GOOD NEWS FOR REBELS

We don't often think of ourselves as Rebels. But we are. I want us to think about that this morning. Luke gives us this beautiful introduction to the birth of Jesus.

Chapter 2 at the same region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flocks By Night an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were filled with great beer. The angel said to them fear not behold. I bring you good news of great joy, that will be for all the people I bring you good news. not good advice Not good information. I bring you good news. Something has happened. Right. That's what news is something has happened that has ramifications and implications that opens the door of new possibilities that closes the door on older option. Something has happened the Angels announced. Bring you good new. That would be a great. Joy for everyone everywhere.

For the Jews bad news for the Gentile. The good news for the ladies bad news for the dudes. Good news for everyone everywhere.

What's a good news unto you is Born This Day in the city of David the seat of power of the Kingdom of Israel a savior?

I'm a Sia. Who is Christ the King?

This is the news that changes everything. This is the good news that today a savior the king the Lord. Has been born. Not in a palace. or Temple This will be the sign for you. You'll find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a Manger. Born in humility Born Into the mess and Brokenness and need of humanity. The King has come. Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest on Earth. Peace among those with whom he is. please

Last week we started looking at this text and this idea that the good news is political. We in the west especially in American evangelicalism. For whatever reason and probably multiple reasons. We like two separate things and and and try to categorize things and and we have made the gospel. a spiritual thing what we think of the Gospel in terms of spiritual realities life after death something disconnected from the realities of the material world. Sometimes we think about it maybe as a moral thing. And maybe a legalistic are more religious environment. It said a list of do's and don't.

the gospel is has moral implications to be sure the gospel is definitely addresses a spiritual reality, but not to the exclusion of the physical the gospel hits so much bigger and better than what we've made it out to be

And what what I want us to be thinking of together over these next few weeks is is this larger reality of the Gospel is that the gospel is political and again in the west we have separated politics out from kind of everything else. Put it in a in a world of Jesus in the world where where this happens. There was no separation between politics and religion and personal life and public self. And it was all together as one there was no separating religion from politics that there was no separating the public fell from the private self, but most people didn't have any sort of private life in the ancient world.

So when this announcement of the good news and the term, the actual Greek word is itself political. only used in political

discussions when the announcement of the angels that Jesus who is the savior the king and the Lord has been born. Absolute declaration that affect all of life it is political and last week. I gave you a definition of a political just on on kind of metal level when we talk about something being political. We're talking about anything that that involve the use of power. That's what politics is. It is the use of power weather that's individual power or Collective power. However, we we construct and Implement and use how we're dealing with politics.

Which means that politics is really a part of all of our Lives is not that there's is family politics. There's work politics. There's Community policy you play politics with your neighbors. Sometimes you play politics with your friends at politics is the exercise of power. How will we use what we have who we are what we what we possess will we use it simply for ourselves what we use it for the benefit of others how we use power is the reality of politics, but when the Angels announced that Jesus born they're making a political declaration that God is exercising his power.

through the birth a savior a king and delor absolutely. And it's important for us to think through because Jesus is good news. Not just for the world to come before the world that were in right now.

Good news is political last week. We saw that creation especially the creation of mankind was political Genesis chapter 1 God is exercising his power and authority by bringing order out of chaos life out of nothing. God leads. Exercises kissed Sovereign kingship over creation by speaking it into existence.

He creates order hierarchy.

In the midst of that he does something I think incredibly surprising. He decides to share his power.

you I met me. most of you it makes you wonder sometimes.

Why would he share his power and authority with us? But this is who God is God makes us as his imagers to join him in the rule of his creation. We are to be like him. The commission the original Commission of humanity be fruitful and multiply create life like God has created life. Red-out have dominion rule over what God has created bring order just like God has brought order. We were made as Gods imagers to exercise our Authority which is a given Authority. whip. For God like

our creation is Politico we were created the exercise power within for God. To organize and facilitate life in God's kingdom this morning. I want to start by thinking about the fall. The creation was political our very existence as political realities. We were created to exercise rule power and authority with God. but we don't do that naturally in the world anymore because of what we call the fall what really the one of the first Falls here in Genesis chapter 3

I want you to think about this with me this morning the fall. was political I don't think we're used to thinking about it that way because again, we spiritualize the gospel and when we talked about the fall, we see it as a spiritual fault. We think of it as a moral fall.

and it is that but it's also more there are incredible political implications and realities associated with the fall. It is at its core a desertion. On attempted and failed coup. That's what the fall is. Adam and Eve have been placed in the garden as king and queen priests. They are to lead with God and spread God's rule throughout the world. That's how they've been created. That's how they're functioning their living in the peace and Shalom of Eden fake dwell with God in his presence. They share his authority fear called to lead with him.

Until the temperature comes in and what what is his temptation the serpent said to the woman you will not die.

You won't die when you eat that fruit. No. God knows here's the heart of the LIE God is holding out on you. God doesn't have your best interest at heart. God wants to keep you down. rate of you God wants to maximize himself by minimizing you.

God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened. And you will be like God. You'll be like a bat is the essence of the Temptation This is what the fall is about. That's not saying that like you're going to eat this fruit and I'm going to start glowing. This is a functional temptation. You'll be like God you'll do what God does not with God, but you will raise yourself up and take his place you will in order to do that reject and rebelled against his rightful rule. In order for you to function like God, you've got to reject and or remove God.

The Temptation is to Rebel. Is it a moral choice? Of course it is are there spiritual realities implications? Of course, but fundamentally, this is a political reality. They are choosing not to live under the rightful authority of God. But to go their own way. the fall absolutely political and the consequences of the Fall. Are absolutely clear that makes sense right to see and read Genesis 1 2 3 and really all of the scriptures through a lens up reality.

The here and now that includes past present and future. It doesn't reject the material world as bad.

And he did say a whole bunch of times and chapter one. That's good. That works. That'll do mankind. Very good. This can work.

If creation is political at the fall was for the golden consequences are going to be political.

with logic The Falls rejection of God's rightful Rule and order it's it's a desertion a failed coup so they try to take over God's Kingdom from him it doesn't work.

It doesn't work. So they're removed. Right Genesis. 3:22 Lord. God said behold. The man has become like one of us and knowing good and evil you read now. He left he reached out his hand and take also the tree of life and eat and live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim with a flaming sword. It turned every way to guard the way to the Tree of Life. Mankind is removed. From the presence of God removed from the dwelling place of God removed from the temple of God that Eden was and they are called in the Kingdom.

And what happens the rest of the story we've been. Walking, I think relatively fast through Genesis together.

We see. do the rest of Genesis in the Exodus through the rest of the Hebrew scriptures do the 400 years of Silence to the opening lines of Matthew that The Rebellion started in the garden has not ceased.

Has infected all of Humanity's you were born a rebel.

You came into this world not by choice or by your own design. You are brought into this world on a Battlefield. on the side of the Rebel reality We've all been going our own way.

We do what is right in our own eye. Don't you? Irene the temptation to do that. The reality of that is so settled. It's so profound. How often During the week how often during a day. Do you think to yourself if they were they would just do things the way that I think they would

and that might be your husband or your wife or your kids. Most assuredly going to be a governor or School administrator. Or somebody that's ridiculous enough to want to be president.

We looked at other people and they got mad if they would just do it the way that I think everything would be awesome. Don't don't you think that I mean if you really think about it, you realize pretty quickly. Yeah, probably not. That's the way we're why we think that that we what is that? What is that that innate inherent belief?

We've got the capacity and the ability to create a kingdom that works perfectly. What is that?

Denial maybe it's it's the inheritance Imago Dei the reality that we are made to rule that we are made through but we're not through by ourselves. We're made the rule with God. There's something incredibly good and beautiful about that. But when you take that little piece with God off of it, it becomes incredibly broken.

This is the story of the Bible. We've seen it in Genesis so far right. What happens immediately after? They're removed from the garden Adam and Eve pop out a couple of kids and we got a table and what do they do? They start creating their own kingdoms, right? Canes got his little kingdom.

what to do in Farmer Abel's got his little kingdom. What's he do? He's a herdsman. Begin to build their life their way structure at that way. What do they do? They actually come and bring an offering to God once accepted ones not what happens fratricide murder.

What is that at its core what Drive came to do what he did? Well, I mean we can oversimplifying say 1% He just sent.

What it what is it that drove him to do that? He was not happy with how God was being God. Choosing to bless his brother rather than himself going to act of Teddy vindictive this and in a failed and Incredibly stupid attempt. To make things go his way. He kills his brother. We don't get away with that. The very ground that we were made out of cries out with the blood.

Team 10 tries to make his own kingdom and it just goes from there. It just keeps getting worse and worse and worse, right? We got one of his kids Leigh mccreight light Mick. Does a couple of things one he kill somebody and boasts about it. Threatening to everybody else. Hey if pain got in trouble for what he did wait till you see what I do.

Right. He takes for himself more than one wife. What is what's going on in that? It's his desire to do life in his way in his terms with his agenda. And it doesn't matter what anybody else want. It's the exercise of power run amok. That's what it is. When we read these stories were so conditions in the Evangelical Church to Simply read them as moral lessons or spiritual anecdotes versus real life.

These stories are about Humanity's failed attempts at the exercise of power without God. It does it does not go well. but we could spend some time talking about the days of Noah and what happened there, but we get the Babel, right? What's what's the Tower of Babel event? Well, it's the first time that rather than just an individual's attempt to exercise power. We have a collectivist attempt to exercise power. So when we get to Genesis chapter 11 power battle Humanity comes together and what are they say?

Our Sunday School Stories say that they decided that they're going to build a tower that reaches to God. And then we read it and we go all those fools they really thought they could build a house with a temple of ziggurat that reached all the way to go. You're so stupid back then. No, they weren't. They might have had less knowledge or different knowledge than what we have but they were every bit as smart if not more than we are what's going on here to control. So we're going to exercise power together in such a way that God has to come to us.

That's what the power battle it. We will control. We will exercise our power together without him.

In such a way that he will have to come to us. And he does in a great example of be careful what you wish for. That comes when he scatters the people he disinherits the nation. He separates them. He places them under the authority the Divine Council because all that sort of stuff. And the rest of the story and the rest of the story.

Is about Mankind's attempt to find an exercise power to rule. without God

I want to just I can do this morning is the briefest of kind of surveys. about Exodus Exodus The Exodus story, you know, it may be from the Disney movie or something which is sad, but cuz it's better in the Bible incredible story of Deliverance of God calls Abraham and makes a covenant with them promises Amal and promises and the people it takes a long time, but it actually kind of comes to Bear the opening lines of of Exodus. the descendants of Abram the semblance of his family the people of Israel

How does it start if it describes them this way they have multiplied and prosper. Which takes you back to the opening chapter of Genesis be fruitful and multiply really this is happening, but it's not happening in the lands. But God has promised that it's happening in Egypt where they had to escape because of famine. And what do we have in Exodus? We have the first example of a corrupt political power.

And what does that corrupt political power do in exercises power? Not not so that life might flourish and thrive.

Embark sin genocide

think about the story. What does he do? He feels threatened by the fruitfulness of Abraham's descendants by the people of. He threatened by their strength begins to worry. They're going to become so powerful there power. What's that in my power? So I will exercise my power against their power. I want to see do he starts to slaughter their children. He makes them slaughter their children. Absolute genocide like if this would have happened today, it would be nonstop news, right?

Because we read these stories like they're just story. We tend to read them like they're myth or fable like they're disconnected from reality. There's nothing more real than this.

We have this power struggle.

The people cry out and got hears their cry. He remembers his Covenant. Any raises up a really strange choice? In the sky Moses. I want you to look at this with me. This is Moses and Aaron go to pharaoh. and they say let my people go.

That's that's the line that we all know let my people go let my people go but that's not the whole sentence. Just says the Lord the god of Israel. Let my people go that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. So this is Again, a power conflict God through his Emissary Moses and and and an errand. So if you know anything about ancient Egypt is considered an incarnation of their God took the god of Israel is confronting the god of Egypt and says let my people go

Man, I wish I could spend like 8 hours with you right now and we can walk through that little bit of Exodus someday. We'll do that. Lord willing those 10 plagues every single one of them is connected to the Divine powers of Egypt's Gods every single one of them is an instance of God's power trumping Egypt power. There's no way to read this story intelligently without seeing it with a political reality. God is saying what is God saying, this is my world and these are my people and you don't have the right to rule over them the way that you have then what you doing is wrong.

How does feral respond? Sarah says Who that?

Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let his real go? I don't know the Lord and moreover. I will not let Israel go.

I reject. your claim of authority I reject that you have the right to tell me what to do. I'm in charge. my kingdom my power I do what I want. I refuse to acknowledge the rights of this God of Israel. Politico Fair refuses

Godwin's

could you take some out? He brings them to the land that takes an extra forty years. But they get there eventually they cross the river. They enter the land of promise drive out. for the most part

we think maybe maybe this is it Israel is going to be it affect the profits. How do they describe Israel in The Exodus story, which is the defining story of of the Jewish people fit Israel's described as the Son of God. I let my son out of Egypt. I let him for the prom assignment. They are to be the ones

Big do with Adam and Eve's into their the rule with to be a light to the Nations there to be a city on a hill there to exercise their Authority with God. Finally. Finally Israel's going to do with nobody else has done.

I just didn't go that way.

Because right from the beginning and over and over and over again, what do they do? They run after the gods of the other land they build Idols they sacrifice babies in the high places. They don't exercise their power or for God's power and exercise it for themselves.

But there's this heartbreaking seeing them in the story of Israel. We find it in first Samuel chapter 8 Samuel has been ask the prophet in many ways the de-facto leader of the nation at this time. God Bellator but he speaks it was prophet Samuel been the primary Prophet. So God has been for all intents and purposes the king of Israel.

That's who got is. He's not just for king of Israel. He's the king of the whole world. It's all his. But in Israel in this time in that season, he's been the king. He's been speaking through Samuel the elders come to Samuel at Ramona and they and they say to him dude. You're old you're going to die. And your son's terrible. and they were

appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.

With this storyline that I've been trying to lay out this morning. Think about that think about what's going on in Israel has been redeemed by God to be his people. He is leading them as their King all the other nations have a human King and one of those human things do all attacks you any constrict your young men into Wars and take them away to die that they become a burden they will exercise their power not for you. But against you they always start out with good intentions. No King, no Kingdom. No, no democracy know dictatorship. No socialist oligarchy none of them start out and say We're going to abuse you and ravage you and use you if you if you follow me if you let me.

Paraview I make everything great and it always goes bad always.

Here we have the nation. They've been redeemed. I've been set free God is their thing and that they come the same and I said, yeah, we only got to be arguing anymore. We want a king a human can just like everybody else.

Everybody out this moment. This moment this thing displeased Samuel when they said give us a king to judge us and it's Daniel Prayed to the Lord and the Lord said to Samuel obey the voice of the people and all that. I say to you for they not rejected you but they have rejected me from being King over. Got just lays it out. This is what they didn't they rejected me as king. Once again, it's Eden 2.0. Actually by this time eating 2 million point oh, it keeps happening over and over and over again. God I don't want you to be king. God I don't want to rule with you. I want a real free from you. Got to reject your rule. I reject you as 10.

Story Goes On right where we keep reading the Hebrew scriptures We just see the story unfold that they reject they want a king. First one doesn't go so late, but David is a man after God's Own Heart.

he was pretty broken and is really really bad husband in a worse father and they built up the kingdom to some incredible moments. with Gaba

It didn't laugh. It didn't last very long at all. So Israel God's people have rejected God as their King. They wanted a human King just like all the other nations and what did they become they became just like all the other Nation.

They weren't like all the other nations because they were in a coming in so they they had judgment coming up on them. So got judge them. How did he judge them? Is Babylon he used a Syria? Use these other nations to come in and and judge them? But they might come to repentance if they might remember that they belong to God that they might remember that God is a redeemer that they might once again. Stop wanting to exercise power like the world and come back to God.

This is the biblical story.

the story of the Tower that Martin Luther wants that even the devil has got the devil. I like that conceptually. There's nothing outside of God Sovereign control. Assyria Babylon Greece Rome. These monuments the human pride and achievement these Kings and leaders that call themselves self-sufficient and independent score exercising incredible amounts of power over and against creation not with God but against him. Got to take those and uses them. To fulfill his were amazing amazing.

We get to the time of Exile. The people have been removed from the land. They've been defeated. They're enslaved. Daniel O'Daniel got to love that guy.

Daniel there's some incredible things, right? 1 he stopped eating meat and he's okay like that Miracle number one.

And yeah, there's some amazing things in the Lion's Den and all that sort of stuff. But Daniel the Prophet. Daniel the Prophet he hears and sees Visions from God. Daniel chapter 7 he gets one of the freakiest weirdest strangest Visions write the visions of all of these beasts this Beast come up and exercise of power and it terrorizes and dominates Mankind and then another Beast comes up. It's even bigger and greater and it exercise of power and terrorizes Mankind and then finally a great be driving that Beast got like 10 heads and horns and there's this nap.

Getting bad mushrooms or what's going on? We got this but she's getting this vision from God and there's so much being communicated in this Vision. Right? Like it's the great reversal mankind is supposed to rule over the beat but what do we have here? The beasts are ruling over mankind when mankind reject the Imago Dei we reject ruling with God for God. We actually become Beast lights.

If you don't believe me, just watch the news.

When we reject God we become Beast like we're the rule with God over the beat that's in Genesis 1 over and over again. But we have it's incredible depiction of these people in it. This is apocalyptic metaphorical language not actual weird. These are kingdoms are human kingdoms. The ruling not we've got in for. But against God and they're exercising their power. Not the way that God intended.

And we get this scene. I wish I could see this Vision right? Daniel Caesar has the Ancient of Days comes. And the Thrones are set out its plural Thrones plural. Ancient of Days sits on his throne to Divine Council sits on their throw. And God judges the Beast and he tears them down and he destroys them.

Daniel has a vision of the and then

Then we get this. I saw in the night vision. And the whole with the Clouds Of Heaven There came one like a son of man.

Is this Vision he sees God is giving him this this prophetic historical political vision. These kingdoms are coming. And they're getting worse and they're getting worse and they're getting worse and they're rejecting God's rightful rules and their exercising power in all the wrong ways and they're destroying God's good creation. We're meant to Stuart ATS were using it.

I meant to create order that facilitates life to thrive. We're greedily consuming. Not thinking about what comes next. Did this is what Keyshawn but then he sees God is going to overthrow those beasts. Lost kingdoms, or they may seem powerful.

Listen, it's probably Babylon and Assyria and then Greece and then Rome. And they get greater and greater and greater and greater.

the god sits on a straw

and I have no power that he doesn't allow them to half.

We're going to have some down but then in the clouds and that this is anything coming in the clouds. It's got In the clouds comes one like a son of man and he comes to the Ancient of Days and it's presented before him and to him was given dominion and Gloria a kingdom that all peoples and Nations and languages should serve him.

God's going to send a ruler that will restore. That which was lost In Fun. God's going to set it right God will defeat. The kingdoms of this world that exercise their power without him and he will give all dominion and power and authority to one like a son of man.

Is Dominion? It's an everlasting Dominion. And shall not pass away in his kingdom one that she'll never be destroy.

The biblical drama is political. Is political yeah. I know. It's not Republicans Or democrats. It's so much better than that. Thank goodness. But it's political is the exercise of power.

I've heard far too many Christians say in my lifetime, you know. Politics aren't really important cuz it's all going to fade away God's going to burn it all up anyway, and I just I'm more I'm more interested in spiritual things.

And the only way you can say things like that is if you're incredibly ignorant about what the Bible actually says in me.

Because the biblical drama is political. There's no separation of the spiritual from the material Heaven and Earth were designed to function together and God's not going to settle with just the spiritual and burn off the material. God's not going to stop until Jesus the one like the son of man is Seated on his throne as we see in Revelation and he declares what the hole I have made all things new spiritual things the Lost never say I crumpled up the Earth like a waste baskets and thrown it away. So the whole I've made all things new that there's a new Heaven and a new Earth where god reigns with his people. This is what God is doing. This is the good news announcement. Jesus is the one coming in the clouds. Like a son of man to Mall of thority has been given to that once again all of humanity and all of creation will dwell with God. I think this is the good news. Joe Budden ain't going to do that. Don't Trump's not going to do that tomorrow Chris. He's not going to do that. I'm not going to do that Millennials. Listen to me.

Jesus is going to do that. Jesus is going to do that gospel. The gospel is more of the Gospel spiritual. The gospel is political.

The whole biblical drama is summed up this way God's purpose and plan was to share Authority with humans, but humans have rebelled. What is God going to do? That's a story.

The answer is Jesus. the answer is Jesus song 2 something is a Messianic song. Song that operates on multiple levels it's talking about. a king of Israel at the time and the King that is to come. Deals with all of these issues it starts this way. Why do the nation's rage? And people's plot in vain.

Why why why why do they keep eating the fruit? Why do they keep rejecting God's rightful rat? Why do the nation's rage in the people's plot in vain the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed.

They say let us burst their bonds apart and Cast Away their cords from us.

People always say that Nietzsche. Is the one that declared the death of God? At the death of God's been declared by Humanity ever since that first Rebellion, we're constantly saying you're dead to me. We're constantly saying I don't want anything to do with you or constantly say I'm going to cast off whatever Authority and bonds you have whatever responsibilities might have from for you and I'm going to do things my own way.

The song that says why do we keep doing this?

Because he who sits in the heavens. Laughs. So you have such a a week warm-and-fuzzy concept of God that that makes you uncomfortable.

not laughing This is laughing into Ridgeland. I can he's laughing.

Is laughing though like a father? Who comes home from work and is this is four-year-old comes running out of it says Dad. I want to wrestle. It goes all out. I mean the thing about wrestling a four-year-old. They don't hold anything back right there grunting.

And you let him push you over a little bit you left but inside what are you doing? You're laughing? Cuz it's cute.

R politics

are nation-states our institutions our philosophies are structures are the playthings of toddlers to God?

He thinks they're cute.

But sometimes destructively cute.

You sits in the heavens laughs the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his Wrath. terrify them in his Fury say as for me I have set my King in Zion. My Holy Hill. I will tell of the decree the Lord said to me you are my son today. I have begotten you ask of me and I will make the nation's your heritage and the ends of the Earth. your possession you shall break them. with a rod of iron Dash them in pieces

like a Potter's vessel.

You understand?

That the United States fits in that category.

I'm not anti-American.

Pro Jesus

and there is no human Kingdom. That will stand against the authority of King Jesus. One day this nation will fall. Might be a lot sooner than some of us up.

Jesus is still on the throne.

One day all the kingdoms will fall there is a day coming when Jesus comes not as the meat lamb sacrificed before the foundation of the world when he comes as the lion of the tribe of Judah. One day he will come and sword will come out of his mouth with his word the same word, but spoke creation into existence. He will restate creation into a new existence. He will pass down all opposition. He will defeat and Destroy All Enemies one day every knee will bow. And every tongue confess that Jesus the king is the Lord to the glory of God Almighty somebody shout in it, but that's that's good news. One day one day 50 below paltry attempt at the exercise of power. Then we call the United States that I happen to think is better than all the other feeble Paul three attempts, but it's still a FEMA possibly to one day. It all comes crashing down and King. Jesus come back one day.

one day that's will be no more.

Tears will be dried up. One day we will be who we were made to be one day. We will do what we were created to do one day. We will rule with King Jesus over a creation set free from the Brokenness of our Rebellion one day. Will be right home. until that day comes May we be found faithful.

the King Jesus Hey, man. Hey, man, let's try Father. I thank you so much.

that we are fearfully and wonderfully.

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