Scripture Setting: 2nd Samuel 9
I. INTRODUCTION:
In the book of 2nd Samuel, we read of a time, when the news was spreading throughout the countryside, “Prince Jonathan and King Saul are both dead and David is now King!”
When the news of their deaths reached Jonathan’s home, it not only brought tremendous grief to his family, but it also sent fear and panic deep into their hearts.
Because in those days, it was common practice and even thought to be customary, that when a new king would take reign on the throne, he would have the family of the prior king eliminated.
Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth was only 5 years old, when the word came of his Daddy’s death.
It scared Mephibosheth’s nurse so badly, that she jerked him up to flee for his safety and in her haste, the boy fell and became crippled for life.
Mephibosheth would never forget that day.
He believed that there would never be a day that would impact his life and affect his future in the way that day had.
In his heart, he knew that he was destined for destitution and that he would live his life out as a beggar instead of a prince.
He felt that he was now nothing more than damaged goods and that he no longer had any value.
He had nothing to offer anyone, because he was now crippled and would forever be dependant upon others.
No one had anything to gain from Mephibosheth.
What a terrible day!
But he would soon discover that there was another day coming, which would affect his life in a far greater way than that tragic day of loss did.
It would be the day that Grace found him.
II. Grace… It’s a dirty word to the devil.
It’s what puts power in the gospel!
The gospel isn’t religion or philosophy, but it’s the gospel of GRACE!
It’s the wonder of the gospel, to think that God could and would reach somebody like me.
It’s what makes the gospel distinct, because there is no other religion in all the world based on such a concept.
GRACE: God’s favor, which is unearned, undeserved and it is not repayable.
III. Too often, we tend to limit Grace to the work of Salvation, but Grace is power for our lives.
2nd Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all Grace {EVERY Favor & Earthly Blessing} come to you in ABUNDANCE, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient {possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation}.
Romans 5:20 – “But where sin abounded, GRACE did MUCH MORE ABOUND!”
2nd Peter 3:18 – “But GROW in GRACE…”
Satan would have you and I to leave the gift of grace at the altar of Salvation, but God’s Grace only begins there, enriching and enabling our lives.
The devil will tell you that from that point on, you must pull yourself up by your bootstraps and make it in your own strength.
But Grace is God’s undeserved favor in our lives.
IV. Now, David has become King.
Sometime has passed and David has just subdued and defeated his greatest enemies, the Philistines, Moabites and the Syrians.
As he sat in his palace, looking back over his own life and how he had come from being a sheep herder to reigning over all the land upon his throne, there’s no doubt that he was amazed at God’s Grace in his life.
I’m not exactly sure what his thought’s were, because the scripture doesn’t spell that out, but I believe that he must have simply wanted to demonstrate the Grace of God to someone else who was just as unworthy as he was.
In 2nd Samuel 9:3 David said, “Is there not still SOMEONE from the house of Saul, to whom I can show the mercy and kindness of God to?”
Mephibosheth would become the recipient of that act Grace and Kindness.
My friend today, Grace will seek you out.
David was on his throne and asked, “Is there not still someone from the house of Saul, to whom I can show the mercy and kindness of God to?”
Grace begins in the throne room and seeks us out.
Like Mephibosheth, before we were ever aware of Grace at all, it had already began seeking us.
The Bible says, that “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
While we were yet in sin, he loved us and sought us out.
None of us had anything to offer God.
He’s the sovereign God of the universe.
He has no need of what I can offer.
Likewise, Mephibosheth had been forgotten by the nation which his family had once ruled.
When David decided to bless Mephibosheth, those around him were quick to remind him that Mephibosheth was crippled, as if that would turn David’s heart against him.
He had nothing to offer David.
He couldn’t walk or even help himself.
David had nothing to gain from this young man.
We as humans find it much easier to help someone when we know that we’ll get something of equal or greater value in return for our efforts, but here’s the King of Israel reaching out with a heart of kindness to someone who couldn’t offer anything in return.
What a depiction of the Grace of God!
God’s motivation to reach you and I is pure Grace.
V. David was now wanting to find Mephibosheth, not to kill him, but to bless him and exalt him and he asked, “Where is he?”
In Lo-Debar.
The word Lo-Debar in Hebrew is translated pasture less, barren, desolate place, hiding place, destitute place.
God’s Grace will go to wherever you are.
Ask the Prodigal Son- Grace found him wallowing in a pigpen and brought him home.
Ask Joseph- It found him in a pit dug for him by his brothers and it exalted him all the way up to second in command over all of Egypt.
Ask the Samaritan woman- It found her at a well and radically made a believer out of her.
Like David, He sends out messengers of Grace.
No matter where you may be at today, Grace can find you there and forever change your life.
His Grace will carry you.
Mephibosheth couldn’t help himself, he couldn’t reach David on his own if he had to.
He had to be carried to him.
God’s Grace isn’t dependent on your abilities or mine, but upon His.
When you can’t walk any farther, His Grace will carry you.
When you can’t believe anymore, His Grace keep you.
When you’re weak, His Grace will be strong.
2nd Corinthians 12:9 “…My Grace IS sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
VI. Grace is where we abandon our crippled past.
David had called for Mephibosheth, but it was up to Mephibosheth to respond.
Although Grace is offered to us, it’s up to us to embrace it.
But embracing Grace, means turning loose of our crippled past.
Not only had Mephibosheth’s feet been crippled, but every aspect of his life had been crippled as well.
He could have allowed bitterness to keep him in Lo-DeBar.
He could have allowed fear to keep him in Lo-DeBar, because David was known as a bloody man.
But he decided to embrace Grace!
My friend, God wants to trade your past for His presence.
Let it go and take hold of Grace.
You’ve got to abandon a crippled mentality.
Mephibosheth’s handicap and his past had left him feeling worthless, useless and he called himself “a dead dog”.
Everyone else looked down upon him in pity and thought what a pathetic, helpless case.
So, can you imagine with me what it must’ve been like for him to realize that he had value in the eyes of the King?
When you awaken to the reality that God finds you precious and valuable, it will drive out that crippled, useless mentality!
VII. Grace is where you discover who you were born to be.
Maybe as a small boy, Mephibosheth pretended what it would have been like had he been the royalty he was born to be, but time had taken those dreams from him.
David looked down at him and restored him to his place in the palace.
Neighbor, you were put on this earth to be a child of the King of Glory, but past mistakes and hurts have taken those dreams from you.
Grace is here to restore you to that position of royalty.
Mephibosheth was not merely given a position of royalty, but he was also given a position in the royal family.
Verse 11 says, “So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the King’s sons.”
God’s Grace will not only make us a royal priesthood, but sons and daughters of God.
This is a position of fellowship and personal communion.
He always had the King’s ear.
He ate what the King ate.
You have a place at the table, all you have to do is embrace His Grace.
David didn’t place Mephibosheth in this position temporarily either.
In verse 7, he said, “you shall eat at my table ALWAYS.”
As long as David was on the throne, Mephibosheth would never have to worry about anyone taking his royal seat away.
Through Grace, we have the provision of God ALWAYS, day or night and eternally!
Grace is where you embrace God’s favor at His Son’s expense.
Mephibosheth wasn’t receiving Grace on the basis of what he’d done, but on the basis of what Jonathan, his father had done.
In verse 7, David also said, “For I will surely show you kindness, for Jonathan your father’s sake.”
Likewise, we aren’t receiving God’s favor on the grounds of our own goodness or works, but on the basis of the work of Jesus Christ.
Grace has been called, “God’s Reward At Christ’s Expense.”
Mephibosheth lived in the Grace that his father had paid the price for.
We live in the Grace that Jesus paid the price for.
In the Abundance of His inheritance.
In the favor of His only begotten son.
Not on our merits, but on the merits of the Master!
VIII. G. Campbell Morgan was approached by a miner, who said that he had trouble believing that he could just receive forgiveness so easily.
“It’s too cheap!”
Dr. Morgan asked him if he’d worked in the mine that day.
“How’d you get out of the pit?”
“The way I usually do, in the cage.”
“How much did you pay to ride the cage up out of the pit?”
“Well, nothing.”
“Weren’t you afraid to trust the cage if you’d paid nothing to ride in it?”
“Oh, no, it wasn’t free, it cost the company a lot of money to sink that shaft.”
It was then that he saw the light and realized that it had cost Christ the ultimate price for the Grace that is given to us so freely.
IX. CONCLUSION:
I want to ask you today, are you embracing the Grace that God is offering to you?
His Grace is seeking you out.
You may think that you came here today, because someone invited you or because you just happen to hear about this service and wanted to come check out what was going on, but God’s Grace brought you here.
It’s not by chance.
God has ordained this day, with you in mind.
If you don’t know the Lord today and you’ve never made the decision to make Him your Lord and Savior, His Grace is here for you today.
