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July 23, 2024 12:00 am

A Heart for God, Part 12

Leading the Way / Michael Youssef

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July 23, 2024 12:00 am

The Bible tells the story of David's kindness to Mephibosheth, a man crippled in both feet, as a picture of God's grace and mercy. David's actions foreshadow Jesus' love for sinners, showing that God's grace is available to everyone, regardless of their past or circumstances.

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God is forever initiating overtures of grace. He's initiating overtures of common grace to everyone. The Bible said the sun will shine on the righteous and the unrighteous.

The rain comes for the righteous and the unrighteous. That's the common grace of God that is shown to everyone. But also, he's forever initiating overtures of grace and kindness to individuals in order that they might turn to him and believe in him, surrender to him.

Thank you for joining pastor and international Bible teacher, Dr. Michael Youssef, for leading the way. Up next, a real-life illustration of God's grace. It's a look at a season in the life of David that shines a bright light on man's brokenness before God. And how God offers grace and mercy to draw the broken to himself for restoration. This episode of Leading the Way takes you back into the life of David, a man with a heart for God, which is also the title of Dr. Youssef's current series and new book, A Heart for God. You're invited to listen with me as Dr. Michael Youssef begins today's compelling message. I want you to turn with me, if you haven't already, to 2 Samuel chapter 9, because here you're going to find a picture of the grace of Jesus, 1,000 years before he showed up on earth.

A picture of Jesus, a thousand years before he was born in Bethlehem of Judea. I can tell you, this is the most fantastic chapter in that whole series of messages. And I've been having the joy of preaching through it.

For it is the gospel in a capsule, it is the gospel in a microcosm, it is the gospel foreshadowed. Chapter 9 verse 1, is there anyone still left in the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness or favor or grace for Jonathan's sake? This verse is enough to turn me into a shouting Pentecostal. For I know that my God asked about me one day. Is there anyone undeserving that I can show favor and I can save for the sake of my son Jesus? Glory to God he found me, and he found you.

Think with me here. David suffered for 15 years under Saul. David was persecuted and hunted down for 15 years by Saul. David was chased from mountain to mountain, he was chased from wilderness to wilderness, he was chased from town to town.

David barely escaped the javelin and the spear of Saul. And yet, as soon as David becomes king, as soon as David emerges victorious by the power of God alone, as soon as David comes into the seat of power, he exercises grace. As I said in this chapter, it's a foreshadowing of God's grace, who came to earth searching for lost sinners, like me. Just like God, who initiated his work of grace in an undeserved sinner's life, David initiates the act of grace to the family of his archenemy.

Just like God reached out to undeserving disobedience and rebellious people, David reaches to Mephibosheth, the grandson of the very man who hated David, who resented David. God is forever initiating overtures of grace. He's initiating overtures of common grace to everyone.

The Bible said the sun will shine on the righteous and the unrighteous, the rain comes for the righteous and the unrighteous. That's the common grace of God that is shown to everyone. But also he's forever initiating overtures of grace and kindness to individuals in order that they might turn to him and believe in him, surrender to him. God did this when he reached down in benevolent grace on a man who was living in the Ur of Chaldeans by the name of Abraham. God did this when he reached down to Jacob at Bethel. God did this when he reached down to Moses in the land of Midian. God did this when he sought Saul of Tarsus on the way to Damascus to persecute his people. God did this to you and me. And no wonder Paul in Titus 3 to 6 says, At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.

We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. And when the kindness and the love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us not because of righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of birth and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom he poured into our hearts generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Amen belongs here. So David asked, Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake? Verse 3, they said to him, Yes. There is still a son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth, and he's crippled both feet. You notice the Bible repeated that more than once. It's very important.

Don't miss it. He's crippled in both feet. Now, if you flip back to chapter 4 verse 4, you're going to find how he became crippled. He became crippled as a result of a fall. When his father and grandfather were killed in battle, out of a panic, his nurse, his nanny was taking the little boy Mephibosheth and was running out of fear not knowing what's going to happen.

And in her running, she dropped him. When he fell, he broke both of his feet. Here in 2 Samuel 9, Mephibosheth is no longer a little boy. He's a grown man. He's a grown man now.

Listen to me. What I want to do today is I want to contrast Mephibosheth condition to yours and mine before Christ came into our life. First of all, it's his name. His name, Mephibosheth. In Hebrew, that means a shameful thing. That's his name, a shameful thing.

Beloved, listen to me. Our condition before Christ came into our lives was shameful thing. We were born in sin. We were born with our backs to God. We were born with minds and hearts that at enmity with God. We were born with a darkened mind. We were born with a will that is opposed to the will of God.

And if you don't trust me, watch the first word a baby announces. And it's not mom or dad, it is no. That's the original sin. And all of the good works that we can do looks like a dirty rag in the sight of God. Without Christ, we were all shameful things. Without Christ, we were all Mephibosheth. The second thing I want to show you in this contrast is that Mephibosheth was on the run from David.

Think about this. Just like our culture and our media, our education, our lying to our kids about God. Somebody lied to Mephibosheth about David. Did not tell him the truth about David. And therefore, Mephibosheth erroneously, all these years he thought that David wanted revenge. That David was going to get him. That David is his enemy. And so, he and his nanny ran away.

And they ran away to the land of La Doubar. Listen to me. So much of our secular education system, the media, the Hollywood, they lie about who God is. If God exists at all, they say, he is their enemy. If God exists at all, he is a cruel master. If God exists at all, he is distant and cold. If God exists at all, they say, he doesn't care about human suffering. If God exists at all, he is not to be trusted. And therefore, the best thing for them to do is to avoid God. That is the essence of what is happening in our secular world. And that is why here in this place we are totally committed to tell our children, young and old, that God loves them. That God cares for every single detail of their life, that God has a plan for their life. And that God, all they need to do is turn to him and experience that love.

Just like Mephibosheth did. The third contrast that you're going to notice here between Mephibosheth and us before Christ is that he was crippled in both feet. That portrays our spiritual condition before Christ. No, the Bible actually said that we were not just crippled, we were dead, spiritually dead in our trespasses and sin. By nature, we were unable to run to God. By nature, none of us could walk in the path of righteousness because we're spiritually crippled. By nature, none of us were able to trod into the way that leads to life.

We were spiritually dead and crippled. So when Jesus said, no one, he meant no one. No one means no one. No one means no one.

I don't care what religion they are or no religion at all. When he says no one means no one comes to the Father but by me. Only Jesus can carry us across the chasm of sin. Only Jesus can lead us to the Father's forgiveness. Only Jesus can strengthen us by his grace. Only Jesus can save us from condemnation. But the fourth thing I want to show you, the fourth contrast here is Mephibosheth became crippled as a result of a fall. As a result of a fall.

The nurse of the nanny dropped him when he was a little boy and he became crippled in both legs. We too became sinners by birth and by practice as a result of Adam's fall in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were not created to sin but became spiritually crippled when they fell into sin and disobedience to the living God. And the fifth thing I want to show you here, verse 4, Mephibosheth lived in Lodabar. Lodabar means no pastor, no hope, no life. In fact in the Hebrew language the word lo, L-O, means no. Lo, every time you see it, when the book of Hosea says I'm called a child, lo rahama, means no mercy.

Rahama means mercy. Here it comes from the land of Lodabar, the land of no pasture. It was a barren land. It was a place of dissatisfaction. It was a place of emptiness.

And so it was for us. And today the very people who live without Christ and until they come to Christ, they are like us once were before we came to Christ. They're all living in the land of Lodabar. They are spiritually living in Lodabar. They spiritually live a barren life. They are living a spiritually empty life. They're seeking satisfaction where they cannot be found.

They are seeking contentment where it cannot be found. This young man Mephibosheth had everything going against him. Oh for the grace of God. He came from a family that rebelled against God's anointed. He could not walk because of a fall. He was dwelling in the land of no hope, of utter barrenness. And yet the king himself.

And yet, can you say yet? The king himself was seeking him. The king himself was reaching out to him. The king wanted to shower him with blessing. He wanted to shower him with grace. No wonder the apostle Paul could say in Romans 3 24, being justified freely.

How? Freely by his grace. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The natural thing that Mephibosheth had expected from King David was judgment. The natural thing that he was expecting was revenge.

The natural thing is a death sentence. But instead, look at verse 6. Instead, that's the first contrast between the Lord and David. He called him by name. Say that with me. Have you ever heard God call you by name?

I have. And you can too, if you listen. If you take time to listen, you'll hear God calling you by name. You're not just a face in the crowd to him. He calls you by name. And the times I audibly heard the Lord speak my name are the times when I least deserve it. In John chapter 10 verse 3, the Lord Jesus said, the good shepherd. He's referring to himself, of course. The good shepherd. He knows his sheep by name.

Did you get that we say, man? He calls you by name. At the burning bush, he called Moses by name.

When he was walking down in Jericho street, he looked up at the Sycamore tree. And he called Zacchaeus by name. At the empty tomb, Jesus calls Mary by name.

On the road to Damascus, the Lord called Saul of Tarsus by name. Beloved, he calls you by name. Just listen long enough, you'll hear it. You'll hear it.

Let me ask you this. Do you know that your name is being mentioned in high places? Do you know that? Your name is mentioned in far higher places than anything in this earth or this world. Your name is known in the courts of heaven. Did you know that your name is spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ to his father by name? And so David called Mephesheth by name.

The second contrast between David and our Lord is in verse 7. He said to him, fear not. Fear not. Do you know this is the very first thing that the Lord says to us when we come to him in repentance and faith?

The first thing he says to us, and he calls you by name and says, fear not. John, fear not. Bob, fear not. Michael, fear not. Fear not. Jane, fear not. Sue, fear not. That's the first thing he says to us, fear not.

Please don't miss this. This is really important because you notice there is no rebuke. There is no condemnation. There is no chiding. There is no anger regarding the past.

There is no reproach because of what the family did or did not do. No, he said to him what? Fear not. Fear not Satan. Why?

Because he has no authority over you. Fear not sin. Why?

Because sin has no dominion over a child of God. Fear not the consequences of sin. Why? Because they are covered and they're washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Fear not hell.

Why? Because you have been rescued from the horrors of hell. Amen. Not only did David call Mephibosheth by name, not only did David say to Mephibosheth, fear not. The third thing, verse 7, David said to him, I will restore to you all the land that belongs to your grandfather's soul.

Beloved, I'm getting ready to shout because I know what I'm going to say. This grace without bounds. This grace is without borders. This grace is without category. This grace is without bargaining. This grace is without conditions. This grace is without stipulations. David did not say, well, Mephibosheth, if you behave and you take care of yourself, if you do this and you do the other thing and do your chores, then I might restore to you the land of your forefathers.

No. That would not be grace, would it? That would not be grace. Grace is unmerited favor. Grace is undeserved favor. Grace is everything for nothing.

David showed grace to this young man, Mephibosheth, for the sake of Jonathan. And beloved God, show you me grace because of Jesus. Can you say amen? The fourth thing, yeah, give God praise. Come here, don't you, clap for me, clap for God. Yeah, give him praise. The fourth thing that you notice here, verse 8, David's grace overwhelmed, dear old Mephibosheth. I mean, he just overwhelms him.

Let me tell you something. If the grace of God does not overwhelm you, something wrong with your salvation. Listen to what Mephibosheth said. What is your servant?

You should take notice of it. This is like, I'm like a dead dog to you. Mephibosheth probably was thinking at the time, probably was saying to himself, again, I'm saying this not in the word of God, I'm just, I always make a distinction. What a waste of time. All these years I spent running away from the king. What a waste of time all these years I spent fearing the king. This wonderful gracious king. What a waste of all these years I spent rejecting this wonderful king.

I don't know about you. The grace of God to me humbles me beyond measure. Put me on my face before God. That grace leads me to quick repentance the moment I sin. This grace overwhelms me into unconditional obedience to the Lord. Far from this modern idea that grace means that you sin to your heart's content and grace will cover it. No, beloved, that's a sin of presumption. That's not the grace of God.

That's license that they're granting themselves. The true grace of God humbles us in obedience, surrender. Not of only the things we have or who we are, everything. David did not only call Mephibosheth by name. David did not only tell Mephibosheth, fear not. David did not only restore to him the inheritance of his forefathers. David did not only overwhelm Mephibosheth with grace.

Fifthly, David invited Mephibosheth to eat at his table. What a contrast. What a contrast. He's going from the land of Lodabar, the land of barrenness, to the king's table.

Did you get that? From depravity to abundance. That is the grace of God. This is how God saves. He saves from the guttermost to the uttermost, from the depth of depravity to the height of purity. He saves from the lowest of the low to the highest of the high. He saves from the prison to the palace. He saves from slavery to sonship.

He saves from being lost to being the center of his attention. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? Mephibosheth was not going to eat at the servant's table. That would have been wonderful.

That would be great. No, no, no, not the servant's table. He's not even going to eat at the kid's table. He's not going to eat as an alien or a guest, but as a member of the family. He was not going to eat as a stranger, but just as equal to his sons.

He was not going to eat some of his meals at the king's table, other meals in the kitchen with the servants. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. And that's precisely what John said in 1 John 3.1.

How great is the love of the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of Ruth. This is Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth on the radio and audio. Available on television and video, on the web, through various print publications, and on the Leading the Way app. Also through multiple podcasts.

Take a moment, search and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Additional information about all of these is available at ltw.org. Now many of you know that in addition to founding Leading the Way, Dr. Michael Youssef is also the pastor of the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta. Another way that God is using Dr. Youssef is through his passionate writing, including his most recent book, A Heart for God. So won't you consider ordering A Heart for God to read this summer?

Each page brings even more inspiration from David's life. A Heart for God and all of Dr. Youssef's more than 50 books can be seen and ordered at ltw.org. That's ltw.org. Or you can always call us and speak with a helpful ministry representative.

866-626-4356. Now as this episode ends, a quick reminder that Leading the Way is listener supported. Meaning that it's through your generosity that God's Word is passionately proclaimed right here in this neighborhood and in neighborhoods just like it all around the world through Leading the Way. Stand with Dr. Michael Youssef today at ltw.org. And when you call us, 866-626-4356. This program is furnished by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Connect with us via television, YouTube, Facebook, X, and all of our social networks.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-08-20 20:04:24 / 2024-08-20 20:13:12 / 9

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