Kindness That Changes Everything | 2 Samuel 9

You're listening to the Bridgetown Church podcast with

Pastor Chris Ochoa, where our vision is Jesus, our mission is

people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in.

Let's dive in. We're back in our sermon series,

Hearts, a study in first and Second Samuel.

After a brief Mother's Day break.

I'm glad to have you here. My name is Pastor Chris.

I am the pastor of preaching and teaching here at Bridgetown

Church. It's good to be in the House of

the Lord today, Psalm chapter 22, the psalmist says, I will

Psalms 22 · chapter mention

declare your name to my brothers.

I will praise you in the midst of the congregation.

You are the congregation. You are the family of God.

And today, brothers and sisters, I declare to you the name of

Jesus Christ. There is no other name under

heaven by which we must be saved.

This is about Jesus. So I'm so excited to be in

Second Samuel Chapter 9 today. Now for you who have been paying

2 Samuel 9 · chapter mention

attention, I know we took a brief break.

Some of you've been asking, wait a second, Chapter 9, we were in

Chapter 7 previously. What about chapter 8?

What are we doing, Chris? Are we skipping this?

No, we're not. We're not skipping chapter 8.

What I'm going to do is I'm going to give you a quick

summary about it. Here's why.

Here's what chapter 8 is about. The reason is Second Samuel.

This may come as a shock to some of us.

It's actually not in chronological order.

Did you know that a lot of the Bible that you read, there's

intentionality behind it? There's one divine author

through over 40 different authors, all with one message.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that the message is in

chronological order. They're trying to get you to see

something. They're trying to get the text

to do something to your heart, to your life.

So this brings up a brief comment about the nature of

inspiration. The Bible is inspired.

It's the inspired word of God. That's the lead theological

phrase from how we view the Scriptures.

It's inspired by God. We pull this from Second Timothy

chapter 316 that says all scripture is literally breathed

out by God. It's his breath.

It's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for

training and righteousness, that the men and women of God would

be complete equipped for every good work.

Now what inspiration does mean is not just the composing is

inspired by God, the writing of it, but also the collecting.

The collecting, Something we don't tend to think about.

But think about this. Your Bible is a library of 66

different books stapled together under in between 2 covers.

OK, God inspired those people as well, not just the authors, but

the people who collected it, and you'll never know who they are.

It's anonymous to you that God providentially working through

them to give you the library, the word of God that we have

today. With that being said, Chapter 8,

it's content actually overlaps with chapters we've already

talked about chapter 6-7, and it's actually going to overlap

the chapter 10 coming up. With that being said, here is

Isaiah 8 · chapter mention

Chapter 8, a brief synopsis, if you will, the SparkNotes version

of chapter 8. As before we get into Chapter 9,

it's divided into two sections. Here's what chapter 8's about.

One it's the catalog of David's military victories, his military

campaigns. Here we see David conquering the

Promised Land and then the other side of the Jordan River, the

eastern side. It's called the Trans Jordanian

Wilderness. Outside of the Promised Land are

some enemies of Israel as well. There's the Moabites, the

Edomites, the Ammonites. David conquers all of them.

So chapter 8 is literally just battle after battle after battle

after battle. The big point of chapter 8 is in

verse 6. Verse 6 of chapter 8.

You can go home and study this when you have the time.

Verse 6 says. The Lord gave victory to David

wherever he went. Wherever he went, the Lord gave

him victory. The whole purpose of chapter 8

is this verse. David is only David.

Israel is only destroying their enemies because God has chosen

David. God has given him the covenant.

God has given a promise to the House of David that he would

build David a dynasty. The only reason this podunk

little nation, Israel is absolutely whooping these giant

empires is because God's with them.

God is giving David the victory. He's establishing David's

dynasty. The second part of chapter 8 is

the establishment of David's royal administration.

So you have this list of hard to pronounce names there.

Kenny did an amazing job today. Our brother Candelario, try

saying, try saying Mephibosheth five times fast Mephibosheth.

It's it's a hard pronunciation. He, he did an amazing job.

We have this list of names in chapter 8 of David's royal

administration. Some are in his family, some are

not in his family. That's what Chapter 8 is about.

Now, as we move into Chapter 9, I wanted to start with a little

poem, a poem, if you will, from three poets, actually, from New

York City. It goes like this.

It's so free, this kind of feeling.

It's like life. It's so appealing when you've

got so much to. Say it's called gratitude, and

that's right. Good times gone, but you feel it

hates growing strong. You feel that you need it.

What's going to set you free? Look inside and you'll see when

you've got so much to say. It's called gratitude, and

that's right. Of course, if you're paying

attention and if you're hit, these three poets are known as

Ad Rock, Mike D and MCA Beastie Boys from New York City from

their album Check, Check your head.

This song is called Gratitude. Gratitude.

The reason I opened up with that this morning, the the themes for

this morning are gratitude and kindness.

Gratitude and kindness and how these two actions display.

The glory of God in your life. The people of God are called to

gratitude, and they're called to kindness.

So where are we going with this? Here's the main idea.

The loving kindness of God toward His people should

overflow in our. Hearts with gratitude.

When our hearts overflow with gratitude, there's an outpouring

of kindness to others. God's grace then multiplies and

it radiates to everything around you.

I want you to understand today, Church, that you now are the

temple of the living God. Back then, in Israel, the Temple

was in one place. No longer what the Great

Commission states that. You now, as the redeemed people

of God, the Holy Spirit, God Spirit, Spirit of Christ rests

inside of you. Now this temple is mobile, and

you are called to dispel and dispense, if you will, gratitude

and grace toward others who need it, even those who don't deserve

it. So today I hope to accomplish 2

things. We want to study the loving

kindness of David toward Mephibosheth, someone who

doesn't deserve it. And then two, I want to persuade

you from the text that this kind of kindness, it's not out of the

ordinary. It's actually the expected.

Norm for those who confess the Lord Jesus Christ as their

Savior. This is the way that we're

called to live. So I have 4 sermon points for

you in order. They are one.

The king remembers, 2 Mephibosheth in hiding, 3

Mephibosheth before the king, and then finally #4 the king

blesses. So with that said, let's dig

into the text here. Point #1 The king remembers

verse one States. And David said, Is there still

anyone left of the House of Saul?

That it may show him kindness. For Jonathan's sake, we'll stop

there. This is a time of.

Peace and prosperity for the land of Israel, especially

David. The Ark has been moved to

Jerusalem. Israel's enemies have all been

subdued. That's what chapter 8's about.

And God has committed himself to the House of David.

This is a moment of rest. It's a moment of rest for King

David. He actually gets to take a

breather. It is here, in this moment of

rest, in this time of reflection, where David

remembers a promise. A promise that he made to his

dear friend and his brother, Jonathan.

Jonathan, a short aside on resting before we continue.

This moment of rest is vital to David's life.

It's here David's remembrance of his promise to Jonathan comes

during a time when he's at rest. He's able to take a moment to

reflect upon his own life. And he evaluates anything that's

still outstanding. And here's a principle that we

need to pull out from this as as believers, as Christians.

Let me ask you this question. Do you have a rhythm of rest

somewhere in your life? Do you participate in a Sabbath,

a Sabbath rest of some sort weekly at all?

If not, you need to. You should what the.

Sabbath does is contrary to our hustle culture and the time is

money culture. It's the acknowledgement that

our dependence is on God. That's what the Sabbath was for.

When God gives Israel the Sabbath 1 it's patterned after

his rest. On the 7th day of creation, He

has six days of work. The 7th day he rests, he settles

into his new creation that he's called good, and he starts to

reign as King. God gives his people, His

covenant people, Israel, this command.

To observe the Sabbath. What the Sabbath is doing is

it's forcing them to rely and remember and depend upon God,

Yahweh as their deliverance, as their sustenance.

That's what the Sabbath is for. That's contrary to our hustle in

time as money culture. Understand this.

You are not created to go go go 24/7.

You're not. Created to be a workaholic, you

will physically. Burn out.

You will mentally check out and before you know it, you're

emotionally and spiritually bankrupt.

Because you're dead tired. Some of us are struggles with

sin aren't oh try harder, try harder, try harder.

The best solution for you is go to sleep, take a nap, have a

doughnut, eat a Snickers bar. You need to rest.

As imagers we are created to work and then rest as patterned

by God or Creator. He's the one that instituted the

Sabbath. He knows what's best for you.

The one that designed you says you are not made to work 24/7.

You need to rest, and part of that rest is you remembering,

just like David remembers you. Remember Me, Remember Me, come

dwell under my wings like my little baby chicks.

That's how God describes himself as a mother hen.

Here's a question. What stands in your way of

remembering God on a daily basis?

Let's be practical here. Let's let's dial it down a bit.

What stands in the way of you remembering God on a daily

basis? I have no doubt that all of you

here who are truly seeking God wish you could read your Bible

more. You wish your prayer life was

more fruitful. You wish you had time for

discipleship. What?

Stands in the way of you remembering God busyness.

Everybody has the exact same excuse busyness because we don't

rest, we don't Sabbath. Consider Mark chapter 4, the

Mark 4 · chapter mention

Lord Jesus himself. He tells the parable about the

gospel seed being. Spread on different types of

soil. There's one specific type of

soil that cuts me to the heart. It always has.

It hurts me right here because it's that's me.

It's the thorny soil. Here's what the thorny soil is.

Jesus says this. Others are are are the ones sown

among thorns. They are those who hear the

Word. But the cares of the world, and

the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things

enter in and choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Busyness, cares of the world, desire for riches, status, to

make something of yourself. It'll choke the word.

What Sabbath thing is with this rhythm of rest is it enables you

to reorient your eyes on what's the most important thing about

you. Jesus is no longer I who live,

but Christ who lives in me. He's taken over my life.

So I Sabbath, I rest because I'm in complete dependence upon him

and I want more of him. That's what those that that.

That's what rest is. Designed to accomplish in your

life practically. This is the reason for our

Sunday gatherings. Why do we go to church on

Sundays? To gather together as a body to

remember the Lord. That's what we're doing today.

To remember the Lord, to study His Word, to receive from Him.

And to be built up in our most holy faith.

This is why we participate in that the community table every

week. We participate because we are

remembering. We are participating in the

gospel every week because I need to remember.

Because the last six days of my work week have been brutal.

I need to remember rest. It's in these seasons of rest

where God will do the most work in your life if you let Him.

You must be willing to let Him now.

Back to the text here, who is Jonathan?

David says it's for Jonathan's sake that I wish to bless

somebody, that I wish to be kind.

Who was Jonathan? Well, here's his back story.

Here's a flashback, if you will. We have to go back to First

Samuel for that. Jonathan is King Saul's son.

King Saul was the previous king before David took over.

He's King Saul's son. He's actually also King Saul's

military general, so he's the head of the military, also King

Saul's son. He actually acts in the text and

the narrative as a foil to his father Saul's schemes.

Saul absolutely hates King David because he knows that God has

chosen. God has rejected Saul's

kingship, and he's chosen David as the true king.

The next king, Saul schemes, plots to kill David, and at

every turn of his scheme, his own son Jonathan foils him and

David gets away. Here's why it's a big deal.

Here's Jonathan's story. He's the first born of Saul.

He's next in line for the throne, he's the next in line

for the king, and he doesn't care because he's committed to

Yahweh. And by extension, his chosen

vessel, his chosen King, David. So David.

So Jonathan will go down in the history books, and he has.

The reason he's here in posterity is to see somebody who

literally practices this biblical New Testament idea of

May God increase, may I decrease.

Jonathan does not care about the throne.

He only cares about being. Faithful to Yahweh and being

faithful to His King David as a result.

For Samuel 18, it says that David and Jonathan, their souls

are tied together. They become Blood Brothers.

He confronts Saul over hunting. David foils his schemes and

because of his confrontation, David is able to successfully

escape a plot to murder. Saul's plot to murder David.

Sadly, this valiant man, Jonathan, he's slain on Mount

Gabola and a battle with the Philistines along with all of

his brothers and King Saul. Why did did he have to die?

Because God decreed that the House of Saul would be

disinherited for the kingship. He had to die, unfortunately.

But before he does die, David and Jonathan make a covenant

together and they repeat it to each other three times.

Chapter 1820 and 23 of First Samuel.

And I'll read First Samuel 20 for you real quick.

And Jonathan? Said to David, the Lord God of

Israel, be witness. 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 that happened in chapter 8, he's cut off all

his enemies. The Lord shall be between me and

you, and between my offspring and your offspring forever,

David, when the Lord gives you rest.

And all your enemies are defeated.

Remember Me, Remember my kids, remember my family.

I'm loyal to you and I love you. It's in this restful remembering

moment that David remembers his promise to Jonathan.

Now David longs to show kindness.

For Jonathan's sake kindness, I want to zero in on this word

kindness. The Hebrew term underlying this

word kindness is the term hesed hesed.

Now hesed describes love that encompasses multiple multiple

ideas. In fact, there isn't a one to

one equivalent in any other language that could actually

pull out all the the multiple facets of the word hesed This

love does multiple things. Sometimes in your Bible,

depending on your your translation, it'll be translated

as steadfast love. Other times it's translated as

covenant, faithfulness, loyalty. And here in our text, it's

translated as kindness. Kindness hesed this love.

This kindness. It's love that's based on a

previously established relationship, a commitment

between two people. It completely disregards the

return on investment. If you work in any corporate

sector of life, you'll know these 3 letters are big ROI.

Well, what's my return on investment if I'm pouring into

you? What's my return on investment?

What do I get out of you if I commit myself to you?

This type of kindness that David's talking about, this type

of has said love completely disregards return on investment

because it doesn't care about myself.

It cares about blessing you. It may be an expense to me, but

I don't care because I'm going to uphold the promise that I

made to you. That's the Hess of love.

The kindness that David is looking to show to John for

Jonathan's sake. A common example of this, we

don't think about it this way, but we should, is marriage.

Your marriage to your spouse is an example, or should be an

example, of Hesad love. Hesad is love that is loyal,

faithful, and enduring. That's demonstrated in action.

It's demonstrated in action. Husbands, I call myself out with

what I'm about to say, but I must address you.

It's not enough for us to just tell our wives that we love them

and I know you know that this is a reminder.

What has said means showing somebody has said love.

Showing your spouse and marriage has said love is you're going to

display it through action. If they're asking you to take

out the. Trash do it the first time don't

wait like I do has said love. Sees the relationship through to

fulfilment, if you will, in your wedding vows.

It's the in sickness and in health part of your wedding

vows. When your spouse eventually gets

sick and there's nobody to take care of them, you're the one.

Taking care of them because I made a commitment to you.

Yes, she doesn't look like she used to.

Yes, he doesn't act like he used to.

But you made a commitment, a covenant to one another.

And God has called you to be, has said to one another to be

kind, loyal, committed to one another.

That's what God's called you to do.

David and this season remembers his friends Jonathan and desires

to show loyal love to the House of Jonathan.

He desires to be faithful to his promise.

Now this is arguably the high point of David's life.

This is the best character wise David will ever get.

It's better than like David defeating Goliath.

This is David at his most Christ like, if you will.

He's portrayed the reason he This is here in the text.

The authors of the text are trying to show you something.

They're trying to portray David as the premier Israelite, full

of virtue. He's faithful to his covenant

promises to Jonathan, just like Yahweh's faithful to his

covenant promises to us. David becomes a mirror through

which we see the glory of God. He's loyal to God's will and

he's loyal to keep his own promises.

He lets his yes be a yes and. His no be a no he's.

Faithful, true and true now for us today, the Christian you

believer, understand that you and I are.

Called to a life of holiness, virtue and love.

So here's a question. As a church body, do we have

this has said love for one another?

Do you have this type of love, this type of kindness toward one

another? Are we loyally committed to each

other? Now remember, you guys are the

nicest people I have ever met. You're.

So kind and courteous and your manners are amazing.

Your Mama raised you well if you will, but understand that this

type of kindness. This has said kindness.

It's more than manners. It's a loyalty.

It's promise keeping. It's letting your yes be a yes

or no be a no. It's this transparency, this

honesty, this integrity. That you have, do you have that

type of loyalty to one another? You see, it's to our benefit to

show you this example of David and what we want to do from here

on out. The rest of the sermon is we

want to see the source of his motivation for this type of

kindness. What is motivating David to be

this kind to Jonathan's posterity?

Where is this coming from David? Where does his desire to show

kindness coming from? If the scripture is written for

our instruction, and here in this story David is our example,

then the source of kindness for David should also be the very

same source for us, as well we should.

Glean from where David sources his kindness.

If you will point #2 Mephibosheth in hiding.

Verse 2 says this. Now there was a servant of Saul

whose name was Zeba, and they called him to David.

And the king said to him, Are you Zeba?

And he said, I am your servant. Verse 3 And the king said, Is

there not still someone of the House of Saul, that I may show

the kindness of God to him? Zeba said to the king, There is

still a son of Jonathan. He is crippled in his feet.

The king said to him, well, where is he?

And Zeba said to the king, He's in the House of Makir, the son

of AMI al at Lo Debar. I'll stop there.

Here David summons the former estate manager of the House of

Saul, Zeba. He inquires of Zeba if there are

any descendants of Saul that are still alive.

You see, David's intention is to honor his promise to Jonathan.

Zeba responds. Well, there's this, this one

little kid, this one guy, Aphibosheth.

He's the son of Jonathan, and he's still alive.

It's revealed in the story that he's crippled and cannot walk,

and that he's been in hiding at a place called Lodabar.

Another flashback, Mephibosheth's story.

You'll find this flashback in Second Samuel, chapter 4, verse

2 Samuel 4:4

4, when news of Jonathan's death on Mount Gilboa, along with the

House of Saul. When they're killed, news

travels back home to the tribe of Benjamin where Saul's from.

Mephibosheth hears about it, and in a haste, out of fear, out of

fear of the Philistines, out of fear of the next kingship to

come, his nurse picks up. Mephibosheth puts them on

horseback. And they're out of there quick

because we need to evacuate because they're coming for us

next. So we're going to die.

Something happens. The nurse drops him.

The nurse drops him, and from that point on to the rest of his

life, he's crippled, he's lame, he can't walk.

This story actually happens when Mephibosheth is five years old.

He's five years old now. In the text we read earlier, it

says that Mephibosheth has a son.

He has a wife and kids now. So our timestamp tells us this.

It's been about 20 years. It's been about 20 years and

some change since David made. This promise to Jonathan, that's

how long it's taken for David to remember it.

But in the season of rest, he does remember it.

And he wants. To be faithful to his promise.

Now where has Mephibosheth been all this time for 20 years?

Well, he's been in hiding in LO Debar.

He's been in hiding. Why is he in hiding?

Well, he's afraid. He's afraid that King David will

come hunt him down because who he is, he's an heir to the

throne on South Side. What happens when a new king

ascends the throne? Typically is that king will go

through exterminating all the male.

Children that have any claim to the throne of the previous

house. He's been in hiding for the last

20 years in Lo Dabar now. Where is Lo Dabar?

It's in the Transjordanian area. What's the Transjordanian area?

Remember, the promised land has a boundary of the Great Sea, the

Mediterranean, and the Jordan River.

Here is the promised land. Lo Debar is outside of the

promised land on the other side of the river.

What that tells us is this Lo Debar is in the region of

Gilead. Gilead in Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 4 · chapter mention

Chapter 4 is designated as a city of refuge.

A city of refuge for the Israelites, where the

manslaughterer, somebody who commits involuntary killing, may

flee to so that they themselves aren't killed.

You can flee to this area in Gilead, on the other side of the

Jordan River as a city of refuge.

That's where Mephibosheth has been hiding.

Now, why is this significant? He is of the House of Saul,

Saul's estate. Saul's house is based in the

tribe of Benjamin in the city of Gibeah.

The city of Gibeah is 3 miles away from Jerusalem.

His home is just three miles away from the palace of King

David, yet he's in hiding on the.

Other side of the Jordan River. Here's why this is significant.

Mephibosheth has been hiding as. Far as possible from King David

on the other side of the Jordan River, outside of the Promised

Land, in fear for his life. For the last 20 years, he's been

successful at eluding David, but the time's finally come.

Some of you here. Today have been hiding in your

own metaphorical load, a bar if you will.

You've been hiding as far as possible from other people, and

most importantly, you've been hiding from God.

Whether you got? There, through your own doing

and your own boundaries, or you were carried there against your

wishes, you and your heart of hearts know you're not.

You're not where you should be. You're not home.

Maybe you're feeling physically isolated, emotionally numb,

mentally checked out and distant.

And quite literally, you're spiritually in limbo.

You don't know where you stand with God today.

Maybe you're a believer in hiding.

As a believer, you're at LO Davar, you're in a season of

doubt. Does God really love me?

I don't know if he does or not. I just, I just don't have the

drive, the energy to to read my Bible.

I don't have the drive to pray. Maybe you're in a severe

struggle with sin right now, and the Lord knows how hard you've

been trying to kill it, but you just can't.

And so your response is to run away out to the other side of

the Jordan and load a bar and check out?

I'm not going to go to church because I, I, I don't feel

worthy, shouldn't go there. Maybe that's how you feel.

Maybe you've never been a believer, but you're still in

hiding. There's guilt and shame and hurt

from your own sinfulness of of things that you know you've done

but nobody else has known you've done.

Maybe you think I'm OK? I don't need.

I'm not in the load a bar, I don't need to.

Leave here. You think that where you're at

is OK, it's just the accepted norm.

Know this for you out. There who are struggling in your

metaphorical and spiritual load, a bar.

The gospel that we preach is about a God who in Jesus Christ

draws near to the sick. He draws near to the broken and

the sinful. And he calls them to come back

home, come draw near to me, come back to Jerusalem, come back to

where my presence is. You need to hear this today.

He is glad you are here today, providentially before the

foundation of the world. Sunday, May 17th.

He knew you'd be here today. You're here today.

Listen with all your might, he's glad you're here today.

Where is the source of David's kindness?

Here it is in the text. Let me read it to you.

Is there not still someone at the House of Saul that I may

show the kindness of God to him, the kindness of God in verse

one? I want to show kindness in verse

3. His kindness is the kindness of

God. It's made made this equation, if

you will. I want you to notice that God,

that David's kindness is equated with the kindness of God.

God is his source. The motivation of David to show

kindness to the sentence of the House of Saul is covenant

loyalty, God's loyalty to David. This is where everything, the

tapestry of Scripture is beautifully woven together.

Remember, like I said in the beginning, the inspiration of

Scripture. It's there on purpose.

Chapter 7 was 2 chapters before this where God makes a covenant

promise, shows, has said kindness to David, unmerited

favor. I'm going to build you a house.

David and you don't deserve it. I just love you that much.

The source of David's desire to show kindness is gratitude for

the kindness that he has received.

From God. See, God is the source of all

things good. As we Christians, as we

believers, daily receive His grace through kindness.

It ought to produce more gratitude and more joy in us,

more grace in our hearts, more joy to the point where it spills

over. It is then the call of the

Christian to in the words of Jesus, you go and do likewise.

Pay it forward. Pay it for it as we.

Overflow with gratitude for what God has done for us.

The outpouring is kindness to others in hopes that the grace

of God multiplies. Multiplies.

In a 2016 New York Times article, New York Times

columnist David Brooks talks about gratitude, the structure

of gratitude. He writes this.

I'm sometimes grumpier when I stay at a nice hotel.

I have certain expectations about the service that's going

to be provided. I get impatient if I have to

crawl around looking for a power outlet, if the shower controls

are unfathomable, if the place considers itself too fancy to

put a coffee machine in each room.

I'm sometimes happier. The budget motel, where my

expectations are lower and where a functioning iron is a bonus

and the waffle maker in the breakfast area is a treat.

It's continental. This little phenomenon shows how

powerfully expectations structure our moods and

emotions, none more so than the beautiful emotion of gratitude.

Listen to this Gratitude happens when some kindness it's exceeds

expectations, when it is undeserved.

Gratitude is a sort of laughter of the heart that comes out

after some. Surprising kindness.

Gratitude is related to kindness.

You want to know how to be kind to people.

What are you thankful for? What are you grateful?

For here's the formula for the Christian unmerited kindness

received produces gratitude. Leads to unmerited kindness

given. Unmerited kindness received.

Produces gratitude, which leads to unmerited kindness given.

All. We are is gifted by God's grace.

We are who we are today because of God's gracious affection and

love for us that ought to produce gratitude in our hearts

and ought to outpour it into other people's lives.

The source of David's kindness is the kindness of God.

Point #3 Mephibosheth before the king.

Verse 5. Then King David sent and brought

him. From the House of Makira the son

of Amiel at Lo Debar and Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan

the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his.

Face and paid homage and David said Mephibosheth.

And he answered, Behold, I am your servant.

And David said to him, Do not fear, for I will show you the

kindness for the sake of your father, David.

And I will restore to you all the land of Saul, your father,

and you shall eat at my table always.

And he paid homage and said, What is your servant that you

should show regard for a dead dog such as I?

Here in this text, David calls from a fibbage chef to be

carried to him from Lo Devar. Remember, he's crippled, he

can't walk, he has to be carried.

Can you imagine what that must have been like from a fibbage

chef? This is scary.

He's been hiding for the past 20 years.

He's been succeeding. All of a sudden there's a royal

summons and they're taking me against my will.

He knows what's coming. For Mephibosheth, the moment

that he had been hiding from his whole life arrived.

He falls before King David, fearful in expecting the worst

case. Scenario his execution.

Yet amazingly, the unexpected happens.

Mephibosheth is showered in kindness as David pronounces

blessing upon him and the memory of Mephibosheth's father

Jonathan. Mephibosheth here lies prostate

before King David. Afraid this.

Was probably a long trek back to the palace thinking I've lived a

good life, this is it. I'm going to die.

He understands the situation. He ironically stands as an enemy

to the throne. That's his status.

He's an enemy to the House of David because he's of the House

of Saul. He knows so well he calls

himself a dead dog. I, I'm a dead dog before you.

I I know what's going to happen next.

It's customary for succeeding kings to eliminate all political

rivals, all errors of the previous administration.

Don't we see that going on to the current political events?

Political. Retribution countries rising up

against one another. The expected norm of the culture

today is. Kill everybody or disenfranchise

everybody or anybody. That is an obstacle to to, to my

power, to my. Rule get rid of them.

That's the expected. Norm David does something

completely different. He shows kindness to

Mephibosheth. Just then, when Mephibosheth is

expecting the worst, he calls. David calls Mephibosheth by

name. By name Mephibosheth.

I wonder if in that moment, as he's looking at Mephibosheth for

the first time, he sees his best friend, Mephibosheth's father's

Jonathan, in Mephibosheth's eyes.

Alright. It's like you're like a.

Spitting image of him. I miss him.

David tells Mephibosheth. Do not fear, he flips the

script. A just punishment from

Mephibosheth. Should be death.

You stand as an enemy before my throne.

Your grandfather tried to kill me and you have claimed to the

throne I should kill you instead.

He flips the script and showers unmerited.

Undeserved radical kindness upon Mephibosheth.

He shows Mephibosheth kindness. This is has said.

This is has said. Understand in the text before

us, Mephibosheth is cripple. He's not really a physical

opponent to the king, but it's injected in the text here just

by the authors, just so you, the reader can understand.

Mephibosheth has a son. His name is Micah.

You never hear about him for the rest of the scripture.

He's just like, there's like one sentence given where it says,

oh, by the way, by the way, Mephibosheth.

Has a son. His name is Micah.

Understand David's taking a risk in showering Mephibosheth with

undeserved kindness. Because Micah, he's not cripple.

He could probably rise up and reclaim the throne for the House

of Saul. This isn't advisable.

David, you need to cut off the House of Saul completely.

You need to kill him right now. Eliminate all your political

rivals. That way your dynasty's insured.

Forever David does something completely different.

I know the risks. I don't care.

I made a promise to my best friend Jonathan, and I'm going

to be loyal to him. I'm going to show, his said.

This is shocking. It's so shocking, Mephibosheth

responds. What is?

What is your servant? Why?

Why would you do this to me? How could you be so kind to me?

Is this not reminiscent of Chapter 7, the Davidic covenant,

where David responds to God's blessing and he says, Who am I?

Do you see what I'm saying here? How everything interlocks

together? The gratitude of David, the

kindness that God has showed him has now poured out of David and

multiplied. It's now blessing mephibosheth

somebody who doesn't deserve it. The grace of God in our lives is

multiplied. Church.

When we commit to showing kindness to other people, we

actually get to participate in the renewal of all creation.

When we choose to show unmerited kindness to those who do not

deserve it. We live right now in the midst

of a divided, divided culture. Divided socially, divided

between. Age differences, wealth gap

disparities, political division, every facet of the culture has

been broken down into an US versus them mentality.

They don't think like we do. So destroy them.

Destroy them, Church. The cycle must be broken.

That must be broken. And the only way to break the

cycle is through His said kindness to love your enemies

that don't deserve it. We must.

Never think that we are above others or they are ever, ever,

ever beyond redemption. The same grace that you and I

constantly pray for. God, please be gracious to me.

Please, please shower me through grace, the same grace that we

constantly pray to God for. We must be willing to dispense

to other people. He gives it to you to dispense

it. This is the purpose of the

Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 and Jesus parables on becoming a

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

Kingdom, people who freely give as they have been given.

This is why Jesus says all the time you've heard it said,

you've heard it said. Let me paraphrase that for you.

You know how the world acts. You know how the world acts.

You've heard it said, but I say to you, you're not.

You're not going to. Do that.

You're going to be different. My people are going to be

different. You don't live like the culture.

May the grace of God that you received from Him on a daily

basis pour out of you to other people.

Whether they deserve it. Or not .4 So you move on, David

says to to Zeba all that belonged to Saul, and to all of

his house. I have given to your master's

grandson, Mephibosheth. Your master's grandson shall

always eat at my table. So Mephibosheth ate at David's

table like one of the King's sons the rest of his life.

Understand in an instant. Through the pronouncement of the

king, Mephibosheth has gone from an enemy in hiding to an adopted

son. He's given the remaining

inheritance of the House of Saul, all of his estate 3 miles

just from Jerusalem, and Gibeah. That's now Mephibosheth and he's

elevated to royal status as a son, and he's welcome to dine

with the king forever in the span of 1.

Breath. Do not fear.

Mephibosheth's life has been transformed.

He's gone from nothing to a rich man.

Mephibosheth has been adopted as a son of King David.

This is radical. Now I hope you see it.

I hope you see it the text. Has been screaming out up to

this point where this is all going.

I hope you see it. Who are we in this story?

No, my friends, you are not King David.

King David is a typology of the King to come, Jesus here in this

story as it currently stands. Who are we, my friends?

We are Mephibosheth. We are Mephibosheth.

Do you see it? This is the gospel.

What David has done in showing radical kindness to Mephibosheth

is a prototype to the gospel. Let me help you see it.

We were enemies of the King, just like Mephibosheth.

Sinful, aligned with the world, going about our days, hating

others, scripture says, and being hated in return.

We participated in the US versus them mentality.

It's so hard for us to forgive, but it's so easy to hold the

grudge. That's us.

We were estranged from the king in Lo Debar.

We were runaways from God with no interest in him.

You didn't want anything to do with God.

But then one day something happened.

You were summoned by the king. One day you heard your name

called. You heard your name called and

you responded. But like Mephibosheth, you were

the one that was crippled, spiritually crippled, destitute.

You needed to be carried back to the King.

The Father said Jesus says this. Those who come to me cannot come

to me unless the Father draws them, and it's by the Spirit.

He's been looking for you your whole life, and some of you

right now are hearing your name called.

You're being summoned to the king.

We were crippled in our sin, and we needed to be carried to the

King. In the King's presence we fell

fearfully exposed before him. When we saw the commandments of

who we ought to be, His Holiness, we realized that's not

me. I'm guilty.

I'm ashamed, expecting the worst, expecting to be

ostracized, expecting to be judged.

Something amazing happens. We were blessed by that.

King, the King himself took on our punishment and chose to

bless us instead. Make no mistake, like

Mephibosheth, we are guilty before the King and we deserve

death. We deserve execution.

But this king says no, no, no, no.

I'm calling you to redeem you. I'm calling you to bless you,

and I need to do something about what you've done.

So I'm going to take your punishment and I'll die for you.

And if that was not enough and taking our punishment and

reversing it, we were actually adopted by the king as children.

We were brought into the King's family permanently, and we will

dine with him forever. Isn't it interesting that the

very first thing the Scripture says what we'll do in the New

Kingdom, in the new age? It's a meal.

You're dining with the Lord. You're dining at the King's

table forever. This unmerited gift of God's

grace through the gospel of Jesus should produce.

In us an overflow of kindness to others, especially those who do

not deserve it. And right now, as I'm speaking

these words, somebody's coming into your mind.

Who you're beefing with at this current moment that needs to

hear about the unmerited kindness of God, the same

kindness that you've received. This is all about Jesus.

Here's the link to Jesus. John chapter 4 Jesus in talking

John 4 · chapter mention

with a woman at the well who wants to fetch him a pail of

water, Jesus tells the woman. That in contrast to that water,

you'll be thirsty again. But I know of living water that

will satisfy your soul. It's Him.

He is the living water. He is the source of this living

water. That living water that he talks

about is the life giving spirit of God that transforms people

and dwells in people. It satisfies the soul's deepest

need. This spirit dwells in US church,

it changes us to be kind and it blesses us and it blesses those

around us. That's the living water that

Jesus is talking about the presence of spirit.

Well then he after John chapter 4 comes John Chapter 7.

John 4 · chapter mention John 7 · chapter mention

He builds on this theme of living water and here's what he

says. John Chapter 7 on the last.

John 7 · chapter mention

Day of the Feast, the great day, Jesus stands up and cries if

anybody thirsts. Let him come to me and drink.

Let him come to me and drink for whoever believes in me.

As the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of

living water. Jesus calls everybody to come

drink from him because He's the source of the living water.

Drinking is believing. So come believe, so that you can

have this spirit, so that you can have this living water that

only I provide. And as we drink, as we believe,

then out of us flows that same river of living water whose

source is Christ. It flows from God through us to

the surroundings, and it produces life and beauty,

especially to tough people and tough circumstances.

We are in dwelt church by the Holy Spirit to display acts of

kindness, mercy, and generosity toward other people.

You were given unmerited grace. As we drink from that cup of

unmerited grace, it ought to flow out of us, this unmerited

grace toward others. Here's how the early church

responded to it. First Corinthians chapter 4.

1 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

Paul says this to the Church of Corinth.

What do you have? That you do not, that you did

not receive. And I say the same thing to you

today. Look at yourselves.

What do you have that you did not receive?

If then you received it, why do you boast as if you didn't

receive it already? You have all you want.

Already you've become rich. You've become kings and Queens.

God has lavished upon you grace. And so Titus comes along.

Titus chapter 3, Paul says. But when the goodness and loving

Titus 3 · chapter mention

kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us not

because of works done in righteousness, but according to

His own. Mercy.

Guess what the word mercy is translated as in the Hebrew

Bible has said. The New Testament's written in

Greek. The Old Testament's written in

Hebrew Mercy is one of the translations for has said so

literally what it's saying here is he saved you according to his

own, has said his own loyal love to you.

This becomes so radical to them. There's a piece of writing

called the DD, the DDOK. It's a 1st century document of

what the church believed. It's not in the Scriptures, but

what it is. It's like a helpful introduction

manual to the church. There's one little tagline about

giving giving. Here's what it says the did.

OK, let your. Alms.

Let your money, let your money, your alms, your generosity sweat

in the palm of your hands until you know to whom you should give

this idea of oh, Oh my gosh, like I just have.

I need to find somebody in an outlet.

I need an outlet. I need to give this to somebody.

That's what giving looks like for the early church.

What does giving look like for us?

From our abundance as we've been made kings and Queens, this

unmerited grace, How are we at? Giving it to other people, The

unmerited kindness of God that we've been given in the gift of

our salvation through Jesus Christ Church should produce

overflowing gratitude that results in the outpouring of

unmerited kindness toward others.

That's what today's been about. I'd like to welcome the worship

team back up as we as we end today, Question for you

meditation church. Are you kind as a Christian?

How are you doing? Are you kind?

And let me rephrase that because of course we would all respond.

Yeah, I think I'm pretty kind. Let me ask you this.

How are you at displaying mercy toward your enemies, towards

somebody that hurts you? Are you begrudging?

Well, maybe if they change, they they need to change first.

They first need to apologize to me and then maybe I'll consider.

Kindness. That's not the call that Jesus

lays upon his people. What?

Reward do you have? Jesus says if you love those who

already love you. A true reward is loving those

who hate you. Church, the source of our love

and kindness for other people, must stem from the gratitude

that we have been, that we that we have, because of what's been

done to us through Jesus Christ. We must remember that at one

time we were mephibosheth. You were spiritually crippled

and indebted to God's unmerited and undeserved kindness.

You're nothing without him, but through him, he's made you

everything. This unmerited kindness is how

God has chosen to renew the world through His redeemed

family, who from full hearts of gratitude, regularly choose to

rebel against the norms of culture and opt to display

radical kindness to other people who do not deserve it.

The cycle must be broken in the world.

And the people who will break the cycle of US versus them, of

withholding generosity, of withholding kindness, it's the

people of God who will break the cycle we.

Do not deserve this unmerited favor, but we have it just

because God's that good and He loves you.

And maybe some of you are here today and you're believers, but

you feel like you've sinned it away.

One time I believed, but I've. Since I believed, I've been

struggling with lust. I've been struggling with

status. I've been struggling with anger

and hurt. I don't feel worthy of it

anymore. Here's the beauty about

unmerited grace and merited kindness.

It was never yours to give, so it's never yours to take away.

He gave it to you. Which means as long as you

believe, as long as you trust in him, you're not going to lose

it. He just welcomed me to come back

with a Vishal to come back. But let me carry you back.

We hope you enjoyed this message and we'd love for you to join us

in person every Sunday at 10:30 AM.

For more information and updates, visit

wearebridgetown.com. Thanks for tuning in and we'll

see you next week.