Yesterday, I preached my final sermon for 2007 to be beloved congregation, Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church. I wavered between several things during the week, trying to find determine what to preach. I was praying for something that would challenge our congregation to examine themselves and renew their personal devotion to the Lord before the new year. I landed on one verse: 1 John 1:9. I preached an exposition on that verse and challenged the congregation to be honest with God about their sins and trust God’s promises to forgive their sins and cleanse their own unrighteousness. My congregation endured an hour long message on the confession of sin. I pray that much fruit will come from it. Here is the sermon skeleton.
TITLE: “Being Honest with God”
TEXT: 1 John 1:9
THEME: The confession of sin
POINT: You can be delivered from the bondage of guilt when you confession your sins to God.
OUTLINE:
I. The place of confession
A. Confession of sin is a necessary part of the Christian life.
B. Confession of sin is a normal part of the Christian life.
II. The practice of confession
A. Take personal responsibility.
B. Be specific.
C. Repent.
D. Do it promptly.
III. The power of confession
A. Confess your sins with confidence in God’s holy character.
1. God is faithful to his promises.
2. God is just in his actions.
B. Confess your sins with confidence in God’s amazing grace.
1. God gives forgiveness from the penalty of sin.
2. God gives cleansing from the pollution of sin.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Prayer of Agur
This past Sunday, I preached from Proverbs 30:7-9. It is a prayer of a man named Agur (Prov. 30:1) - the only prayer recorded in the book of Proverbs. The prayer of Agur is the counterpart to the prayer of Jabez (1 Chron. 4:9-10). Here is the sermon skeleton:
TITLE: “The Wise Prayer of a Weak Man”
TEXT: Proverbs 30:7-9
THEME: A prayer for a Godward life
POINT: Wise people confront their spiritual weaknesses through prayer.
Introductory points: There are several lessons we can learn from the way in which Agur prayed:
1. The manner of our prayers should honor God.
2. The focus of our prayers should honor God.
3. The content of our prayers should honor God.
TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: We need God to remove the things that contradict a godly life and keep us from the things that corrupt a godly life.
OUTLINe:
I. The 1st thing: Remove from me the things that contradict a godly life (30:8a).
A. Agur prays against two things that contradict a godly life.
1. Deceit: falsehood
2. Dishonesty: lies
B. There are two ways that falsehood and lies hinder godliness:
1. Godliness is hindered by our own falsehood and lies.
2. Godliness is hindered by the falsehood and lies of others.
C. There is only one way to overcome falsehood and lies: The Lord must remove it far away from you.
II. The 2nd Thing: Do not give me the things that corrupt a godly life (30:8b).
A. The request:
1. Do not give me poverty.
2. Do not give me riches.
B. The reason:
1. The peril of prosperity: An abundance of provision can lead to indifference toward God (v. 9a).
2. The peril of poverty: A lack of provision can lead to irreverence toward God (v. 9b.)
TITLE: “The Wise Prayer of a Weak Man”
TEXT: Proverbs 30:7-9
THEME: A prayer for a Godward life
POINT: Wise people confront their spiritual weaknesses through prayer.
Introductory points: There are several lessons we can learn from the way in which Agur prayed:
1. The manner of our prayers should honor God.
2. The focus of our prayers should honor God.
3. The content of our prayers should honor God.
TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: We need God to remove the things that contradict a godly life and keep us from the things that corrupt a godly life.
OUTLINe:
I. The 1st thing: Remove from me the things that contradict a godly life (30:8a).
A. Agur prays against two things that contradict a godly life.
1. Deceit: falsehood
2. Dishonesty: lies
B. There are two ways that falsehood and lies hinder godliness:
1. Godliness is hindered by our own falsehood and lies.
2. Godliness is hindered by the falsehood and lies of others.
C. There is only one way to overcome falsehood and lies: The Lord must remove it far away from you.
II. The 2nd Thing: Do not give me the things that corrupt a godly life (30:8b).
A. The request:
1. Do not give me poverty.
2. Do not give me riches.
B. The reason:
1. The peril of prosperity: An abundance of provision can lead to indifference toward God (v. 9a).
2. The peril of poverty: A lack of provision can lead to irreverence toward God (v. 9b.)
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. - Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)
From my family to yours, merry Christmas.
From my family to yours, merry Christmas.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Pictures from the Pastoral Anniversary
Here are some pictures from this past weekend.
Clint, Ronald, H.B., Barry, Reginald.
H.B. and Natalie
H.B. (III) and Natalie
H.B. and Dr. John A. Reed, Jr.
H.B. (III), Natalie, H.B., Crystal (and the one in the "oven")
Clint, Ronald, H.B., Barry, Reginald.
H.B. and Natalie
H.B. (III) and Natalie
H.B. and Dr. John A. Reed, Jr.
H.B. (III), Natalie, H.B., Crystal (and the one in the "oven")
My 9th Wedding Anniversary
Crystal and I are celebrating our ninth wedding anniversary today. It was a quiet and slow day. No agenda. Just hanging out. Several long, leisurely meals together. A few long walks. Much window shopping. It was a great day. Now I can't wait for our tenth wedding anniversary. And our fiftieth!
Happy anniversary, Crystal!
Happy anniversary, Crystal!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
A Win is a Win
In other important weekend news, the Dallas Cowboys performed some second-half heroics to the defeat Detroit "Whachumacallem's" 28-27.
By the way, did any of you boxing fans see Floyd Mayweather knock out Ricky Hatton Saturday night? Wow!
By the way, did any of you boxing fans see Floyd Mayweather knock out Ricky Hatton Saturday night? Wow!
Celebrating 17 Years of Pastoral Ministry
This past weekend, we celebrated my seventeenth pastoral anniversary at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church. It was a wonderfully encouraging weekend, for which I am deeply grateful.
On Friday night, the sons of MSMBC worshiped with us. And Pastor Ronald Saunders of the Rhema Community Church in La Puente (CA) brought the message. On Sunday morning, my “Pop”, Dr. John A. Reed of the Fairview Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, brought the message. And on Sunday afternoon, my pastor, Dr. Melvin Wade of the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, brought the message.
I am grateful for all of my colleagues, friends, and sister-congregations that joined us for the services. Some of you even sent greetings and expressions from different parts of the country. Thank you so much for making this weekend so memorable.
Thank you Mt. Sinai for your continued support, prayers, and encouragement. I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to serve such good people. You have been so kind to my family. And I want you to know that I deeply appreciate all that you have done for me. And I pray that the Lord will grant the coming years to be even more fruitful as we serve together to the glory of God!
To God alone be the glory for the things that he has done!
On Friday night, the sons of MSMBC worshiped with us. And Pastor Ronald Saunders of the Rhema Community Church in La Puente (CA) brought the message. On Sunday morning, my “Pop”, Dr. John A. Reed of the Fairview Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, brought the message. And on Sunday afternoon, my pastor, Dr. Melvin Wade of the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, brought the message.
I am grateful for all of my colleagues, friends, and sister-congregations that joined us for the services. Some of you even sent greetings and expressions from different parts of the country. Thank you so much for making this weekend so memorable.
Thank you Mt. Sinai for your continued support, prayers, and encouragement. I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to serve such good people. You have been so kind to my family. And I want you to know that I deeply appreciate all that you have done for me. And I pray that the Lord will grant the coming years to be even more fruitful as we serve together to the glory of God!
To God alone be the glory for the things that he has done!
Friday, December 07, 2007
17 Years and Counting
This evening we will celebrate my pastoral anniversary at Mt. Sinai. The celebration will conclude on Sunday afternoon. Here is a brief article I wrote in this month's church newsletter about anniversary celebration.
17 Years and Counting…
When people hear that I was called to pastor MSMBC while still a senior in high school, they often respond with a look that says, “What in the world…?” I understand their concern and share their shock. It really is amazing. And the years seem to have past so quickly. Yet it feels like a lifetime of events have taken place in these seventeen years.
I am often asked what it was like to begin this work at seventeen. And what has it been like to pastor the same church – my father’s congregation, no less – for seventeen years. The answers are rather simple and clear to me. First of all, God has been strong, gracious, and faithful. Over the years of my ministry, I have had opportunities that some men never have after a lifetime of ministry work. Many lives have been impacted for Christ through my ministry in spite of me. To God be the glory!
Likewise, the word of God has proven to be true, powerful, and sufficient. I am both too dumb and too smart to build my ministry on anything but the word of God. And I am more convinced than ever that the word of God will stand when the world is on fire. I think I am just a glorified Sunday School teacher. Of course, I try to be clear, applicable, and interesting (with various degrees of success). But I basically go to the pulpit with the conviction that either the Spirit of God is going to do something dynamic through the scriptures or my preaching is a doomed exercise in futility. And over and over again, the word of God does its work. Praise God!
Furthermore, you have been wonderful congregation to serve. When people ask what was it like to be a pastor at seventeen, I think it would be better to ask MSMBC what it was like to have a seventeen-year-old pastor. I have learned much about leadership through trial and error. In fact, I often tease that I should write a book on pastoral leadership entitled, “Oops.” Yet through it all, this congregation has been prayerful and supportive. Can a pastor be more blessed? May the Lord give us many more fruitful years together to win more Christians and develop better Christians to the glory of God.
Finally, I am grateful to God for the partnership of my wife Crystal over the past decade. I have learned much about the grace of God by the way Crystal cares for me and supports me. Her respect and encouragement and friendship has meant (and means) more than you (or she) will ever know. And what can I say about H.B. and Natalie? They remind me that I am not the “big-shot” that some people think I am. To them, I am just their silly daddy who happens to preach. And that’s the coolest thing in the world! Truly, I face the days ahead with gratitude, hope, and confidence in our great God.
17 Years and Counting…
When people hear that I was called to pastor MSMBC while still a senior in high school, they often respond with a look that says, “What in the world…?” I understand their concern and share their shock. It really is amazing. And the years seem to have past so quickly. Yet it feels like a lifetime of events have taken place in these seventeen years.
I am often asked what it was like to begin this work at seventeen. And what has it been like to pastor the same church – my father’s congregation, no less – for seventeen years. The answers are rather simple and clear to me. First of all, God has been strong, gracious, and faithful. Over the years of my ministry, I have had opportunities that some men never have after a lifetime of ministry work. Many lives have been impacted for Christ through my ministry in spite of me. To God be the glory!
Likewise, the word of God has proven to be true, powerful, and sufficient. I am both too dumb and too smart to build my ministry on anything but the word of God. And I am more convinced than ever that the word of God will stand when the world is on fire. I think I am just a glorified Sunday School teacher. Of course, I try to be clear, applicable, and interesting (with various degrees of success). But I basically go to the pulpit with the conviction that either the Spirit of God is going to do something dynamic through the scriptures or my preaching is a doomed exercise in futility. And over and over again, the word of God does its work. Praise God!
Furthermore, you have been wonderful congregation to serve. When people ask what was it like to be a pastor at seventeen, I think it would be better to ask MSMBC what it was like to have a seventeen-year-old pastor. I have learned much about leadership through trial and error. In fact, I often tease that I should write a book on pastoral leadership entitled, “Oops.” Yet through it all, this congregation has been prayerful and supportive. Can a pastor be more blessed? May the Lord give us many more fruitful years together to win more Christians and develop better Christians to the glory of God.
Finally, I am grateful to God for the partnership of my wife Crystal over the past decade. I have learned much about the grace of God by the way Crystal cares for me and supports me. Her respect and encouragement and friendship has meant (and means) more than you (or she) will ever know. And what can I say about H.B. and Natalie? They remind me that I am not the “big-shot” that some people think I am. To them, I am just their silly daddy who happens to preach. And that’s the coolest thing in the world! Truly, I face the days ahead with gratitude, hope, and confidence in our great God.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Browse My Library
I have been cataloging my personal library through Library Thing. I am not finished yet. I have several hundred more books to add to complete my catalog. But here is what I have. There are books on all kinds of subjects here. There are the sermon outline books I bought as a boy preacher. There are the my reference works. There are the commentaries I have collected over the years. There are also books on pastoral ministry, church dynamics, preaching, sermon illustrations, and Christian living. I also have books on African American subjects and by African American authors. And I also have some "junk food." I know that life is too short to read bad books. But there are times when I feel like reading just for fun. So you will find those on this list as well. So feel free to browse through the titles. And keep a look out for the updates I will add as I finish my catalog.
To link to my library click here. And note that there is a link to the right of my blog page under my links that you can click to get to my library at any time.
Remember, there are no better minds. Just better libraries!
To link to my library click here. And note that there is a link to the right of my blog page under my links that you can click to get to my library at any time.
Remember, there are no better minds. Just better libraries!
Finishing Mark 5
I completed the series on the miracles of Mark 4-5 this past Sunday. I preached the miracle Jesus performed for Jairus and his sick, dying daughter. This was a interesting, challenging passage to preach - along with the woman with the issue of blood. As an theologian and expositor, I am absolutely convinced that the miracles of Mark 5 are historically true. And I firmly believe that these miracles rightly affirm the divine power and sovereign authority of Jesus over sickness and death. But as a pastor I am aware that, if Jesus tarries, my people will have to face sickness and death. This is the challenge of the pulpit. If you don't have a pastor's heart, it's easy to preach texts like this with triumphalistic claims. You must boldly preach with pastoral sensitivity. I took my best shot at it this Sunday. My goal was that the congregation would leave the worship service believing that Jesus has the last word in every situation. Here is the sermon skeleton.
TITLE: “Trust Jesus at a Dead-End”
TEXT: Mark 5:21-24, 34-43
THEME: The sovereign authority of Jesus over death
POINT: Jesus has the last word in every situation.
TRANSITION SENTENCE: Jesus last the last word when disappointment speaks, when doubt speaks, and even when death speaks.
OUTLINE:
I. Jesus has the last word disappointment speaks (5:35-36).
A. Jairus’ heart is broken by the words of the messengers (v. 35).
B. Jairus’ heart is comforted by the words of the Master (v. 36).
II. Jesus has the last word doubt speaks (5:37-39).
A. The world says that death is the end (v. 38).
B. Jesus says that death is not the end (v. 39).
III. Jesus has the last word death speaks (5:40-43).
A. Jesus has the last word over physical death (v. 40-42).
B. Jesus has the last word over spiritual death (v. 43).
TITLE: “Trust Jesus at a Dead-End”
TEXT: Mark 5:21-24, 34-43
THEME: The sovereign authority of Jesus over death
POINT: Jesus has the last word in every situation.
TRANSITION SENTENCE: Jesus last the last word when disappointment speaks, when doubt speaks, and even when death speaks.
OUTLINE:
I. Jesus has the last word disappointment speaks (5:35-36).
A. Jairus’ heart is broken by the words of the messengers (v. 35).
B. Jairus’ heart is comforted by the words of the Master (v. 36).
II. Jesus has the last word doubt speaks (5:37-39).
A. The world says that death is the end (v. 38).
B. Jesus says that death is not the end (v. 39).
III. Jesus has the last word death speaks (5:40-43).
A. Jesus has the last word over physical death (v. 40-42).
B. Jesus has the last word over spiritual death (v. 43).
Friday, November 30, 2007
The 'Boys Ride on a Thursday Night
Good news!!! The Dallas Cowboys beat-up the Green Bay Packers 37-27 tonight to go 11-1 for the season. Tony Romo is now four touch downs closer to leading the boys to the Super Bowl. How 'bout them Cowboys!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Speaking @ Traveler's Rest in Los Angeles
I am preaching my last revival meeting for 2007. I began three nights last night at the Traveler's Rest Baptist Church here in Los Angeles, where Terrell Taylor is the pastor. Please remember these final two nights in your prayers.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Surprised by Grace
SURPRISED BY GRACE
2 Samuel 9
“O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell in your holy hill?” David begins Psalm 15 with these provocative questions. The body of the psalm answers these opening questions. It describes that character and conduct of the person who pleases God. The last line of Psalm 15:4 tells us that a godly person is one “who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” He keeps his word even when it costs him. She keeps her promises no matter what. The point is that godly people are promise keepers. David teaches that in Psalm 15. David exemplifies this in 2 Samuel 9, which is a part of what scholars call “THE SUCCESSION NARRATIVE OF DAVID.” It is a detailed account of Israel’s transition from Saul’s rule to the establishment of David’s reign. By 2 Samuel 9, David has accomplished great military victories and is enjoying peace, power, and prosperity. And during this period David lavishes kindness on a crippled man named Mephibosheth.
There are two seasons of life that test and reveal a person’s character: (1) seasons of adversity and (2) seasons of prosperity. And this season of success clearly demonstrates that David was man after God’s own heart. And I want us to look at David’s heart as it revealed in his kindness to Mephibosheth so that through it we might see God’s kindheartedness toward you and me. STEVE JONES comments: “Just as x-rays pass through the human body and reveal an accurate picture of the heart to the physician’s trained eye, there are some important ways in which the actions of David revealed the heart of God. We get some of those x-rays in the remarkable story of Mephibosheth.” 2 Samuel 9 is a historical event that functions as a parable to teach us that the grace of God is a wonderful surprise that’s too good not to be true.
In his book What’s So Amazing About Grace, PHIL YANCEY writes a friend who overheard an interesting conversation on a bus one day. A woman was reading. And the man sitting next to her asked what she was reading. She told him. It was M. SCOTT PECK’S bestseller, The Road Less Traveled. The man asked what it was about. Admitting she had just begun the book, she answered by reading him the chapter titles from the table of contents. When she mentioned the section on “Grace,” the man interrupted and asked what grace was about. She replied, “I have gotten that far yet.”
The same thing can be said about the Bible. No matter how much scripture you may read, study, or memorize; you have not gotten far into the Bible if you don’t know what is teaches about grace. Without oversimplifying the message of this expansive library of sixty books, I submit that the bible is simply about the glory of the grace of God. The grace of God is everywhere in the Bible. And it is not boring grace. It’s always a wonderful surprise of amazing grace. In Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, not only did God not immediately strike them dead (sparing mercy), but he also clothed them in coats of skin to cover the guilt-induced shame of the nakedness (surprising grace). And throughout scripture – all the way through the book of Revelation – God keeps surprising us with amazing grace. Of course, the biggest surprise of amazing grace is the virgin birth, perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And David’s kindness to Mephibosheth illustrates the surprising grace of God that seeks us, welcomes us, and enriches us through Jesus Christ.
I. THE GRACE OF GOD REACHES OUT TO THE LOST.
2 Samuel 8 describes David as being in a place in his life where he didn’t need anything. But in 2 Samuel 9, the one who didn’t need anything was searching for something: HE WAS SEEKING SOMEONE TO SHOW COVENANT KINDNESS TO. And verse 3 makes it clear that David understood that his kindness was a derivative of the kindness of God. In other words, David wanted to be kind in order to imitate God. Don’t miss that. God is a kindhearted sovereign who is seeking and searching for someone to be gracious to.
Because we can only see reality through the limited perspective of our personal experience, Christians often speak of our conversion to saving-faith in Christ in terms of us seeking God. But salvation actually happens the other way around. Romans 3:10-11 says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; n one seeks for God.” Dig you get that? Unrighteous people don’t seek God. Every sinner does what the first sinners did. Adam and Eve tried to hide from God, not seek God. And every unconverted sinner is a convicted fugitive on the run from divine justice who is only saved because of the personal missionary work of almighty God. I once read about an entire police force that was mobilized to catch a car thief who had stolen an old, beat-up Volkswagen bug. They even broadcast radio bulletins to find this suspect. These great efforts were made to catch this thief because the owner of the car informed the authorities that there was a box of crackers in the front seat that he had laced with rat-poison to kill some rodents in his house. So the police desperately searched for the man, not to lock him up, but to save his life. And that’s how the grace of God operates. In Luke 19:10, Jesus says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
GOD REACHES OUT TO US BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS. Nothing forced David to seek out Mephibosheth. And no one pressured him to do it. Something within David moved him to reach out and act in kindness. And it’s the same way with God. Mark it down. God does not owe you anything. More specifically, God does not owe you any good thing. Indeed, God owes each of us divine justice, holy wrath, and eternal punishment. But you don’t want God to give you what you deserve. And this is why grace is such a wonderful surprise. God has not treated us as our sins deserve. Instead, his reaches out to with sparing mercy, saving grace, and steadfast love. Ephesians 2:4-5 says: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved.”
GOD REACHES OUT TO US FOR THE SAKE OF ANOTHER. The external reason why David sought out someone to show kindness to wasn’t because of Mephibosheth. It was because of Mephibosheth’s father, Jonathan. Jonathan and David were best friends. In fact, Jonathan loved David so much that he protected him from Saul’s wrath and supported his ascension to the throne of Israel, even though he was Saul’s son who was next in line to be king. In 1 Samuel chapters 18 and 20, David and Jonathan entered into covenant agreement with one another. David promised to be kind to Jonathan’s house after his promotion and Jonathan’s death. And in 2 Samuel 9, David now seeks out someone from the house of Jonathan to whom he can show the loyal love of God. David was gracious to Mephibosheth for the sake of another – JONATHAN. And God is gracious toward us for the sake of another – Jesus.
In the movie The Last Emperor, the young child who is the last emperor of China lives a magical life of luxury with a thousand eunuch servants at his command. “What happens when you do wrong?” his brother asks. “When I do wrong, someone else is punished,” the boy emperor replies. To demonstrate, he breaks a jar, and one of the servants is beaten. The Lord Jesus Christ reversed this pattern for our sakes: When the servants erred, the King was punished. Isaiah 55:4-6 says, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 puts it this way: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
GOD REACHES OUT TO US IN SPITE OF US. Ziba was a servant of Saul who was administrating Saul’s estate. And when David summoned him and inquired about the surviving members of Saul and Jonathan’s family, Ziba singled out Mephibosheth – even though there were others he could have mentioned. Interestingly, he does not mention Mephibosheth by name. In verse 3, Ziba introduced Mephibosheth by his condition: “he was crippled in his feet.” When the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan reached the royal family, they fled. 2 Samuel 4:4 tells us that Mephibosheth was just five-years-old at the time. And in the haste to flee, his nurse dropped him, leaving his feet permanently crippled. It seems that Ziba reports Mephibosheth’s condition to say to David that he was not worth David’s time - he could neither help nor hurt the king.
Undeterred by Ziba’s unflattering description of Mephibosheth, David replied, “Where is he?” Ziba then reports that Mephibosheth was hiding out in the home of benefactors who lived in Lo-debar. The name “LO-DEBAR” means “no pasture.” We do not know much about Lo-debar. But scholars agree that its name was meant to indicate that it was a barren, unfruitful, terrible place. Mephibosheth was a crippled man from a fallen dynasty living in a horrible environment. Yet David reached out to him in kindness. Verse 5 says, “Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” That’s grace. It’s what grace does for us. The grace of God reaches out to us in spite of us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
II. THE GRACE OF GOD WELCOMES IN THE ENEMY.
No doubt, David’s kindness came as a complete surprise to Mephibosheth. When the king’s soldiers knocked at his door and carried him to Jerusalem, he must have seen his whole life flash before his eyes. Mephibosheth knew how it went. When a new king arose, he would put to death the family of the previous dynasty so there would be no revolts or rebellions later. So Mephibosheth must have entered David’s presence like a cornered enemy. But David embraced him like a long, lost friend. And David’s warm welcome of Mephibosheth teaches us two important things about grace.
GRACE MEANS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF GOD’S WRATH. Can you imagine the sense of terror that must have consumed Mephibosheth when he met the king? He feared David. He was scared of being brutally tortured and executed. He was afraid because there was absolutely nothing he could do about whatever was about to happen to him. Imagine his surprise when King David says to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness…” David’s kindness removed Mephibosheth’s fear. And God’s grace does the same for us. So we can confidently sing Psalm 27: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
One day, President Thomas Jefferson was riding horseback cross-country when he and his companions came to a swollen river. A wayfarer stood at the banks as several of the party passed by. But when President Jefferson approached, he hailed him, asking if the president would carry him across the river on his horse. Once on the other side, on the group asked the wayfarer why he selected the president to ask this favor of. “The president,” said the man with surprise. “I didn’t know he was the president. All I know is that on some of the faces is written the answer ‘no’ and on some faces is written the answer ‘yes.’ His was a ‘yes’ face.”
That’s a good definition of grace. Grace is the smiling face of God. Grace communicates God’s acceptance, approval, and affirmation. God’s grace means that we have to fear the judgment, wrath, and condemnation of God. In John 10:28-30, Jesus says: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father’ are one.” Praise God that you don’t have to be afraid of death, hell, and the grave
WHAT HAVE I TO DREAD? WHAT HAVE I TO FEAR?
LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS
I HAVE PERFECT PEACE, WITH MY LORD SO NEAR
LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS.
GRACE MEANS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF YOUR WEAKNESS. David promised to show kindness to Mephibosheth. David vowed to restore Saul’s estate to Mephibosheth. And David assured Mephibosheth that he had a permanent place as the royal table. Naturally, these royal favors overwhelmed Mephibosheth. And he moved from being surprised by grace to becoming skeptical toward grace. Verse 8 says, “And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?’” One of the most degrading things you could call a person in David’s day was a “dog.” And for a person to call himself a dog would be a great act of self-deprecation that expressed humble submission before a superior authority. But note that Mephibosheth does not just call himself a dog. He calls himself a “dead dog.” That’s how Mephibosheth saw himself. Less than nothing. Worse that the worst. Lower than rock bottom. But that’s not how David saw Mephibosheth. And that’s not how God sees you.
There is a sociological concept that is called “the theory of the looking-glass self.” The idea is that we have a way of seeing ourselves through the eyes of other people – so much so that we incorporate their views of us into our own self-concept. This is why so many of us have such a perverted view of life. We only see ourselves through the lens of other people’s opinions – parents, siblings, lovers, teachers, the media, church folks, etc. But grace leads us to look at ourselves through the mirror of God’s amazing grace. And there, we don’t have to be afraid of what we see. Faith is God’s grace is simply about accepting God’s acceptance of you. I know you are crippled. And I know that you are may be in Lo-debar. But I have good news for you. God loves you. There is nothing that can make God love you more. And there is nothing that can make God love you less. In Romans 8:38-39, Paul says, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
III. THE GRACE OF GOD LIFTS UP THE FALLEN.
Verses 6-8 record David’s conversation with Mephibosheth. Then verses 9-11 record David’s conversation with Ziba about Mephibosheth: “Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.’ Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, ‘According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.’ So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons.” These verses illustrate three ways in which the grace of God lifts up the fallen.
GOD’S GRACE GIVES UNDESERVED RICHES. That’s what David did for Mephibosheth. He restored to him all the land of Saul and Jonathan. David didn’t have to do that to keep his promise to Jonathan. He could have just put Mephibosheth on a kind of royal “welfare system” and kept Saul’s estate for himself. But David gave it all to Mephibosheth. And it was apparently so great that verse 10 says it would take Ziba’s fifteen sons and twenty servants to care for all that land. With one decree of sovereign grace, Mephibosheth went from living in someone else’s house in Lo-debar to owning his own royal estate. This is what grace does. God’s grace enriches us. Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 says: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
GOD’S GRACE GIVES UNCONDITIONAL FAVOR. Four times in this chapter – verses 7, 10, 11, and 13 – we are told that David gave Mephibosheth a permanent place at his royal table. This gracious act was definitely not a subtle form of house arrest to keep an eye on Mephibosheth. And it was not a royal handout to meet his physical need for food. David had already given Mephibosheth so much land that it would take more some thirty-five people to care for it. So this was not about food. It was about favor. Verse 11 says that Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. In a real sense, David adopted Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was not just a guest at the royal table. He was a member of the royal family. Verse 13 says, “So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.” Mephibosheth remained crippled. But his crippled feet were hidden under the king’s table. That’s what grace does. It covers us. Romans 5:20 says, “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, graced abounded all the more.”
GOD’S GRACE GIVES UNENDING SECURITY. 2 Samuel 21:1-7 illustrates David’s ongoing protection of Mephibosheth. Saul had waged an unjust war against Gibeonites. But the punishment for Saul’s sin didn’t fall on Israel until David’s reign. A three-year famine struck the land. And when David prayed about it, God told him about Saul’s sin. So David went to the Gibeonites to make restitution. And the Gibeonites demanded that David hand over seven of Saul’s sons that they may hang them. And David agreed. But 2 Samuel 21:7 says that David would not give them Mephibosheth.
A certain man sought to adopt a troubled teenager. As the process of adoption was going on, the young girl did a terrible thing to break the man’s heart. And all of his family and friends warned him that he should immediately end the adoption process. “After all,” they argued, “she’s not really your daughter.” But the man resolutely replied, “I know. But I told her she was. And I am not going to change my mind.” This is how the grace of God treats us. Lamentations 3:22-23 says: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
How should you respond to grace and goodness of God? Let me answer by telling you about another episode from Mephibosheth’s life. It’s recorded in 2 Samuel 19:24-30. David’s kingdom was threatened by a political and military revolt led by his own son, Absalom. And during this conflict, David became a refugee in exile from his beloved city of Jerusalem. Ultimately, David prevailed. Absalom was defeated and killed in battle. And David finally returned to Jerusalem. Upon his arrival, he had to settle some issues with several people. One of them was Mephibosheth. When David fled Jerusalem, Mephibosheth remained behind. Ziba told David that Mephibosheth stayed behind because he had turned against the king and sided with the enemy. But when David returned to Jerusalem, he was met by Mephibosheth who had not bathed or shaven since David’s departure. And in this apparent state of mourning, Mephibosheth gave his side of the story. Ziba left him. And being crippled, he had no other means of fleeing. David, not knowing whose story to believe, decided to split Saul and Jonathan’s estate evenly between Ziba and Mephibosheth. But in 2 Samuel 19:30, Mephibosheth says, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.” Did you get that? We ought to be willing to give our all back to the Lord who has given so much to us.
I HEAR THE SAVIOR SAY, “THY STRENGTH INDEED IS SMALL!
CHILD OF WEAKNESS, WATCH AND PRAY. FIND IN MY THINE ALL IN ALL.”
JESUS PAID IT ALL, ALL TO HIM I OWE
SIN HAD LEFT A CRIMSON STAIN – HE WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW.
2 Samuel 9
“O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell in your holy hill?” David begins Psalm 15 with these provocative questions. The body of the psalm answers these opening questions. It describes that character and conduct of the person who pleases God. The last line of Psalm 15:4 tells us that a godly person is one “who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” He keeps his word even when it costs him. She keeps her promises no matter what. The point is that godly people are promise keepers. David teaches that in Psalm 15. David exemplifies this in 2 Samuel 9, which is a part of what scholars call “THE SUCCESSION NARRATIVE OF DAVID.” It is a detailed account of Israel’s transition from Saul’s rule to the establishment of David’s reign. By 2 Samuel 9, David has accomplished great military victories and is enjoying peace, power, and prosperity. And during this period David lavishes kindness on a crippled man named Mephibosheth.
There are two seasons of life that test and reveal a person’s character: (1) seasons of adversity and (2) seasons of prosperity. And this season of success clearly demonstrates that David was man after God’s own heart. And I want us to look at David’s heart as it revealed in his kindness to Mephibosheth so that through it we might see God’s kindheartedness toward you and me. STEVE JONES comments: “Just as x-rays pass through the human body and reveal an accurate picture of the heart to the physician’s trained eye, there are some important ways in which the actions of David revealed the heart of God. We get some of those x-rays in the remarkable story of Mephibosheth.” 2 Samuel 9 is a historical event that functions as a parable to teach us that the grace of God is a wonderful surprise that’s too good not to be true.
In his book What’s So Amazing About Grace, PHIL YANCEY writes a friend who overheard an interesting conversation on a bus one day. A woman was reading. And the man sitting next to her asked what she was reading. She told him. It was M. SCOTT PECK’S bestseller, The Road Less Traveled. The man asked what it was about. Admitting she had just begun the book, she answered by reading him the chapter titles from the table of contents. When she mentioned the section on “Grace,” the man interrupted and asked what grace was about. She replied, “I have gotten that far yet.”
The same thing can be said about the Bible. No matter how much scripture you may read, study, or memorize; you have not gotten far into the Bible if you don’t know what is teaches about grace. Without oversimplifying the message of this expansive library of sixty books, I submit that the bible is simply about the glory of the grace of God. The grace of God is everywhere in the Bible. And it is not boring grace. It’s always a wonderful surprise of amazing grace. In Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, not only did God not immediately strike them dead (sparing mercy), but he also clothed them in coats of skin to cover the guilt-induced shame of the nakedness (surprising grace). And throughout scripture – all the way through the book of Revelation – God keeps surprising us with amazing grace. Of course, the biggest surprise of amazing grace is the virgin birth, perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And David’s kindness to Mephibosheth illustrates the surprising grace of God that seeks us, welcomes us, and enriches us through Jesus Christ.
I. THE GRACE OF GOD REACHES OUT TO THE LOST.
2 Samuel 8 describes David as being in a place in his life where he didn’t need anything. But in 2 Samuel 9, the one who didn’t need anything was searching for something: HE WAS SEEKING SOMEONE TO SHOW COVENANT KINDNESS TO. And verse 3 makes it clear that David understood that his kindness was a derivative of the kindness of God. In other words, David wanted to be kind in order to imitate God. Don’t miss that. God is a kindhearted sovereign who is seeking and searching for someone to be gracious to.
Because we can only see reality through the limited perspective of our personal experience, Christians often speak of our conversion to saving-faith in Christ in terms of us seeking God. But salvation actually happens the other way around. Romans 3:10-11 says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; n one seeks for God.” Dig you get that? Unrighteous people don’t seek God. Every sinner does what the first sinners did. Adam and Eve tried to hide from God, not seek God. And every unconverted sinner is a convicted fugitive on the run from divine justice who is only saved because of the personal missionary work of almighty God. I once read about an entire police force that was mobilized to catch a car thief who had stolen an old, beat-up Volkswagen bug. They even broadcast radio bulletins to find this suspect. These great efforts were made to catch this thief because the owner of the car informed the authorities that there was a box of crackers in the front seat that he had laced with rat-poison to kill some rodents in his house. So the police desperately searched for the man, not to lock him up, but to save his life. And that’s how the grace of God operates. In Luke 19:10, Jesus says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
GOD REACHES OUT TO US BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS. Nothing forced David to seek out Mephibosheth. And no one pressured him to do it. Something within David moved him to reach out and act in kindness. And it’s the same way with God. Mark it down. God does not owe you anything. More specifically, God does not owe you any good thing. Indeed, God owes each of us divine justice, holy wrath, and eternal punishment. But you don’t want God to give you what you deserve. And this is why grace is such a wonderful surprise. God has not treated us as our sins deserve. Instead, his reaches out to with sparing mercy, saving grace, and steadfast love. Ephesians 2:4-5 says: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved.”
GOD REACHES OUT TO US FOR THE SAKE OF ANOTHER. The external reason why David sought out someone to show kindness to wasn’t because of Mephibosheth. It was because of Mephibosheth’s father, Jonathan. Jonathan and David were best friends. In fact, Jonathan loved David so much that he protected him from Saul’s wrath and supported his ascension to the throne of Israel, even though he was Saul’s son who was next in line to be king. In 1 Samuel chapters 18 and 20, David and Jonathan entered into covenant agreement with one another. David promised to be kind to Jonathan’s house after his promotion and Jonathan’s death. And in 2 Samuel 9, David now seeks out someone from the house of Jonathan to whom he can show the loyal love of God. David was gracious to Mephibosheth for the sake of another – JONATHAN. And God is gracious toward us for the sake of another – Jesus.
In the movie The Last Emperor, the young child who is the last emperor of China lives a magical life of luxury with a thousand eunuch servants at his command. “What happens when you do wrong?” his brother asks. “When I do wrong, someone else is punished,” the boy emperor replies. To demonstrate, he breaks a jar, and one of the servants is beaten. The Lord Jesus Christ reversed this pattern for our sakes: When the servants erred, the King was punished. Isaiah 55:4-6 says, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 puts it this way: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
GOD REACHES OUT TO US IN SPITE OF US. Ziba was a servant of Saul who was administrating Saul’s estate. And when David summoned him and inquired about the surviving members of Saul and Jonathan’s family, Ziba singled out Mephibosheth – even though there were others he could have mentioned. Interestingly, he does not mention Mephibosheth by name. In verse 3, Ziba introduced Mephibosheth by his condition: “he was crippled in his feet.” When the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan reached the royal family, they fled. 2 Samuel 4:4 tells us that Mephibosheth was just five-years-old at the time. And in the haste to flee, his nurse dropped him, leaving his feet permanently crippled. It seems that Ziba reports Mephibosheth’s condition to say to David that he was not worth David’s time - he could neither help nor hurt the king.
Undeterred by Ziba’s unflattering description of Mephibosheth, David replied, “Where is he?” Ziba then reports that Mephibosheth was hiding out in the home of benefactors who lived in Lo-debar. The name “LO-DEBAR” means “no pasture.” We do not know much about Lo-debar. But scholars agree that its name was meant to indicate that it was a barren, unfruitful, terrible place. Mephibosheth was a crippled man from a fallen dynasty living in a horrible environment. Yet David reached out to him in kindness. Verse 5 says, “Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” That’s grace. It’s what grace does for us. The grace of God reaches out to us in spite of us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
II. THE GRACE OF GOD WELCOMES IN THE ENEMY.
No doubt, David’s kindness came as a complete surprise to Mephibosheth. When the king’s soldiers knocked at his door and carried him to Jerusalem, he must have seen his whole life flash before his eyes. Mephibosheth knew how it went. When a new king arose, he would put to death the family of the previous dynasty so there would be no revolts or rebellions later. So Mephibosheth must have entered David’s presence like a cornered enemy. But David embraced him like a long, lost friend. And David’s warm welcome of Mephibosheth teaches us two important things about grace.
GRACE MEANS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF GOD’S WRATH. Can you imagine the sense of terror that must have consumed Mephibosheth when he met the king? He feared David. He was scared of being brutally tortured and executed. He was afraid because there was absolutely nothing he could do about whatever was about to happen to him. Imagine his surprise when King David says to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness…” David’s kindness removed Mephibosheth’s fear. And God’s grace does the same for us. So we can confidently sing Psalm 27: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
One day, President Thomas Jefferson was riding horseback cross-country when he and his companions came to a swollen river. A wayfarer stood at the banks as several of the party passed by. But when President Jefferson approached, he hailed him, asking if the president would carry him across the river on his horse. Once on the other side, on the group asked the wayfarer why he selected the president to ask this favor of. “The president,” said the man with surprise. “I didn’t know he was the president. All I know is that on some of the faces is written the answer ‘no’ and on some faces is written the answer ‘yes.’ His was a ‘yes’ face.”
That’s a good definition of grace. Grace is the smiling face of God. Grace communicates God’s acceptance, approval, and affirmation. God’s grace means that we have to fear the judgment, wrath, and condemnation of God. In John 10:28-30, Jesus says: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father’ are one.” Praise God that you don’t have to be afraid of death, hell, and the grave
WHAT HAVE I TO DREAD? WHAT HAVE I TO FEAR?
LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS
I HAVE PERFECT PEACE, WITH MY LORD SO NEAR
LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS.
GRACE MEANS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF YOUR WEAKNESS. David promised to show kindness to Mephibosheth. David vowed to restore Saul’s estate to Mephibosheth. And David assured Mephibosheth that he had a permanent place as the royal table. Naturally, these royal favors overwhelmed Mephibosheth. And he moved from being surprised by grace to becoming skeptical toward grace. Verse 8 says, “And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?’” One of the most degrading things you could call a person in David’s day was a “dog.” And for a person to call himself a dog would be a great act of self-deprecation that expressed humble submission before a superior authority. But note that Mephibosheth does not just call himself a dog. He calls himself a “dead dog.” That’s how Mephibosheth saw himself. Less than nothing. Worse that the worst. Lower than rock bottom. But that’s not how David saw Mephibosheth. And that’s not how God sees you.
There is a sociological concept that is called “the theory of the looking-glass self.” The idea is that we have a way of seeing ourselves through the eyes of other people – so much so that we incorporate their views of us into our own self-concept. This is why so many of us have such a perverted view of life. We only see ourselves through the lens of other people’s opinions – parents, siblings, lovers, teachers, the media, church folks, etc. But grace leads us to look at ourselves through the mirror of God’s amazing grace. And there, we don’t have to be afraid of what we see. Faith is God’s grace is simply about accepting God’s acceptance of you. I know you are crippled. And I know that you are may be in Lo-debar. But I have good news for you. God loves you. There is nothing that can make God love you more. And there is nothing that can make God love you less. In Romans 8:38-39, Paul says, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
III. THE GRACE OF GOD LIFTS UP THE FALLEN.
Verses 6-8 record David’s conversation with Mephibosheth. Then verses 9-11 record David’s conversation with Ziba about Mephibosheth: “Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.’ Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, ‘According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.’ So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons.” These verses illustrate three ways in which the grace of God lifts up the fallen.
GOD’S GRACE GIVES UNDESERVED RICHES. That’s what David did for Mephibosheth. He restored to him all the land of Saul and Jonathan. David didn’t have to do that to keep his promise to Jonathan. He could have just put Mephibosheth on a kind of royal “welfare system” and kept Saul’s estate for himself. But David gave it all to Mephibosheth. And it was apparently so great that verse 10 says it would take Ziba’s fifteen sons and twenty servants to care for all that land. With one decree of sovereign grace, Mephibosheth went from living in someone else’s house in Lo-debar to owning his own royal estate. This is what grace does. God’s grace enriches us. Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 says: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
GOD’S GRACE GIVES UNCONDITIONAL FAVOR. Four times in this chapter – verses 7, 10, 11, and 13 – we are told that David gave Mephibosheth a permanent place at his royal table. This gracious act was definitely not a subtle form of house arrest to keep an eye on Mephibosheth. And it was not a royal handout to meet his physical need for food. David had already given Mephibosheth so much land that it would take more some thirty-five people to care for it. So this was not about food. It was about favor. Verse 11 says that Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. In a real sense, David adopted Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was not just a guest at the royal table. He was a member of the royal family. Verse 13 says, “So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.” Mephibosheth remained crippled. But his crippled feet were hidden under the king’s table. That’s what grace does. It covers us. Romans 5:20 says, “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, graced abounded all the more.”
GOD’S GRACE GIVES UNENDING SECURITY. 2 Samuel 21:1-7 illustrates David’s ongoing protection of Mephibosheth. Saul had waged an unjust war against Gibeonites. But the punishment for Saul’s sin didn’t fall on Israel until David’s reign. A three-year famine struck the land. And when David prayed about it, God told him about Saul’s sin. So David went to the Gibeonites to make restitution. And the Gibeonites demanded that David hand over seven of Saul’s sons that they may hang them. And David agreed. But 2 Samuel 21:7 says that David would not give them Mephibosheth.
A certain man sought to adopt a troubled teenager. As the process of adoption was going on, the young girl did a terrible thing to break the man’s heart. And all of his family and friends warned him that he should immediately end the adoption process. “After all,” they argued, “she’s not really your daughter.” But the man resolutely replied, “I know. But I told her she was. And I am not going to change my mind.” This is how the grace of God treats us. Lamentations 3:22-23 says: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
How should you respond to grace and goodness of God? Let me answer by telling you about another episode from Mephibosheth’s life. It’s recorded in 2 Samuel 19:24-30. David’s kingdom was threatened by a political and military revolt led by his own son, Absalom. And during this conflict, David became a refugee in exile from his beloved city of Jerusalem. Ultimately, David prevailed. Absalom was defeated and killed in battle. And David finally returned to Jerusalem. Upon his arrival, he had to settle some issues with several people. One of them was Mephibosheth. When David fled Jerusalem, Mephibosheth remained behind. Ziba told David that Mephibosheth stayed behind because he had turned against the king and sided with the enemy. But when David returned to Jerusalem, he was met by Mephibosheth who had not bathed or shaven since David’s departure. And in this apparent state of mourning, Mephibosheth gave his side of the story. Ziba left him. And being crippled, he had no other means of fleeing. David, not knowing whose story to believe, decided to split Saul and Jonathan’s estate evenly between Ziba and Mephibosheth. But in 2 Samuel 19:30, Mephibosheth says, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.” Did you get that? We ought to be willing to give our all back to the Lord who has given so much to us.
I HEAR THE SAVIOR SAY, “THY STRENGTH INDEED IS SMALL!
CHILD OF WEAKNESS, WATCH AND PRAY. FIND IN MY THINE ALL IN ALL.”
JESUS PAID IT ALL, ALL TO HIM I OWE
SIN HAD LEFT A CRIMSON STAIN – HE WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Other Important Thanksgiving News
The Dallas Cowboys beat down the New York Jets 34-3 yesterday to go to 10-1 for the season. How 'bout them Cowboys!!!
Happy Thanksgiving
It is the end of a long, good day. I am winding down now, preparing for bed. At this point, it’s been more than twenty-four hours since I have slept. I pulled an all-nighter last night to finish my message for our Thanksgiving Day service this morning. My message was on the story of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9. I was going to call it, “Surprised by Grace.”
I did not get to preach my message this morning. Our Thanksgiving service is the one service of the year our congregation has open-floor testimonies. The past several years, I have been careful to limit how much time we spend on this part of the service, because I have had guest preachers. But I was not as attentive to the time today. Plus, there are members who have had to trust God through many trials this year. And I thought it would be best to give them time to testify. Consequently, our testimony period went for more than forty-five minutes – essentially taking all of my preaching time. I could have either rushed through the message or I could have plodded through and kept them much longer than normal. I decided to turn the service into a prayer meeting, saving Mephibosheth for Sunday morning – when I can preach it all!
Crystal cooked. Family came by. And we spent a slow, leisurely afternoon enjoying one another’s company. We ate. We talked. We watched some television. We told old stories. We laughed a lot. We thanked God for his goodness. Our guests are gone now. We have finished cleaning up – under compulsion from Crystal’s threats! And it will not be long before we are sleep. But before I turned in, I just wanted to say “Happy Thanksgiving,” even though the day has come to an end. The holiday is over. But the occasion has not change. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:18, ESV)
I did not get to preach my message this morning. Our Thanksgiving service is the one service of the year our congregation has open-floor testimonies. The past several years, I have been careful to limit how much time we spend on this part of the service, because I have had guest preachers. But I was not as attentive to the time today. Plus, there are members who have had to trust God through many trials this year. And I thought it would be best to give them time to testify. Consequently, our testimony period went for more than forty-five minutes – essentially taking all of my preaching time. I could have either rushed through the message or I could have plodded through and kept them much longer than normal. I decided to turn the service into a prayer meeting, saving Mephibosheth for Sunday morning – when I can preach it all!
Crystal cooked. Family came by. And we spent a slow, leisurely afternoon enjoying one another’s company. We ate. We talked. We watched some television. We told old stories. We laughed a lot. We thanked God for his goodness. Our guests are gone now. We have finished cleaning up – under compulsion from Crystal’s threats! And it will not be long before we are sleep. But before I turned in, I just wanted to say “Happy Thanksgiving,” even though the day has come to an end. The holiday is over. But the occasion has not change. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:18, ESV)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
"Make haste slowly."
I listened to a lecture from the late Dr. James Montgomery Boice this morning. It was the first part of a series of messages he delivered at a pastor's conference hosted by John Piper's Desiring God Ministries in February, 1991. Dr. Boice, a great Bible expositor and commentator, led the historic Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia for more than thirty years. I encourage my pastoral colleagues to go to www.desiringgod.org to find and listen to this great man of God lecture on biblical preaching.
At the end of the lecture, Dr. Boice fielded questions from the floor. A young man asked him what to do as he led a church that was not really committed to doctrinally-sound, gospel-saturated, Christ-centered preaching. Dr. Boice simply told the young man to "make haste slowly." This is great advice. The problem with too many of us young pastors is that we aim too low and try to get there too fast. Brothers, it takes time - not months, years... maybe decades - to build a healthy church. Conversely, it doesn't take long at all to build a prominent name, a large crowd, or a new building. All over the country men (and women) are doing that quickly and successfully. The question is whether these are monuments to strong and gifted personalities or are these places where the saints are growing up to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13).
If a man's goal is to just be the "hottest church in town" (whatever that is), than the centrality and primacy of biblical, Christ-exalting preaching and teaching will not be important. Just packing them in, making them shout, and getting their money will suffice. But nurturing a healthy church that wins more Christians and develops better Christians to the glory of God requires faithful preaching - in season and out of season - that rebukes, reproves, and corrects with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Timothy 4:1-5).
At the end of the lecture, Dr. Boice fielded questions from the floor. A young man asked him what to do as he led a church that was not really committed to doctrinally-sound, gospel-saturated, Christ-centered preaching. Dr. Boice simply told the young man to "make haste slowly." This is great advice. The problem with too many of us young pastors is that we aim too low and try to get there too fast. Brothers, it takes time - not months, years... maybe decades - to build a healthy church. Conversely, it doesn't take long at all to build a prominent name, a large crowd, or a new building. All over the country men (and women) are doing that quickly and successfully. The question is whether these are monuments to strong and gifted personalities or are these places where the saints are growing up to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13).
If a man's goal is to just be the "hottest church in town" (whatever that is), than the centrality and primacy of biblical, Christ-exalting preaching and teaching will not be important. Just packing them in, making them shout, and getting their money will suffice. But nurturing a healthy church that wins more Christians and develops better Christians to the glory of God requires faithful preaching - in season and out of season - that rebukes, reproves, and corrects with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Timothy 4:1-5).
Sunday, November 18, 2007
The Family on the way to Worship
Crystal and the kids (including the one in the "oven") this morning as we were leaving for church
Preaching @ Metropolitan in Altadena
I preached today for Pastor Tyrone Skinner at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Altadena. It was their "Men's Day" service. I am not often out of my own pulpit on Sunday mornings. But Pastor Skinner is one of the men I am willing to make an exception for. Pastor Skinner is a godly, kind, and humble leader. And the Lord is blessing him to do a great work in the Altadena/Pasadena area. I have preached for him on several occasions throughout the years - from church anniversaries, to pastoral anniversaries, to church revivals. And the eagerness of the congregation to hear the preaching of God's word is always encouraging. Today was no different. Please remember this pastor and congregation in your prayers.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
I'm not tired yet... but almost.
I have been on the go since my last post.
Last week, I was in revival at New Pleasant Hill in Los Angeles - Pastor Melvin Hill. And it’s always harder to preach a meeting at home. If I am away, I can order my day for preaching. But when I am home, I almost have to get ready to preach around the regular stuff that I have to do throughout the day.
I preached Wednesday and Thursday nights. But Friday afternoon, Crystal called me at my office and told me to come home. She was not feeling well. We called our doctor and he sent us to the hospital. And that’s where we were for most of the night. Praise God Crystal is feeling better. And our baby is doing just fine. (By the way, we are at five months. And… it’s a girl!!! Lord, help.) I really appreciate Dr. Hill’s concern and understanding that I was not able to be with him Friday night. I hear the closing night went well anyway. God is faithful.
Sunday, I continued our series on the power of Jesus. I preached on the woman with the issue of blood from Mark 5:25-34 – “Trusting Jesus When All Is Spent.” Later that afternoon, I preached for my brother-in-law, a son of MSMBC, who was celebrating his fifth pastoral anniversary at the First Goodwill Baptist Church.
Monday night, I preached for Dr. William Thurmond at the Park Windsor Baptist Church. I haven’t preached there since I was about sixteen-years-old. It was good to be with them again. And it was really cool that so many people remembered me from that “Youth Day” almost twenty years ago.
Tuesday, I did nothing but hang out with Crystal. She was feeling well enough to get out. So I spent time with her. I missed being at my Tuesday night service. But I really needed some rest and the opportunity to spend some unrushed time with Crystal and the kids.
I am now in Monterey Bay, California. I am preaching their citywide revival through Friday night. The Lord blessed the opening night. And I am looking forward to the next two nights. This is my last trip away from home to preach for the year. It has been a good year. But it has wiped me out. I don’t think I have ever preached this much away from home. Ever. Indeed, I am grateful for every opportunity. But I am praying that the Lord will help me to be better at saying “no” this coming year. Last night, the choir sung, “I’ve been running for Jesus a long time. I’m not tired yet.” I couldn’t stop smiling the whole song. On one hand, I perfectly understand what the song means. And I am determined to stay in the race. But at the same time, I would have loved to still been in the bed! Praise God for his strengthening grace.
Last week, I was in revival at New Pleasant Hill in Los Angeles - Pastor Melvin Hill. And it’s always harder to preach a meeting at home. If I am away, I can order my day for preaching. But when I am home, I almost have to get ready to preach around the regular stuff that I have to do throughout the day.
I preached Wednesday and Thursday nights. But Friday afternoon, Crystal called me at my office and told me to come home. She was not feeling well. We called our doctor and he sent us to the hospital. And that’s where we were for most of the night. Praise God Crystal is feeling better. And our baby is doing just fine. (By the way, we are at five months. And… it’s a girl!!! Lord, help.) I really appreciate Dr. Hill’s concern and understanding that I was not able to be with him Friday night. I hear the closing night went well anyway. God is faithful.
Sunday, I continued our series on the power of Jesus. I preached on the woman with the issue of blood from Mark 5:25-34 – “Trusting Jesus When All Is Spent.” Later that afternoon, I preached for my brother-in-law, a son of MSMBC, who was celebrating his fifth pastoral anniversary at the First Goodwill Baptist Church.
Monday night, I preached for Dr. William Thurmond at the Park Windsor Baptist Church. I haven’t preached there since I was about sixteen-years-old. It was good to be with them again. And it was really cool that so many people remembered me from that “Youth Day” almost twenty years ago.
Tuesday, I did nothing but hang out with Crystal. She was feeling well enough to get out. So I spent time with her. I missed being at my Tuesday night service. But I really needed some rest and the opportunity to spend some unrushed time with Crystal and the kids.
I am now in Monterey Bay, California. I am preaching their citywide revival through Friday night. The Lord blessed the opening night. And I am looking forward to the next two nights. This is my last trip away from home to preach for the year. It has been a good year. But it has wiped me out. I don’t think I have ever preached this much away from home. Ever. Indeed, I am grateful for every opportunity. But I am praying that the Lord will help me to be better at saying “no” this coming year. Last night, the choir sung, “I’ve been running for Jesus a long time. I’m not tired yet.” I couldn’t stop smiling the whole song. On one hand, I perfectly understand what the song means. And I am determined to stay in the race. But at the same time, I would have loved to still been in the bed! Praise God for his strengthening grace.
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