The Great Correction
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Antique Road show
El Albanil by Diego Rivera
Hanging behind a door in a Corpus Christi home.
Between $800,000 - $1,000,000!!
How many times was that painting looked at and there was no idea of the value!
This is what the Gospel does!
When we are rejected, devalued, and forgotten.
The Gospel changes everything!
The Gospel changes believers.
The Gospel changes how believers see non-believers.
From Nothing to Everything
From Nothing to Everything
vv. 1-5
David has arrived.
These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued,
from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.
So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.
David here has to make a choice: sit back and relax or do something with the blessing.
He looked around and remembered a promise he had made to his best friend Jonathan, the son of King Saul.
If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”
v. 1! For Jonathan’s sake
But how? It is remembered there is a servant still around the palace named Ziba.
“There is a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet” (v. 3).
Ziba dismisses him. He is a cripple. He is nothing. He even lives in “nothing.”
Yet, David had him brought from nothing to the palace.
Mephibosheth had nothing to offer in exchange for mercy or blessing.
Yet, he experienced a great transformation.
From Forgotten to Restored
From Forgotten to Restored
vv. 6-8
What was Mephibosheth’s expectation? Execution. Grandson of former king.
“Do not fear” (v. 7)!
Kindness because of who his father was.
Mephibosheth received mercy because of the faithfulness of another.
The son of the king had this friendship with David, they had made a promise.
So, Mephibosheth didn’t have to earn anything!
He received back his land and received provision (v. 7).
What was he? A dead dog (v. 8)...
Rejected because of his disability and one who had lost his royal line and his land.
Yet, now his life is even better than he could have ever imagined it to be.
From Desperate to Blessed
From Desperate to Blessed
vv. 9-13
Suddenly, Ziba loses everything that was never his to begin with.
And Mephibosheth goes from being an enemy of the king to one exalted to the king’s table.
He went from being dependent upon others to having land, servants, and a supply of food with honor.
And notice the end, the exclamation point of this great exchange: he was lame in both feet (v. 13).
David shows unconditional love to Mephibosheth.
Unconditional = is not earned
Conclusion
Conclusion
Mephibosheth was looked down upon, by the world and by himself.
Yet, to David, he was valued.
God sees you and He values you.
Also...
God sees others and He values others.
For Mephibosheth this had a certain result.
In a few chapters (15), the son of David, Absalom, is going to challenge his father for the throne.
David will flee Jerusalem to save his life.
As he is leaving, Ziba, the servant of Saul / Mephibosheth, approaches David with a couple of donkeys loaded with provisions and told him that Mephibosheth thinks he is going to get the throne for himself.
And the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’ ” Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”
For years Mephibosheth sat at his table and now he, according to Ziba, he wants to overthrow him. How he has repaid the kindness of David.
After his son had been killed and David could safely return to Jerusalem as king, he was greeted by many people. Some came begging forgiveness and some to congratulate him. But there was one who might have been unrecognizable: Mephibosheth.
And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. For all my father’s house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?” And the king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”
And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”
The saved says to his king: “You are enough.”
What a perfect picture for us as Christians. The essence of worship and the essence of what motivates us to share our faith.
Gospel Connection
Gospel Connection
We are incapable.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
We have nothing!
We need nothing!
This beautiful story, of how we have been elevated, is what we get to tell others.
Chuck Feeney…maybe have never heard of him, but if you’ve ever traveled internationally, you’ve seen his legacy.
Feeney passed away this last Monday at the age of 92. At one time Feeney was worth $8 Billion.
Duty Free Stores. Later making some really great investments in Facebook, Priceline, E-Trade, and others.
You might wonder what happened to that $8 Billion dollars:
He gave it away. Education to struggling schools in Ireland, public health structures in Vietnam, AIDS clinics in South Africa, he funded Operation Smiles that gave free surgeries for children with cleft lips and palates, a Billion to hurricane relief in Haiti, and so many more.
Two years ago he retired from philanthropy with a modest retirement and lived in a rented two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco.
He had so much and he made it his life’s purpose to give and bless others.
How much more do we have because we have the Gospel. A fund that cannot nor will not ever run out.
You have a wealth of grace. Make it your life purpose to give it to others.