Sermon Tone Analysis

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*Things Are Not What They Seem*
*“Don’t Forget Who You Are in Lo-Debar”*
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
August 1, 2004
9:30 a.m.
 
*2 Samuel 9:1-13*
*Colossians 2:9,10*
 
 
Background about David:
 
    David had prayed before God and acknowledged the Greatness of the Lord his God.
David then went into battle, again, defeating the Philistines and taking their land.
He defeated Moab and they became his servants.
He defeated the son of Rehob king of Zobah, capturing 1700 horsemen and 20,000-foot soldiers.
He killed 22, 000 Arameans of Damascus.
The Bible says that the Lord helped David wherever he went.
All of the gold, silver and bronze David took he brought to Jerusalem and dedicated them to the Lord.
He sat up a system of government and administered justice for all of the people.
He made a name for himself, and the Lord helped him wherever he went.
Now David had time to reflect and he remembered a promise that he had made to an old friend.
He remembered how he promised Jonathan to always show kindness to his house because Jonathan had promised to warn David of Saul’s intentions towards him.
We can see in the text here today a type of Christ in the actions of David.
There is a parallel and contrast between their actions for through David we are reminded of how God will:
1. Find you out
2. Seek you out
3. Build you out
! Find You Out
    David began to inquire about Saul’s family.
He wanted to know if there were any survivors, anyone left.
His motives were pure.
He meant them no harm, but on the contrary, well.
He wanted to show the kindness of God to someone in Saul’s family.
David finds out that there is a son of Jonathan still live.
A son described as being crippled in both feet.
Crippled in both feet and in more ways than one.
You will remember that when this son, Mephibosheth, was 5 years old, his nurse thought that he would be killed as a potential heir to King Saul, so she set out to hide him.
In her haste, she fell and landed on top of him, injuring both of his feet.
So, yes, he was lame, he walked with a wretched limp and without sport.
His feet looked disfigured from years of an untreated condition, and no one wanted to give him foot rubs.
But Mephibosheth was crippled in other ways, as the word in the original language suggests.
He was crippled in life.
He was a most unhappy fellow; miserable, pitiful, pathetic and always down; depressed and dejected.
He was a measly little man.
Have you ever been around a person like that?
Unless you are in the same condition, you don’t want to be around them too long.
They are always whining or feeling sorry for himself or herself.
They are full of doom and gloom; always pessimistic.
You know, the “glass is half empty” folk?
Surely all of his life he’d heard what had happened to him because of his nurse.
He’d heard how he could have been king.
He’d heard how David was mighty in war.
He’d heard about the relationships between David and his grandfather and his father Jonathan.
And on top of all of that, he had come to live in Lo-Debar.
A place with a name that means “no pasture”.
There was no grazing land, no meadow, and no enclosure.
There were no attachments.
He had a young son, but he did not know affection.
There was no tenderness, no warmth, no love and no regard for his person.
He just existed without hope.
But David would find him out.
He inquired about someone to show kindness.
! Seek You Out
    David then proceeded to seek him out.
He sent and brought him from Lo-debar, the place of no pasture, unrest, and sadness to Jerusalem, the place of the teaching of peace.
Oh, yes, there was one other characteristic that Mephibosheth had.
He was contrite in spirit.
He was a humble man, mainly because of his lowly position in life, but contrite and repentive nonetheless.
When Mephibosheth came into the presence of the king, he fell on his face and prostrated himself.
He didn’t just come up into the king’s face like he was owed something, or like he was deserving of anything.
No, he was meek and lowly in spirit.
Too often today people seem to have the idea that God owes them something.
I believe many of them get that idea from home.
Young people in our neighborhoods grow up getting everything they can fix their lips to ask for, so when they get grown they just naturally expect everything to go their way.
I find parents explaining to little kids why they can’t have a thing just now.
Psychologists and even ministry persons now believe and teach that parents should explain, negotiate decisions, and consider the matter with their children; that it is just unacceptable to tell your kids, the ones you gave life to, the ones looking for their next meal from your labor, the ones privileged to depend on you for everything, don’t say no, because I said so!  I guess I just got it wrong as I learned it form my parents because not only did I say no, but added to it with “and don’t ask me about anymore”.
I’ve heard some well meaning ministers say that God gives reasons and explains His actions.
Well, yes, if He wants to He can, but I believe He said that He causes the sun to shine on the just and the unjust, and that He is God and can do As He pleases!
But Mephibosheth was humble.
He asked no questions and had no expectations.
He had a healthy fear of the king.
We are told to come boldly to the throne of grace, but we are not encouraged to come disrespectfully and demanding.
!
Build you out
    Not only did David find out about Mephibosheth; not only did he seek out Mephibosheth; but he also built him out.
David gave to Mephibosheth all that had been lost, all that had belonged to his grandfather Saul.
He gave him land and cattle and riches.
Not only did he give them to him, but also he assigned people to tend to them, to cultivate the land so that it would not become futile.
Someone to plant, water, seed and help the land to grow and produce.
He goes even further and assigns the same people to take care of Mephibosheth and his son and to serve their needs.
He goes further still and redeems for Mephibosheth the honor to eat at the king’s table, not occasionally, but regularly.
In other words, David made Mephebosheth part of his household, one of his sons.
And David did all of this for the sake of Jonathan.
Any new king would secure his throne by slaying any and all living relatives of the prior regime.
But David had a stellar spirit.
His thoughts were higher than that.
Kind of like what God means when He says that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His way higher than our ways.
Sometimes, in fact most times, we just can’t explain or make logical sense of His goodness towards us.
Even when I know I’ve been wrong, He’s still good.
When I don’t come before Him, and prostrate myself, He’s still good.
When I don’t feel like praising Him, He’s still good.
He still woke me up this morning, caused me to witness the sunshine of a new day; allowed my limbs to move and function; blessed me with food to eat, a bed indoors, and some clothes to wear.
He’s still good.
Mephobisheth called himself a dead dog.
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