Introduction: Years ago America fought a great Civil War. There was not much "civil" about it. Southerners still call it half-humourously, "The War of Yankee Agression." Northerners sometimes have called it, "The Great Rebellion." The true "Great Rebellion" is the rebellion of mankind against God -- our Creator, and our rightful Lord and King. The rebellion started early, and it is still going on:

I. Adam and Eve rebelled against God (Genesis 3:1-6). They wilfully, for selfish reasons, disobeyed a clear cut command from God. They knew they had sinned, and they hid.

II. Cain (Genesis 4:1-8). Cain hated God. Cain hated his brother Abel. He killed him in anger, and never apologized or asked forgiveness. He just wanted to go his own way.

III. In Noah's time we read that every person on earth except for Noah and his family was in a condition of rebellion against God (Genesis 6:1-8). The wickedness of mankind was great. Every intent of every thought was evil continually.

IV. Not many generations after Noah's flood, Noah's descendents continued to rebel against God, and built the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-8). They attempted a unified idolatrous religion connected with this great tower, and God put a stop to their designs.

V. In the long history of Israel, and Moses and the wanderings in Egypt, and the settling in the land of Caanan, we read repeatedly that the Israelis were a "stiff-necked" rebellious nation against God (for example: Deuteronomy 31:24-29).

VI. And so in the Gospel of John, we read repeatedly that the Jews rejected their Messiah, and plotted to murder Jesus (John 5:16; 5:18; 7:1; 7:19-20; 7:30; 8:37; 8:58-59; 10:31; 10:39; 11:53-54). It's important to say that this is no excuse for anti-semitism. All humans are sinners. If Jesus had been born an American, we Americans would have crucified Him, too. We are all sinners, and we all need a Saviour.

Conclusion: The rebellion still goes on today. The Bible is rejected. Immorality is condoned. New pagan religons are being formed, and so on. Let us not rebel against the Lord. Let us accept His commandments, and obey them. Let us confess our sins, and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Amen.