discipline of God to the point where we are being, continuous tense, delivered from the occasion of having a rebellious, stiff-necked, strong-willed reaction toward our God and the Holy Spirit. One sure way to reap consequences that are most unpleasant is to have a rebellious spirit before the Lord or before another human being. And so I'm asking you this morning to consider, for a few moments, this is a continuation in the series, Awake Thou That Sleepest. If you remember, we began by talking about a snare. A snare being an instrument that is used to trap an animal, thereby preventing their escape, and if not freed, cause their eventual death. I would like you to consider this morning, for a few moments, and if God allows us, we might deal with another snare. But this particular snare I'd like to deal with, and that is the snare of a rebellious heart toward the Lord. We're living in a day where rebellion permeates the very fabric of our society. We're living in a day where people do not like to be told what to do. We're living in a day where men and women do not want to be led. They do not want to take the second place. Husbands do not like their wives critiquing them or criticizing them. Constructive criticism. Wives get angry when husbands try and perhaps speak into their life. Children become very, very upset when they are confronted about certain issues in their life that need to be dealt with. The spirit of rebellion, the spirit of pride, the spirit of, don't you tell me what to do. Don't you put your finger on my life. This is a deadly snare. And as a snare is an instrument that is used to trap an animal, even so, a rebellious spirit is an instrument that is being used by the devil to trap many a child of God. And if we do not pray and earnestly seek the Lord for a dealing by His Spirit that will free us from this rebellion, this snare can hold us and do great damage. The Bible says in Isaiah that the rebellious dwell in a dry land. One of the effects of having a rebellious spirit is a dry spirit. And so, I'd like for you to consider this Scripture in 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse number 23. While you're turning there, I would encourage you to quietly in your own spirit ask the Lord, Lord, I'm not about to hear a sermon, I know that. I'm about to hear a word from your heart. Lord, would you please minister grace into my life today. Minister grace into my spirit today. Take the blinders from my eyes and help me to see the areas of rebellion that manifest in my life. I pray for healing through the word this morning. I pray for deliverance. Lord, give me humility to receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save my soul, which is able to deliver my soul out from the power of rebellion. Lord, we look to you this morning. This is the story of Samuel and Saul. In 1 Samuel chapter 15, Samuel said to Saul, The Lord sent me to appoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore, hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. The root of rebellion is in an unwillingness to hearken unto the voice of the words of the Lord, our God. The root of rebellion, for whatever reason we might give, however we might feel justified, however we might feel right, the Bible says in Proverbs, A man's ways are right in his own eyes until his neighbors begin to scrutinize. In other words, it's the human tendency, apart from grace, to be right in our own eyes even when our rightness contradicts God's word. And this is where the danger lies. The reason why rebellion is so deadly, the reason why rebellion is such a dreadful snare, is because it sets us up against what God says. And to be found fighting against God is to be an inevitable loser. You can't fight against God and win. And so we don't want to treat this subject lightly. I fail to be able to adequately express through my articulation in words how important it is for us to pray that God will search the depths of our being and put His hand on all forms of rebellion. Rebellion in our relationships with one another, rebellion in our relationships in the world, any form of rebellion has to be conquered through the power of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. And I trust nobody here will simply sit and hear without praying, God, change me. So, this is the basis of rebellion. Hearken unto the voice of the words of the Lord. You know, the whole problem with Saul was that he didn't hearken to the voice of God. It's simple. God gave him a chance. God anointed him. He prophesied with the prophets. God promised him prosperity even. But there is one condition that was required particularly of a king. And that was the king had to hearken to the voice of God. And there's little devils and little demons that live in the world today and they find shoulders to sit on. And every time God speaks to you and I, or we hear something from the Word, or we're subject to have to make a choice between doing it God's way or our way, this little devil sits on our shoulder and convinces us that it's all right to rebel against God. It's all right to do it our way. After all, it's only a little thing. After all, nobody's looking, Norman. That's where we get ourselves in trouble. Thus saith the Lord. I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt. Amalek did much harm to Israel while they were en route to the land of Canaan. And God did not forget it. Now, let me read you a little bit of what God said to Amalek. Now, go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not, but slay both men and women, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. Now, that was the word from the Lord. Clear, easy to understand, articulated in a very, very lucid manner. Verse four. And Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to the city of Amalek and laid wait in the valley. He was doing well so far. And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. Verse seven. And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag, the king of the Amalekites, alive. Verse three. Now, go and smite Amalek. Verse eight. And he took Agag, the king of Amalek, alive. Verse three. Go smite Amalek. That's God speaking. Verse eight. And he took the king alive. That's what Saul did. This is where we get in trouble. And utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep. Verse three. Smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not. Suckling, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey. Latter part of verse three. Verse number nine. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, and the oxen, and 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. Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me. You see, obedience to God is a vital part of following Him. Nowadays, there is an idea that to follow the Lord means that we just talk about Him. Or that we're religious. Or that we engage in religious activity. Or that we say with our mouth, Oh, I love the Lord, and I sing, and I love to go to Christian activities. But even Jesus said, If you love me, keep my commandments. Following the Lord has to do with an obedience that springs out of the heart of the believer because of the love of God and the faith of God working in that believer, enabling them and energizing them to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. And therefore, rebellion is the exact antithesis of obedience. The exact opposite. We have to, by the Spirit of God, this morning, brothers and sisters, declare war against the spirit of rebellion that lurks within our homes. Are you prepared to be enabled by God to take a stand against the spirit of rebellion? You say, What is the spirit of rebellion? It's very simple. We just defined what rebellion is right here. God said to do this, and Saul decided to do it differently. God said, Do this. And then I, with my wisdom, my understanding, my discernment, my tastes and preferences, I decide to do it differently. That's what rebellion is. He has departed from following me. Verse 11, And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all night. A true example of a mature person in the body of Christ. A true example or testament of your own spiritual maturity. Is you will weep all night when you sense rebellion is in your heart, or is plaguing the house of God. You'll weep all night. We need more people to weep over the spirit of rebellion. Do you know what will destroy your relationships and your marriage, brothers and sisters? Rebellion. It'll destroy you. Declare war against it. I'm almost ready to close. Give me a few more minutes. Listen to this. And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, verse 12, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set him up a place, and it's gone about and passed on and gone down to Gilgal. And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord. The second step to rebellion, listen, the first is rebellion against you go your own way, contrary to what God says. If rebellion is not loosed from us, the second effects of rebellion is this. Self-deception. Did you just hear what Saul said? He greeted Samuel and said, Praise the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord. Did he perform the commandment of the Lord? He was self-deceived. Brothers and sisters, I warn you in the name and in the love of Jesus Christ, rebellion will bring about self-deception in your life. And if you are not delivered from it, you will convince yourself and others that everything is okay when it's not. I have seen this pattern over the years in the lives of people who have walked in rebellion and have been unwilling to let God humble them, and they get to the point where they absolutely are persuaded that everything is okay when they're in rebellion. They come to church and bless the Lord. They come to church and bless the saints. They come and bless the pastors. They come and bless the leaders. Hey, praise God, it's good to be here. Everything is fine when their heart is gripped with rebellion. Brothers and sisters, the grace of God does not come in order for us to continue in sin, but the grace of God comes in order to deliver us out of sin. And while God is long-suffering and patient, He will not allow us to engage in self-deception. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleeding of the sheep, or the sound of the sheep? Why do I hear sheep? Didn't the Lord say, Destroy them? And Saul said, They have brought from the Amalekites for the people, spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed. Well, I thought it was best to alter the Lord's commandment because in my rebellion, I'm serving the Lord. You know, I've not done what God said, but I am doing service to the Lord. You can't do that. This is what Saul did. Samuel said, Saul, stay. Now I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. I'm closing. Samuel said, When thou was little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners of the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but disfly upon the spoil, and disevil in the sight of the Lord? And Saul said to Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. There's that self-deception kicking in. I have obeyed. He didn't. Brothers and sisters, pray that God will never let you become self-deceived. A talk show host, I might have mentioned this before, once said, probably years ago, I can't even remember. And I heard the Lord speak to me through it. He said, Of all the deceptions known to man, self-deception is the greatest. And that's true. This is a picture of self-deception that is rooted in rebellion. Okay? I have obeyed the Lord, verse 20, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag, the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites, the Amalites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord. Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Here it is. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou has rejected the word of the Lord, he also hath rejected thee from being king. Beware of this snare, dearly beloved. Do not allow it to live in your life. Be thankful when somebody comes to you, whether it's your husband, your wife, even your own children, or a sinner, and points out that you may have a bad attitude. Don't bite their head off. Thank them. Early this morning I heard, He will not tell me what to do. That lurks in all of us. Today, God in His mercy is granting us a space of repentance. He exposes by His light. It's very clear, isn't it? It's a very piercing word. But do you know why He does this? As many as the Lord hates, He rebukes and chastens? No. As many as the Lord loves. This is God's love to us. Declare war on the snare of rebellion. Don't let it grip your heart. Pray that you will never fall prey to the spirit of self-deception. Because rebellion, if not dealt with, will turn into self-deception. And self-deception will be like this. Lord, everything is fine. When God says, no, everything is not fine. Now I believe with this word, another one of the snares that we must pray God will deliver us from. I believe with this word has come two things. Light shining into our hearts. And number two, grace and power from Jesus Christ to free us. I'm going to ask if Norman would just go and whatever song is in his heart, he could play with his guitar. And I'm going to invite for a few moments, all of us to bow in the presence of God and ask the Holy Spirit to search us. And pray for grace and power that we might be delivered from rebellion. A snare that if we're not delivered from, will bring us into spiritual ruin and destruction. Father, we commit the next few moments into your hands as our dear brother Norman plays. We ask the Holy Spirit's ministry, confirm your word and bring deliverance from the spirit of rebellion. We take authority over it. We rebuke it in the name of Jesus. And we claim the power of Christ to free us in Jesus name. Let's wait for a few moments in the presence of God.