Stubbornness — Carter Conlon

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Special greeting to all of our guests this morning. I do hope that you'll avail yourself of the fellowship that's prepared for you after the service today. You'll be greatly blessed if you do that. I've been thinking about this this morning.

I've been preaching about 20 years full time and several years before that in a dual occupation. I've never preached on this topic as far as I know. My whole ministry, I don't know if I've ever heard a message on this.

Stubbornness as a Spiritual Condition

I'm going to preach this morning on stubbornness. Now, the Holy Spirit told me that many who are here today, this week just passed, somebody told you you were stubborn. Even on the way here in the car.

In some cases it's been a neighbor, an employer, a friend, a wife, a husband, even your children. And that was allowed so that you would know that this is for you this morning. That you can't walk away from this thinking, see a stubborn person is very, very hard to reach.

Because a stubborn person is very entrenched in their self-view of not only themselves but of the pathway that they're on. And very, very difficult to reach a stubborn man or a stubborn woman. I'm going to go methodically and slowly through the scriptures.

If you have an open heart today, you should say, Lord is it I? You know, the disciples were gathered around about the table and Jesus said, one of you is going to betray me. Now, immediately 11, at least of the 12, could have jumped to their feet and said, no, not me.

But they had learned not to trust their own self-view. And around the table they began to say, Lord is it me? Am I the one that's going to betray you? And you see, if we have a measure of wisdom in us, we should always, when we come into the presence of God, say, Lord, does this have anything to do with me?

Am I this kind of a person? And if I am, where is this leading me? What am I going to end up becoming like? And you're going to be surprised as we begin to go through the scriptures. If you go to Exodus chapter 16, please, with me in the Old Testament, second book in the Old Testament, Exodus chapter 16.

As you're finding this, let's pray together. Now, Jesus, I thank you for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. God, thank you that you love this church. Thank you, Lord, that you love this body. Thank you, God, that you're leading us into something of your life and you're guiding us into the supernatural.

You're taking us, Lord, where we're going to know you in supernatural power and life. God, you have to move all of the obstacles, every wall, every entrenchment of the enemies got to be taken out of the way.

I pray for an anointing today that we might see. I pray, God, for an anointing of the Holy Spirit that every place of captivity, that doors that are keeping some captive today might be opened and they might be released into the greatness and liberty of our God.

Father, I thank you that you will expand my mind and heart, that you will enable me to speak this. Lord, I give you praise and glory before even beginning today, for I sense that you're going to do something miraculous in the lives of many.

I thank you for it with all my heart. Surely, Lord, you are digging deep into the treasury of knowledge and that you are releasing every captive who wants to be set free. Thank you for it, God, with all my heart.

Thank you for the touch of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' mighty name. Exodus chapter 16. I'm just going to read verses 26 to 28. Six days shall you gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none.

Now, this is talking about manna going out into the field to gather this special type of food, which really does represent to us the word of God in our time. And it came to pass that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? Stubbornness. Stubbornness. What is stubbornness? I think it's important to define it. Yesterday, before even going to the scriptural definition, I went to Webster's dictionary.

I wanted to be sure that I fully grasped this. And here's what Webster says. A stubborn person is fixed in purpose or condition and very resistant to change. A stubborn person resists advice, entreaty, protest, and even force.

Our prisons are filled with stubborn people. They simply can't come under authority. They can't come under God's authority. They will not come under parental authority. They will not come under legal authority.

Stubbornness. Deep, deep, entrenched in the heart. We look sometimes at various people who are incarcerated, and we can list the crimes they've committed. And when we go right down to the root of why are they there, you'll very often find this rebellion and stubbornness is at the very core of the heart.

Also, Webster says the person who's stubborn is unreasonably and perversely obstinate. Just simply won't change. Simply doesn't want to change. Does not want to follow any particular leading. Psalm 32, verse 9 describes such a person as a horse or a mule that has no understanding.

No knowledge that his master is leading him or her to a place where there's safety and good. And that's why the writer of Psalm 39 says don't be like the horse or the mule who have to have a bit and a bridle put in their mouth or they can't be led.

They won't come near to the one that's trying to lead them. The stubborn person can't see the value in simple obedience. As with Adam and Eve, he or she sets his judgment above the clear instruction of God and subsequently locks himself out of faith and the wonderment of the supernatural.

The stubborn person sees another way of doing things. And unfortunately, his or her view of how things should be done supersedes how God says to do it. And there are many, many stubborn people who are part of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Saul’s Rebellion and the Idolatry of Self-Rule

I know it's a humorous thing at times, but it's very serious too as well. In 1 Samuel 15, 23, don't have to turn there, Samuel came to Saul. Now Saul is an anointed king. Saul is a man who's called of God.

He's not where he is by happenstance. He's called just like you and I are called. And he is lost. Now he's in the process really at this point of losing his kingship. He's got something that God has given him to do.

He's setting out to do it. There's a measure of success already evident in his life, but he's got something in his heart. And the inability to deal with this is leading him in a direction where ultimately he's going to even lose touch with God himself.

And Samuel comes to Saul and says, stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. He goes on to define it in the same verse in chapter 15, verse 23 as rejecting the word of the Lord. It's amazing. He says rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, but stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Now let's tear this apart for a minute. What exactly is this prophet of God saying to this king? Iniquity means a falseness. It's a wickedness. It's an emptiness, a spiritual emptiness that results in idolatry.

Saul could honestly say to Samuel, Samuel, what are you talking about? I don't have a hidden statue in my closet. There's no golden mice in my cupboard. I'm not bowing down to a carved piece of wood somewhere.

What are you talking about, idolatry in my life? You see, the ultimate form of idolatry is to declare oneself to be God. That's the ultimate form of idolatry. It originates in the heart that says, I know a better way.

I know what God says, but I know a better way. In effect, a person who thinks like that is saying, well, God has spoken this. But you see, I'm choosing to supersede what God has spoken. I have a higher word than the word of God.

I have a better way than the ways of God. And so I'm going to follow this way. And I believe in my heart, as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden, that I'm going to be somehow bettered through this pathway that I've chosen to follow of stubbornness.

Saul’s Initial Humility, Spiritual Gifts, and Zeal

Now, just following the progression of the life of Saul, we learn something about the stubborn person. Don't turn here. I'm just going to read these to you. In 1 Samuel 10, verse 22, we learn that Saul had an initial humility.

When Samuel called him out to anoint him before the people, they couldn't find him. And when they went searching for him, they found him hidden among their stuff, as it says in the Scriptures. There was obviously a lot of people around.

There was a lot of baggage that comes with that. And here's this man. He's not pushing for leadership. He's not promoting himself. He's not got an entourage with him, blowing horns as it is as he walks down the road.

Here I come, the new king. Here he is hiding. It's as if we were to anoint somebody to sing in the choir, a brand new lead singer, and we went to search for them and they're hidden in the baptismal tank at the back of the choir.

That's exactly, in effect, what happened. People are saying, well, if there is a king, where is he? So he had a humility. And many stubborn people have a measure of humility, which makes it very difficult because they can point back to their beginnings in their walk with God.

Other people can point back and say, well, I remember when that brother or sister came into the church and I remember when they sat in a certain spot and they were very humble and they seemed to be able to, they weren't promoting themselves.

Well, Saul started with an initial humility. And so a stubborn person isn't necessarily proud, at least in the get-go or the beginning. 1 Samuel chapter 10 verse 10 tells us a stubborn person can go to church and exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Scripture says that the Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied among the prophets. And the people saw him. Now here's Saul and the Spirit of God is genuinely upon him. This is not an imitation.

The real power of the Holy Spirit is in this man. He's prophesying, no doubt, speaking of wondrous spiritual things, things to come. The people see it and it's a genuine gifting of the Holy Spirit. 1 Samuel chapter 10 verse 11 tells us that a stubborn person can have an initial zeal for spiritual battle and righteousness.

Saul is just simply working out in the field and a report comes to him that a certain portion of the people of God have come under attack by a foreign, an outside power. And there's a heat of the Spirit, as it is, that gets into him.

And he says, this is wrong. He calls together the armies of Israel. They gather together under his banner and a marvelous, marvelous victory is won. An incredible leader at this point. An incredible zeal is in him to go out and to conquer and that justice and righteousness be done.

So a stubborn person can have this initial zeal for righteousness. But you see, he's got an inner flaw. And this inner flaw doesn't begin to show until he comes to the point where he's called to put all that he is and all that he has into the hands of God.

And to walk by simple faith and obedience to what God has spoken. So a stubborn person can actually look very spiritual. A stubborn person can actually go quite a distance even in serving God. A stubborn person can appear humble, can appear zealous, can exercise the giftings of the Holy Ghost.

But there's a point that they can't pass. And that point they can't pass is where God says, from here on in we do it my way. They can't get past that. They can't lay down these inner thoughts of how things should be done.

And they will not cross that boundary. You see, the stubbornness doesn't show in the initial stages of walking with God. It's really a condition that truly manifests in those who have walked with God for a season.

They have known the presence of God. They have known the power of God. They have known victories in God. And God says, now I want to take you into something deeper. I want to take you where great glory is going to be won to my name through your life.

I'm going to take you into battles you've never known. I'm going to bring you into places you've never walked. I'm going to give incredible victory if you will do it my way. But the stubborn person can't do this.

He was told, stay and wait until I speak. Do not take matters into your own hands. And when I've given you the Word, then you act upon the Word. And you'll know great success in the future. But he had an inner flaw.

False Repentance and the Loss of God’s Presence

Saul was stubborn. He couldn't wait on God. He had to make things happen. He had to do out of his own natural mind what he thought would bring about the victory or the changes that were necessary. Now, unchanged stubbornness leads to worship just to save face and to maintain a self-image.

And this worship is coupled with an insincere repentance. After it became evident that he was not going to go any farther, Samuel was exasperated. Samuel was actually broken hearted because Samuel really loved this young man.

And saw this incredible potential that was in his life. But then Samuel began to realize because God spoke to him. God said, I've rejected him. I can no longer leave him in a position of leading anything because he's leading the people now into a place of false understanding of who I am.

And it's a spiritual defeat. And it tells him that these things are going to be happening. And Samuel is broken hearted. And as he turns to walk away from Saul, Saul grabs his garment. And he says, I've sinned.

Now, there's a form of repentance. A stubborn people can answer every altar call in Times Square Church. There's a form of repentance. He says, I've sinned. Then he says, but honor me now. I pray before the elders of my people and before Israel.

In other words, Samuel, I've got a position now to uphold. I'm king now. I'm leading things. I've got a history. You remember the Ammonites, how I defeated them. And I've got so many things that have been spoken over my life.

I pray, honor me before the people. Oh, God forbid that you ever get into this house and you're lifting your hands on Sunday morning. Because you're concerned about what people think about you. Around you.

You're concerned now because you see you've been wearing a suit or a nice dress for a long time. And carrying a big Bible. And maybe you have a portion or part in some ministry. And you say, well, I got to worship.

You really don't want to anymore. You don't even know how. There's this incredible emptiness inside. But for the sake of show, you've got to sing your songs. You've got to raise your hands. You've got to shout amen at the appropriate times.

But it's all for the sake of show. You've lost touch with God. Something is happening inside. Unaware of what it is. When you look in the mirror and examine yourself because of this entrenched view that your ways are right and higher than God's.

The only way God can get through to that kind of a heart is to allow this emptiness to begin to come into your soul. The sense of God, where are you? Why am I not worshiping the way I used to? I used to come into your house and, oh, God, I didn't care if the choir even showed.

I just wanted to get to my feet and shout your name. I loved you, Lord God. What happened to me? How did I get to where I am today? How did this happen to me? How come there's such an emptiness inside of me?

And eventually, and lastly, the stubborn person loses touch with God altogether. And even begins to despise those who are God-touched. That's exactly what happened to Saul. In the midst of his own struggle with obedience, a young man shows up called David who truly is God-touched.

And a hatred gets into his heart for this young man. Because there's something he realizes that he has forfeited but is not willing to admit that it's been forfeited. And in 1 Samuel 28, 15, here's the end of the testimony of a stubborn man.

He says, God has departed from me and answers me no more. I don't know of anything more fearful, really, than to get to the point where your prayers are not answered. To get to the point where you go into the prayer closet and you are aware that God is not speaking to you.

He tried to speak. He was moving upon you, maybe for months and years, but there was this deep, inset resistance to what the Lord wanted to speak. And Samuel hits it right on. He says to him in 1 Samuel 13, 13, Thou hast done foolishly.

That was really the word. That should have brought Saul to his knees. He should have fallen on his face before God and said, God, you call me anything you want, but don't call me foolish. And if I've been foolish, Lord, show me how I've been foolish.

Psalm 53, 1 says, The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. In other words, there is no one who has the explicit right to tell me what to do. That is the very core of the stubborn man or woman.

There's no one, not even God, who has the right to tell me what to do. I will yield a portion of my life. I will lead the army. I will get into battle. I will do things that appear to be spiritual, but ultimately, bottom line, nobody, not even God, has the right to tell me what to do in every area of my life.

Thou hast done foolishly, Samuel says to Saul. Now, Exodus chapter 16, where we began. Beginning in verse 14. The scripture says, And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness, there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoarfrost, on the ground.

This is Exodus chapter 16, verse 14. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna. For they wist not or didn't know what it was. And Moses said to him, This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.

Now, this was a physical bread. It was called manna. It was a small wafer. And the scripture says it tasted like honey. It tasted like wafers and honey. It was actually very sweet to the taste. And I know that in this wafer was everything that man needs.

God gave a completeness of nutrition to every person that was following Him on this journey. Just as in this book, it was a type of the Word of God that was about to come to you and I. And in this book is all the nutrition you will ever need.

You will be healthy. You will have clear eyesight, spiritually speaking. You will have a heart free from the obstacles of this life. There is no prison door that can hold you. You will walk in healing.

You will walk in health, in a sense, in spiritual health. And everything you need will be found in this book, if you choose to obey it. If you and I choose to do it the way God says to do it. Now verse 16 says,.

So this is what the Lord says. Every day go out and gather as much as you need for the need that you have. And in verse 17 says,. Now this is incredible when you begin to see this. Verse 17, can you see the people going out every day?

They are obeying God. He tells them gather a certain measure. Now people are not walking out into the field with a set of weigh scales in their hand. They are going out in obedience. And some are gathering more, some are gathering less.

They are estimating. It is as if I told everybody in this church today, Now everybody go out and get a gallon of water and come back at three o 'clock with it. Now not everybody could find a container that says one gallon.

Some of you will have old ice cream buckets. Some will get whatever you can. And you go out, you get out, you get what you think is the amount that you have been sent out to get. And they came back after trying to estimate how much it was that they were going out to pick up.

And in verse 18, the miraculous begins to happen. You see God accepts the sincerity of obedience. They went and when they brought it home, And every man took out his measuring scale, or every woman, and they measured it.

He that gathered much had nothing over. And he that gathered little had no lack. God balanced it out. And it all became even, no matter how much you brought in. If it was done in sincerity, everyone had enough.

Everyone actually had the same. Here is the only way I can explain this. Two persons read their Bibles in the morning. Their levels of understanding might be different. But yet they both choose to obey what they read.

And they both find exactly the amount of strength they need to get through the day. It's not based on how much you know, folks. It's how much we are willing to obey what God reveals to us. That's where the strength comes from.

Not trying to figure it all out. Not adding to it. Not having to know everything to change. But to obey the very things that we know. To say, God, this is right. I am wrong. Your ways are right. So now, Lord, I'm asking you, in the little that I know, that you bring my life in line with what I read today.

And God says, I'll give you exactly what you need to get through the day. I'll change you. I'll give you strength. You're going to begin to know the miraculous. Now, they did. That should be enough. You think that would be enough.

The knowledge of this. And it had to go throughout the camp. Did you see? He brought in a lot more than I did. But when we weighed it, we had exactly the same amount. God is sustaining us all. And he's showing us that we don't have to understand it all.

We just simply have to obey it sincerely. And he gives us all the strength and all the nutrition we'll ever need. The ground is absolutely level. It's amazing. You'd think it would create a great big stir in the camp.

The Stubborn Heart Rejects God’s Provision

And Moses said, verse 19, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding. Now, here's the stubborn come. They hearken not to Moses. But some of them left of it until the morning. And it bred worms and stank.

And Moses was wroth with them. Here's the stubborn. They were told, God's going to provide every day. Now, do not keep it overnight. It's as simple as that. But they wouldn't listen. Why wouldn't they listen?

Because they had an idea. And they set that idea above the word of God. Why did they set it above the word of God? Because the spirit of stubbornness was upon them. I know a better way. Why would we waste this?

Why would we throw this out? What could God possibly mean? Don't keep it till the morning. Now, if we keep it till the morning, You can see this Jewish couple perhaps in their tent. And I say, now listen.

If we keep it till the morning, We're going to go back out. We're going to gather. We'll have another Omer. And then we'll add this to the Omer. And the next day we do the same thing. And then eventually, We'll only have to go out maybe four days a week.

We won't have to gather as much as the other people. Isn't this a great idea? Isn't this good? God mustn't have thought of this. If God had thought of this, He'd be in complete agreement with us. Wouldn't God be happy?

And isn't it great that we take initiative in His name? Oh, listen. We can have a five-year plan. We can develop a ten-year plan for our ministry. Just think it over. We won't even need God anymore.

We can figure it all out. Oh, God will be so pleased with all of these things that we're bringing to Him. And it says, They left of it till the morning, And it bred worms and stank. Amazing. This sweet-tasting wafer.

This Word of God that is supposed to come out of our mouths. It's supposed to nourish. It's supposed to give direction to people. It's supposed to satisfy the deepest longing and the deepest need of every seeker of God.

Now, reeks of death and decay. This is what Isaiah said in chapter 14 to Satan himself. He said, The worms cover you, O Lucifer,. How you are fallen from heaven, Son of the morning. In other words, you once had a chance to obey.

You had a chance to know the blessing of God forever. But you set your judgment above the Word of God. And now worms are underneath you and worms cover you. What could have been life forever, But now you smell of decay.

Folks, there's nothing, nothing worse than the Word of God coming out of the mouth of a man,. A woman of God who is stubborn. There's something about it. They quote Scripture,. But it's like somebody grating their nails down a chalkboard in a classroom.

There's something wrong with it. It doesn't have the sweet savor of Jesus Christ in it. Now, in verse 23, He said unto them, This is that which the Lord has said,. Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord.

Bake ye that which you will bake today,. And seethe that you will seethe,. And lay that which remaineth over,. Lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, As Moses bade,.

And it did not stink. And neither was there any worm therein. Amazing. The people who did it in disobedience, It bred worms and stank. But now God says, Now there's a day of rest,. And just prior to that day of rest, You're gathered twice as much.

And now you can keep it overnight till the next day. But they're now obeying God. They're not trying to figure it out themselves. And this power of death and decay is cancelled. And that's really the key, folks.

When you and I choose to obey God, The power of death and decay is cancelled. We don't have to reason it. Husbands, love your wives, As Christ loves the church. You don't have to add to that. You don't have to take away from that.

You don't have to put excuses on that. Do it! Obey God, And the power of death and decay in your marriage will be cancelled. Wives, reverence your husbands. Give respect to your husbands. It doesn't say if he's a good man.

It doesn't say if he goes to church. It doesn't say if he does everything right. It just says respect your husbands. Don't figure it out. Just do it. And God says, The power of death and decay will be cancelled.

Obedience in Marriage and Spiritual Counsel

Amazing! When we just simply choose to obey God. Hallelujah! I had a couple one time that I was counseling in a marriage situation many, many years ago. And they came in. And they were at each other's throats right in my office.

And I said to them, Well, what I want you to do is I want you to read Ephesians chapter 5 together. Every morning, every night at home for a week. And I want you to discuss what the scripture is saying.

And I don't want you to speak an unkind word to each other. I want you to focus on this. I don't want you to say anything negative. And I don't want you to argue. They left my office. And they started fighting outside the elevator.

Both of them. Stubborn. They came back to see me a week or so later. I gave them a spiritual exercise to do. And I said, Now, I don't want you to call me. And I don't want you to arrange another appointment to see me until you've done this.

Now, I knew they wouldn't come back. You see, because they were stubborn. So, they never called. They never came back. Because they weren't really interested in counsel. I don't know why stubborn people come for counseling.

I'll never figure it out. You would assume that they want an answer. You would assume that the word of God. Oh, there it is. There it is. This is what we're not doing, honey. This is what we're not doing.

But they don't want an answer. They are entrenched in a perverse view of life and God. And they cannot be moved from that perversity of thought. And subsequently, the end result. Here it's found in verses 25 to 28.

And Moses said, This is where we started. Eat that today. For today is a Sabbath unto the Lord. Today you shall not find in the field. In other words, okay, I've given you what you need for two days. It's not going to go sour on you.

The worms are not going to get a hold of it. Six days you'll gather. But on the seventh day, verse 26, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. Now, verse 27. Here we go. And it came to pass that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

Still stubborn. Still not listening. And the Lord said to Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? Now, here's the end result of the stubborn. They appear in church on Sunday morning, and they find nothing.

They find nothing. God says, I simply will not give to you. I will not give to you because of this thing in your heart. You come here all you want. Sing the songs of Zion. Hear the preacher preach. There will be people here this morning.

Mark my words. Mark them right now. They'll go out of the sanctuary after the service and say, Well, there wasn't very much there this morning, was there? They will not be able to help saying it. You'll be stunned because you're going to hear these very words from some.

Try as they might to not say it. They're going to say it. They won't be able to handle it. They'll get to the parking garage, or maybe halfway down the highway in their car, and they'll say, Well, in spite of what the preacher said, I didn't get very much out of that this morning.

The stubborn. On the Sabbath, come out and find nothing. Find nothing. Because they're not obeying God. They're not willing to obey God. So, go as you may into the Scriptures. Go as you may to a dozen churches all day Sunday.

You will not find anything until it's in your heart to obey God. In everything. The little things. The big things. God, help me. God, help you. In the coming days. Not to let this into my heart. Or into your heart.

Faith Comes Through Submission to Authority

Stubbornness. In Luke 7, there was a man, a centurion. And he came to Jesus. Well, he actually sent word to Jesus. He said, I've got a servant at home who's dying. Can you come and help? And Jesus is on the way, and as he's traveling there, he sends word to him.

And he says, Look, I'm not worthy that you should even come under my roof. All you have to do is say the word, and my servant will be healed. He said, because I'm a man under authority. I tell a person to go, and they go, and I say do this, and they do it.

And the centurion, he has a spiritual understanding that virtually Israel doesn't have. Because Jesus turns and he marvels, and he said, I've not found this kind of understanding in all of Israel. In other words, among my own people I've not found this understanding.

Here's a man who's outside of what's considered the boundaries of the children of God of that time. And yet he has a spiritual understanding that God's own people don't have. Why? Simply because he's a man under authority.

I'm told to do something, I do it. I don't ask any questions. My superiors say, Go here, do this, I do it. Therefore, I'm a man in authority. I don't follow those who I give instruction to, and when I'm given instruction, nobody has to follow me.

And actually in the New American Standard, it says, I recognize you also as a man under authority. Therefore, you don't have to come to my house. All you have to do is speak, and my servant will be healed.