Sermon Tone Analysis

*It Would Have Been Enough …*

*“Things are not what they seem”*

Antioch Baptist Church

October 17, 2004

10:30 a.m.

 

*2 Samuel 9:3-8*

*Ephesians 1:4-5; 7-9; 11-14*

 

    Have you ever been the recipient of something that just overwhelmed you?  I’m not only talking about spiritual things, but just things.

I remember a couple of years ago; it was Christmas Eve and the family was gathered at my home.

After eating gumbo, turkey and dressing and all the trimmings, we gathered around the tree to open gifts.

The grandkids were so excited and my oldest granddaughter, Devrysha, was just going into her teen years.

She had opened several gifts and she was just beaming from all of the nice things that she had received.

She had calmed down and began to help the younger kids with their gifts as her dad sneaked outside and came to the front door.

We had her to open the door, and there he stood with a new 10-speed bicycle for her.

It was just too much.

All she could do was cry.

There was no more room in her to receive that much showing of love at one time.

Have you ever come to that point in your Christian life?  *What do you do with a God who loves you that much?*

I think we will find the answer in our text today.

*Background about David:*

 

    David had been in battle and defeated many enemies, the Philistines, and Moab.

He killed some 22,000 Arameans of Damascus.

The Bible says that the Lord helped David wherever he went.

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.

**Look you up*

*2.

**Take you up*

*3.

**Hook you up*

 

! *Look you up:*

    David began to inquire about Saul’s family.

He wanted to know if there were any survivors, anyone left.

His motives were pure and He meant them no harm, but to 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 other ways as well.

You will remember that when this son, Mephibosheth, (“exterminating the idol” – “Merib-baal”~/“Baal is my advocate”) was 5 years old, his nurse thought that he would be killed as a potential heir to the throne, so she set out to hide him.

In there haste, he fell and injured both of his feet.

So, yes, he was lame, he walked with a wretched limp.

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 and no reason to look up; depressed and dejected, full of strife, contention and rebellion.

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 themselves.

They are full of doom and gloom, always pessimistic.

Surely all of his life he’d heard how he could have been and should 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.

People were wild and answerable to no one.

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 look him up.

He inquired about someone to show kindness.

! *Take you Up:*

    David then proceeded to take him up out of that place, the place where he had been in exile.

A place where he was banished, cast out, and an outcast.

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.

Out of the darkness into the light.

Jonathan had a reason to be in Lo-Debar, he was in exile and felt he could not leave, but some of us are in Lo-Debar without cause.

Somebody is not in exile, not been cast out there, not sent away or banished there, somebody here today is just hanging out in Lo-Debar.

You’re walking around in defeat; acting like your name is Mephibosheth (as if Baal is your advocate instead of the Great God of the universe).

*Stop acting like you have no hope!

* You’ve been called out of the darkness but you have to determine to walk in the light!

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, and fearful of the mighty king, 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 with an attitude.

No, he was meek and lowly in spirit.

Too often today people seem to have the idea that God owes them something, or that He should be glad when they pay Him the slightest bit of attentioneHe.

I believe many of them get that idea from home.

Young people 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 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, no, because I said so!

They say you must explain your actions to them.

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 “*and don’t ask me about anymore*”.

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.

!

*Hook You Up:*

    Not only did David *look him up*; not only did he *take him up*; but he also *hooked him up*.

David restored to Mephibosheth all that had been taken, all that had belonged to his grandfather Saul.

He gave him land and cattle and riches and *that would have been enough*, but he also 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.

*That would have been enough*, but he goes even further and assigns the same people to take care of Mephebosheth and his son and to serve their needs.

*That would have been enough*, but He goes further still and redeems for Mephebosheth the honor to eat at the king’s table, not occasionally, but regularly.

*That would have been enough*, but David made Mephebosheth part of his household, one of his sons.

And David did all of this for the sake of Jonathan.