1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,880 Second Samuel chapter #16 Now if you are saying pastor, it seems 8 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:30,640 like we're going backwards in our series. 9 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,320 Are you sure about that? The answer is yes, I am sure we 10 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,920 are going backwards a few chapters so that we can go 11 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,360 forwards. And that'll make sense here in 12 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:39,800 just a moment. But we will go backwards this 13 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,400 evening so that we can go forwards and look at this young 14 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,600 man named Mephibosheth, who we had seen last time in the Word 15 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:51,360 of God as a man who was of the household of Saul, who was 16 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:52,880 fearing for his life. Why? 17 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,520 Well, because David was king and because Dave was king in those 18 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,160 days when one household became king, that the previous 19 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,200 household would oftentimes be eliminated. 20 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:04,680 We find that a lot of times in the Word of God, that doesn't 21 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:06,680 make it right, but that's just the way that it would happen, 22 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:11,040 particularly hello, in those days, that's the what would 23 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,520 happen. And so that doesn't make it 24 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,560 right, but that's what it was. Now, what Mephibosheth wasn't 25 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,040 anticipating was the fact that David was trying to find someone 26 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:24,440 of the household of Saul to show kindness unto him, to be able to 27 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,800 give him blessings and benefits of which he did not deserve. 28 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:30,440 On top of that, Mephibosheth had a physical handicap. 29 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,280 He was lame on his feet because of the fact that he had an 30 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,960 accident in his flight as a young boy from the Philistines 31 00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:42,200 back at the end of First Samuel. And so here is Mephibosheth. 32 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:46,480 He has been granted ancestral land from Saul's family with 33 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:50,480 which he does not deserve, and has also given a place at the 34 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:54,480 table of King David so that he is taken care of continually. 35 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,120 Mephibosheth, by the way, is a picture of us. 36 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,680 And in that story, David is a picture of Jesus Christ. 37 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,120 Here we are. We are lame on our feet, if you 38 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:04,960 will. There's nothing within us that 39 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:09,280 would call upon us to be saved. There's no reason and no way you 40 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,960 can save yourself. But yet here's the king who has 41 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,680 done what. He seated us in heavenly places. 42 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,000 He's provided for all of our needs. 43 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,080 I'm the beggar and he's the king. 44 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:20,800 That's what we find in Mephibosheth. 45 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,280 But we haven't heard anything of Mephibosheth since then. 46 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,360 But in David's flight at that time when Absalom was trying to 47 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,920 take over the Kingdom, we find a couple of accounts. 48 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:35,680 The first, which we'll read before the Battle at Ephra Wood 49 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,320 and the second after the Battle of Ephraim Wood. 50 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,040 And that's where we are in our series right now about 51 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,280 Mephibosheth, and it's going to help us to understand a little 52 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,920 bit about some situations that we have happened to us in life. 53 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,520 You say what kind of situations? Well, we have the situations in 54 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:53,440 life that sometimes are our own fault. 55 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,680 I don't know about you, but I get in plenty of those myself. 56 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,320 Amen. But there are some situations in 57 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,520 life that happened that are totally out of our control. 58 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:06,240 There are situations in life that it's almost like we can 59 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:11,280 only sit idly by and watch it unfold in front of us because 60 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,640 the world is wicked and people are wicked. 61 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,800 No, no, yes, you and I have been saved by the blood of Jesus 62 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,160 Christ. That if we act within our 63 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:21,920 spirit, not our flesh, we're different. 64 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:24,560 But yet the world, who knows? Not the spirit and only the 65 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,000 flesh. They are looking for reasons to 66 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:32,880 tear you down, to cut you out and to find ways to do things to 67 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,080 you that which you really do not deserve. 68 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,880 And that's what happens in Mephibosheth in today's account. 69 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,880 He goes through something that he didn't deserve. 70 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:46,400 He goes through a situation that he could see it happening right 71 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,360 in front of him, but because of his lameness on his feet, he 72 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,680 couldn't even do anything about it but just watch it unfold. 73 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:57,560 And so we're understand some principles this evening that I 74 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,680 hope will be a help to us. The title of my message is this. 75 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:05,400 What to do when someone rides off on your donkey For the 76 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,960 longest test title I've ever had in my ministry, What to do when 77 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,400 someone rides off on your donkey. 78 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,920 Now that may not make a lot of sense, but by God's grace, I 79 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,279 hope in a few minutes it will make some sense. 80 00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:18,240 And if there was a subtitle, it would be this. 81 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,839 You can't lose what you don't have in the 1st place. 82 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,400 You can't lose what you don't have in the 1st place. 83 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,000 Would you stand, please, for the reading God's Word? 84 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,840 Second Samuel chapter #16 and we'll begin in verse #1 again. 85 00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:34,960 We are going backwards in our series chronologically here with 86 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:36,360 our text. I understand that. 87 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:41,320 But we want to see this unfold before the battle between David 88 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:42,960 and Absalom. And we'll look at the other 89 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,120 passage in just a moment, It says. 90 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,320 And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, 91 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:52,160 Zeba the servant of Aphibosheth, met him with a couple of asses 92 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:56,040 saddled upon them 200 loaves of bread, and 100 bunches of 93 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:59,760 raisins, and 100 of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. 94 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,440 And the king said unto Zeba, What meanest thou by these? 95 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:07,240 And Zeba said, The asses be for the King's household to ride on, 96 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,120 and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and 97 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:14,000 the wine and such be faint in the wilderness may drink. 98 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,480 And the the king said, And where is thy master's son? 99 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,240 And Zeba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem. 100 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,800 For he said, Today shall be the House of Israel, or today shall 101 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,760 the House of Israel restore me the Kingdom of my father. 102 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,840 Then said the king to Zeba, Behold, thine are all that 103 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:35,960 pertaineth unto Mephibosheth. And Zeba said, I humbly beseech 104 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:40,120 thee that I might find grace in thy sight, my Lord, O king. 105 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:42,760 Now you may not know everything that's going on right here, but 106 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:46,480 sure does sound like this guy Mephibosheth turned on David, a 107 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:51,200 man who had done so much for him has now said, I'm casting my lot 108 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,320 with Absalom. Now we're look at what that 109 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:57,000 means and why maybe not everything is exactly as it 110 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,480 seems here in this chapter, here in just a moment. 111 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:00,960 So why don't you be seated. We'll pray together. 112 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,400 Heavenly Father, we do thank You for this evening and for Your 113 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:08,960 word. What I know that there's some 114 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:10,720 people here this evening. They're going through some deep 115 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,960 waters. They're going through some heavy 116 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:14,880 issues. And certainly we can bring that 117 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,600 upon ourselves. And when it does happen because 118 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,560 of our sinful choices, we have to bring it to You, confess it, 119 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:26,040 and leave the reaping after our sinful sowing to You. 120 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:30,840 But yet there are times that we're just living life and this 121 00:06:30,840 --> 00:06:34,040 wicked world tries to take advantage and do very difficult 122 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,120 things. Lord help us to see through this 123 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,560 text how we are to respond and we do ask it in Jesus name, 124 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,360 Amen. You'll remember that on this 125 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,680 flight that David and his men, he had about 600 or so men on 126 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,760 top of his own household and his family, that there was a lot of 127 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:52,760 them that needed sustenance as they went. 128 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,920 And there was that man Barzili. Do you remember him who came and 129 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,160 provided for the needs along with his friends as well? 130 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,640 And so as there are those who are coming to the aid of David, 131 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,400 there is this man named Zeba. Now we're not going to go back 132 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,480 to the original text of Mephibosheth, but if we were 133 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,040 that I just referenced in the introduction, if we were, we 134 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,400 would find that Zeba was tasked to be able to be the 135 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:18,440 householder, if you will, to be able to take care of the land in 136 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:20,840 a way that Mephibosheth could not. 137 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:25,000 So here is some land that is given to Mephibosheth, again, 138 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,920 ancestral land of their family, and he can't till it himself. 139 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,360 He can't take care of himself because of his physical 140 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,640 handicap. So David says you have this 141 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,440 person who has served you and helped you these years. 142 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,240 His name is Zeba. And So what Ziba is going to do 143 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,360 is he is now going to be the major domo, if you will. 144 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,800 He is going to be the person who is going to take care of all of 145 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,960 your affairs because you're not able to do so on your own. 146 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,680 And so it seemed like a pretty good setup of which David did. 147 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:55,880 Why? Because his land was taken care 148 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:57,520 of. And yet at the same time, 149 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:00,520 Mephibosheth could also dine at the King's table. 150 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,080 We can put it this way. No matter where Mephibosheth 151 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,080 was, he was going to be taken care of. 152 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,680 And aren't you glad as a child of God here this evening, that 153 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,640 wherever however you are, that your God will provide for your 154 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:13,360 needs? Matthew chapter 6 makes that 155 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:14,960 abundantly clear. You say, well, God hasn't been 156 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:16,520 good to me. Then you haven't been paying 157 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,120 attention because God has been good to you. 158 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,240 He's far better to us than we deserve in 100 lifetimes. 159 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:26,640 And yet here is Mephibosheth, a picture of us in our own 160 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,880 lameness and our own inability. But yet the king has smiled upon 161 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:34,200 us, and that wherever we go, hit her or yawn, that we're going to 162 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,720 be provided for, just as Mephibosheth was. 163 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:40,640 But now we're at the place where David's on his flight and he's 164 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,320 needing supplies. And here comes the same man 165 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:47,800 named Zeba, and he's saddled on his asses with loaves of bread. 166 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,840 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins. 167 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,280 Personally not a big fan, but anyway, sure, if that's what you 168 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:58,040 want, that's fine. 100 summer fruits, a bottle of wine. 169 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,640 And so here he comes and David has some recollection of this 170 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:03,680 man named Zeba. And he says, what are you doing 171 00:09:03,680 --> 00:09:05,320 here? What's going on? 172 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:10,920 And Zeba gives this story where he says and verse #3 and he 173 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,160 says, Where is thy master, son? And Zeba said of the king, 174 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,440 Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem, for he said, today shall the 175 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:21,040 House of Israel restore me, the Kingdom of my father. 176 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,760 You realize the accusation that is being leveled here by Zeba. 177 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:31,200 Zeba is saying David Mephibosheth has cast his lot 178 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,240 with Absalom. It's almost as if he's saying 179 00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:36,960 that all these years Mephibosheth has just Biden this 180 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,120 time. He never really liked David. 181 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,120 He never really cared for David. He was just waiting for someone 182 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,640 to come along to knock David off his pedestal. 183 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:48,840 And as soon as Absalom was that man, Zeba says, you know what he 184 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:52,080 did? He made his way to Jerusalem and 185 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:57,120 he is now saying this, that Absalom is going to restore the 186 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:01,520 household of Saul in its totality and make Mephibosheth 187 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:05,600 at the head. Now you say, pastor, it don't 188 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,960 seem right and the answer is it's not right. 189 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:11,960 You say, but it's right here in the Word of God. 190 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:15,920 But remember, the word of God is accurately recording a 191 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:17,760 conversation that took place here. 192 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:19,560 Why? Because the word of God is 193 00:10:19,680 --> 00:10:22,840 accurate, Amen. It's accurately reporting a 194 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,120 conversation that took place. It is not saying that what Zeba 195 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:30,440 said is true, it is just saying this is what he said and this is 196 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,360 what he said. He has made it clear that he 197 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,240 that Mephibosheth is gone and Zeba brings all of the fruits of 198 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,480 Mephibosheth's land and gives it to David. 199 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:42,960 He's concocting the story now, if we've learned anything about 200 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,200 David that here when he's on this flight, his mind is 201 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,880 distracted at best. Why His son is trying to kill 202 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,200 him. His son is trying to take his 203 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:55,400 Kingdom. He's likely found out at this 204 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,200 point about it. Well, it's not happened yet, but 205 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,560 the he knows that there's some very specific things that are 206 00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:05,520 happening that are awful. And he also knows deep down in 207 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:09,520 his mind, a lot of this is my fault because I didn't handle 208 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:11,720 the sin in my household the way that I should. 209 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:16,520 And he can trace it all the way back to him and Bathsheba. 210 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:21,000 So he's not thinking right. And so he hears this story. 211 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:25,360 He sees the wine, he sees the summer fruits, he sees the 212 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:29,760 bread, he sees the raisins, he sees all of these things here. 213 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:31,280 Yes. And by the way, I know raisins 214 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,040 are dried grapes, all right. I still don't like them. 215 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,200 Don't dry them all right, Just eat them the way that they are. 216 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,920 But anyway, David in his confusion says in verse #4 217 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,160 Behold thine or all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth. 218 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,320 And Zeba said, I humbly beseech thee that I might find grace in 219 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:51,120 the sight of my Lord, O King David, legally, which he could 220 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,360 do as the king said this, if that's the way Mephibosheth 221 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,760 feels about me. I'll tell you what, Zeba. 222 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:00,080 Everything that Mephibosheth has, it now belongs to you. 223 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,480 You own it all, lock, stock and barrel. 224 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:06,600 And we're going to see here in just a moment, that's exactly 225 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:11,360 what Zeba wanted. No, he was double dealing here. 226 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:13,040 No, he wasn't right in what he said. 227 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:15,520 The Bible is accurate in what was said. 228 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:18,360 But the Bible is going to make clear to us here in just a 229 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:22,440 moment, again with perfect accuracy, that Zeba was nothing 230 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,560 more than a traitor to his master. 231 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:29,440 That Zeba was nothing more than a power hungry, money grubbing 232 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:35,000 loser who saw a weak man Mephibosheth and took advantage 233 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,960 of a man with a physical handicap. 234 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:42,560 So what takes place next? Well, everything we've read over 235 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:44,080 the last few weeks and months, right? 236 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,320 That there's a battle that takes place and there's Absalom. 237 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,440 He got hung by his hair and he wasn't supposed to die. 238 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:52,720 But Joab says, you know what? I'd probably prefer that he's 239 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,240 dead. Joab kills him. 240 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:57,880 A bunch of other guys come around and finish the job and 241 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:01,600 there's this great morning from David and Joab says, hey man, 242 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:03,520 snap out of it. You keep crying like this, 243 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,120 people going to think you care more about your son that was a 244 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,240 rebel, then the people who faithfully served you this day 245 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,120 out in battle. And so he stepped out of it. 246 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:18,160 And then they're going to start going back to Jerusalem and 247 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:20,920 David on that trip. And I'd encourage you to go read 248 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:23,200 some of these chapters yourself in their totality. 249 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:27,400 David's going to meet a lot of those same people that he met on 250 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,520 the way over the River Jordan to Gilead. 251 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:35,000 He's going to meet a lot of them on the way back, and we're going 252 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,520 to get a little bit of a more revealing look at some of these 253 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:39,200 circumstances that we've seen before. 254 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:41,800 So now we're going to go to chapter 19. 255 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:46,280 So go to Second Samuel chapter #19 and verse #24. 256 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:50,360 You know, it's a beautiful thing when the preacher knows where 257 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,120 the text is. I'm so, so thankful. 258 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,760 All right, here it is, Second Samuel 19, verse 24. 259 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:56,120 I know I was drowning this morning. 260 00:13:56,120 --> 00:14:02,160 All right? And so David is greeting some of 261 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:05,600 these men, some good, some not. And he gets to verse #24 and it 262 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,360 says it's a Mephibosheth. The son of Saul came down to 263 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,960 meet the king. He neither dressed his feet nor 264 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:13,720 trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes. 265 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,920 From the day the king departed unto the unto the day he came 266 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:18,400 again in peace. Now stop right there, just a 267 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:20,520 moment. Why is that important for us? 268 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,720 Because it's showing the fact that whatever Mephibosheth is 269 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,560 about to say is genuine. There's certain things you can 270 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:31,840 fake, but you can't fake facial hair that was not there, that 271 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:33,440 has grown over a certain period of time. 272 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:38,840 You can't, you can't fake the fact that you've not washed 273 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:42,080 yourself for for months or weeks, probably more weeks is 274 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:45,400 what it was. It's very clear that this man 275 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:49,920 was in great distress. And so Mephibosheth arrives on 276 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,720 the scene. It's very clear from his 277 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:54,960 countenance. It's very clear from the way 278 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,840 that he's carrying himself that he has been in great distress 279 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:00,960 for some time. And it says in verse 25. 280 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,080 And it came to pass when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the 281 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,760 king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou 282 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,480 with me, but him. And I have to imagine that David 283 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:13,120 asked this question with hurt and his heart, because David up 284 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,720 to this part thinks, look at all I did for this guy. 285 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,360 I cared for him. I think he genuinely loved him. 286 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:23,240 And he said, but you turned your back on me. 287 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,680 You stabbed me in the back thought my son was going to give 288 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,320 you back the entire household of your family. 289 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,760 What Mephibosheth, why would you do that? 290 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:38,120 And he mephibosheth verse 26 answered, My Lord, O king, my 291 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:42,000 servant deceived me. For thy servant said, I will 292 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,640 saddle me an ass, that I may ride there on and go to the 293 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:48,920 king, because thy servant is lame, and he has slandered thy 294 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:52,120 servant unto my Lord the King. But my Lord the King is as an 295 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,440 Angel of God. Do therefore what is good in 296 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,960 thine eyes. For all my father's house were 297 00:15:57,960 --> 00:15:59,920 but dead men before my Lord the King. 298 00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:03,400 Yet did thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine 299 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,000 own table. What right therefore have I yet 300 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,160 to cry anymore unto the king? Now stop right there. 301 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:09,960 Can you imagine? I want you to visualize this 302 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:12,800 here for just a moment, because the Word of God is alive. 303 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,960 The Word of God, God is real, that we're talking about real 304 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:17,880 stories. And sometimes you see something 305 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,120 just in passing, but you have to flesh it out a little bit in 306 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:22,720 your mind to understand exactly what took place. 307 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,480 And that's what happens here. Mephibosheth hears this is what 308 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,640 really happened. And the fact is the Word of God 309 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:31,120 makes it clear just because of the way his countenance is, the 310 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:33,760 way that he is so distressed. It's very clear that 311 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,000 Mephibosheth here is the one who is telling the truth. 312 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:40,520 And so he finds out that Absalom is about to try to take over. 313 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:43,400 There's going to be a coup that takes place from his beloved. 314 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,880 And so he is troubled. He says this. 315 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:47,960 Wherever David goes, I need to go. 316 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,000 I need to be with my king. I need to be with my friend. 317 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:55,000 But he cannot go and meet David on his own again because he is 318 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,680 lame on his feet. So he goes to a servant, the one 319 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:00,600 he was supposed to trust. And he says to a servant, I want 320 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,920 you to saddle me a donkey. I want you to get me ready so I 321 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,319 can go out and meet David. And so I can imagine 322 00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:08,240 Mephibosheth sitting by the window. 323 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,920 I can imagine Mephibosheth just waiting for Zeba to pull the car 324 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,880 around, if you will, so that he can go where he needs to go. 325 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,400 And there's Mephibosheth and he's out looking at that window. 326 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,920 And he goes, well, there's Ziba, and he says there's the donkey. 327 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,920 All right, we'll just pull it on over here, you know, Get Me Out 328 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:24,319 there, You know, put me on the donkey. 329 00:17:24,319 --> 00:17:26,200 I'll go. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, 330 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,359 wait, wait. Where's where's he going? 331 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:34,680 He's going to the gate. Like, oh, come, Zeba, come back, 332 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,920 come back. He's opening the gate. 333 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:43,200 He he's riding away, He's he's got food, he's got wine. 334 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,320 That he that I'm supposed to be the one that's going to David. 335 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:50,640 What what's he doing? Why is he going where Zeba come 336 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:52,480 back? And there's not a. 337 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:58,080 Thing he can do about it as he watches that donkey go away. 338 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,920 And I bet somewhere in his mind he had a little bit of an 339 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:07,120 inkling this isn't good. Perhaps there was somewhere in 340 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:09,160 his mind he knew. You know, Zeba may not be 341 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:13,120 someone who is trusted. But certainly along the way, 342 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:16,840 word was brought back to Mephibosheth and said Zeba went 343 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:23,160 and told the king that you were in cahoots with Absalom and he's 344 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,800 cut you out. This land that you're sitting 345 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:28,320 on, it's not your land anymore, Mephibosheth. 346 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:33,400 David took the deed and gave it to Zeba. 347 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,560 The man. Who stole your donkey has now 348 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:42,760 stole your land and everything that you have. 349 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,160 Now if I was to. Summarize this in 2 words. 350 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:53,720 They would be this not fair. It's not fair taking advantage 351 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,560 of a man who physically could not take care of himself. 352 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:04,120 And now Mephibosheth has been cut out, seemingly of the 353 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:06,280 blessings of the land which was given to him. 354 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,280 But did you notice Mephibosheth's response here? 355 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:15,680 Mephibosheth's response was not one of while he's giving the 356 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:20,200 information of what happened, his his response was more David. 357 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,280 I'm just glad. You're OK, my King. 358 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:29,160 I'm glad that you were restored. His attitude was right. 359 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:32,680 So this is where I want to put myself in the Word of God for a 360 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:34,440 second. Maybe you can do the same here. 361 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:38,600 Let's pretend we're David here. David wasn't thinking right. 362 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:42,760 We know that David was in the right mindset as he was on his 363 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,240 flight from Jerusalem out to Gilead. 364 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:51,360 David makes a choice to inherit Zeba and disinherit 365 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,920 Mephibosheth. So now if I'm. 366 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,040 David and I get the full picture. 367 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,800 I say hold on just a second, Zeba, come over here, 368 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,720 Mephibosheth. I've made a mistake. 369 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:06,280 Here's what we need to do. Zeba. 370 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:10,160 That deed I gave you, I'm giving it back to Mephibosheth. 371 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:11,520 You've done it wrong. No. 372 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:15,680 No, you you lied. You lied. 373 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:20,800 You manipulated. You cut your master out of the 374 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,800 blessings of which I've. Who do you think you are, Zeba? 375 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,960 No, you get nothing. In fact, I'm throwing you in the 376 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:28,960 prison. You are not to be trusted. 377 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:33,480 You are not someone who should be trusted with such great power 378 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,640 and authority ever again. You shouldn't pay for your 379 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:37,480 crimes. If I'm David, this is what I'm 380 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:38,800 doing. And if you're David, I would be 381 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:40,160 honest with you. It's probably what you're doing, 382 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:40,720 too. Amen. 383 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:49,120 That's not what happened. Our version is fair. 384 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,080 No, I'm not trying to change the word of God tonight. 385 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:54,920 I'm just saying the way that I think it should have happened 386 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:58,960 seems to be pretty fair. Mephibosheth didn't deserve to 387 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:02,640 have what happened to him. But what did David say? 388 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,800 Well, go to verse #29. And the king said unto him, Why 389 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:07,360 speakest thou anymore? Thy matters? 390 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,240 I have said, Thou and Zeba divide the land. 391 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:16,160 Now stop right there. It's almost like David said, I 392 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,640 don't know who to believe here. I don't know what's going on. 393 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:21,480 I don't know if you've ever done. 394 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:27,960 This as a parent, I've done this today, but you got two kids that 395 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:31,400 are arguing. You don't know who's right, you 396 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:34,320 don't know who's wrong. You just want it to stop. 397 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,560 And you say, look, I don't know what's going on, but you both be 398 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,840 quiet. And I kind. 399 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:42,800 Of feel like this is what David's doing here. 400 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:46,360 He says. This I named Zeba's over here, 401 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,080 but Fibba's over here. Who knows who's right? 402 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,320 He says. I'm not talking about it with 403 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:53,200 you anymore. Here's what's going to happen. 404 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,120 You just take the land and divide it. 405 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,520 Now that's better than nothing. But again. 406 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:05,640 What happened to Mephibosheth by Ziva was not fair. 407 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:11,880 And now what David has done is almost legitimized what Zeba has 408 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,560 done. And now instead of Zeba being 409 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:17,840 the servant and Mephibosheth being the master, now what's 410 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,520 happened is they are equal stakeholders. 411 00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:26,440 And basically Zeba got away with it because he ended up stealing 412 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,440 half of everything that Mephibosheth owned. 413 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,880 And that's not fair. I read this, I don't like it. 414 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:38,400 I read this and I look at Dave and say, what are you thinking, 415 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,440 man? You, you can't see this man 416 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,600 who's obviously in distress. You can't see this man who 417 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:48,720 obviously has the physical scars, the physical signs of 418 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,880 being in distress all this time. And here's this Zeba, here's 419 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,640 this character who just happens to come in at the right time 420 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,120 with bread and summer fruits and wine and raisins. 421 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,600 He comes with all these things and he sweet talks you. 422 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:04,000 And now he ends up getting half the land. 423 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:08,560 It's not fair. Now I got a problem with that 424 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:11,160 and look at some of your faces, some of you got a problem with 425 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:13,760 this. You know who didn't have a? 426 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:20,400 Problem with it, Mephibosheth. Let's look at verse #30. 427 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:27,720 It says this. And Mephibosheth said unto the 428 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:32,560 king, Yeah, let him take all. For as much as my. 429 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:36,880 Lord, the King has come again in peace unto his own house. 430 00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:42,120 That's a. Response. 431 00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:46,000 I guess. Not a response that I think is 432 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:51,680 warranted on its face, not one that myself and my spirit thinks 433 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,640 is satisfactory. But Mephibus just says listen, 434 00:23:56,120 --> 00:23:59,680 my king, if Zebra wants it all, I don't care. 435 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,800 I'm just glad you're OK. He said well. 436 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:08,600 Pastor So the next verse is when David comes to his senses and 437 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,400 then says, Toto, I'm just kidding. 438 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:12,240 I, I, I, I really made a mess of this. 439 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,160 No, see, but you get nothing. Mephibosheth You get everything 440 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:17,480 back. The next verse, David's on to 441 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,640 the next issue. And now he's greeting Barzili, 442 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:24,360 who was the one that brought many of those things that helped 443 00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:26,480 give them comfort in the desert on the way there. 444 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:30,920 And David's treating him with great kindness, seemingly a 445 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:35,360 kindness of which it doesn't feel like he's extending to 446 00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:38,680 Mephibosheth on the surface. That's the end. 447 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:42,800 Of the story, that's it. I got nothing more for you 448 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:44,320 tonight. Oh, I got to play more 449 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:45,360 preaching, don't worry. But that's all. 450 00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:46,560 I got nothing more from the Bible. 451 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:48,480 About Mephibosheth. Somebody got excited for a 452 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:50,880 second, like I'm not crazy. We're not we're not releasing at 453 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:55,000 5:40, all right? But there's nothing more that's 454 00:24:55,000 --> 00:25:00,520 said here. And this is in its face 455 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:03,400 completely and totally unfair. But there's something that 456 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,360 Mephibosheth understood here that I think that we need to get 457 00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:09,120 into our minds here tonight, and that's this. 458 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:13,000 Mephibosheth, realize what to do when someone rides off on your 459 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,600 donkey. Just leave it to. 460 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:19,080 God. Remember the title? 461 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:20,600 What? To do when someone rides off on 462 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:22,440 your donkey. This is what happened to 463 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,200 Mephibosheth. He says this, I leave it to the 464 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,720 Lord. Now why could he say that 465 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:33,800 Mephibosheth rightly understood that nothing, that he had 466 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:35,240 belonged to him in the first place? 467 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:39,440 What did? What did Mephibosheth boy hard 468 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:41,280 saying Mephibosheth so many times in one sermon. 469 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,840 What did Mephibosheth have before David? 470 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:50,240 Nothing. Nothing, Mephibosheth 471 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:53,520 understand. Understood, David, before you I 472 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:58,040 had nothing. And with you now I have half. 473 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:04,080 I'm still ahead because in the end, it's not really about what 474 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:09,480 I have, but who I have in verse #30 He made clear. 475 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:11,840 It's not what I have, it's who I have. 476 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:16,080 David, I have you and that's enough. 477 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:23,360 Now can I remind you who we are? Befibishad, may I remind you who 478 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:28,840 David is a picture of? Christ, what do we have before? 479 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:31,360 Jesus Christ. Nothing. 480 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,600 Are there times that now you're not going to want to answer 481 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:35,720 this, so don't answer it out loud. 482 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:38,600 Now, when I say that somebody inevitably answers out loud, but 483 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:42,600 don't answer out loud, but there are Are there times when it 484 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:46,320 seems like God's unfair to you? No, he's the answer. 485 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:46,920 No. I'm just kidding. 486 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:51,720 There are times it. Feels like God's being very 487 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,840 unfair to us. God, I'm trying to get ahead. 488 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:58,200 I can't get ahead. I'm getting behind God. 489 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,640 I thought our family was going to be in this way. 490 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,680 Our family's not in this way. In fact, my family's torn apart. 491 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,920 I thought I was gonna get a. Promotion at work, but instead 492 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:11,720 somebody got promoted. That really is kind of a liar 493 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,480 and a cheat. You know I. 494 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:16,880 I thought that my health was going to be good. 495 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:20,200 I've taken care of myself. But yet, despite the fact that 496 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:23,400 I've worked very hard at taking care of my body, it feels like 497 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:28,640 my health just gets worse and worse and worse, and we can get 498 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:33,960 to the place where we feel that just doesn't feel that life is 499 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,960 fair. Here's the problem. 500 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:43,160 Life, in many ways as we look at it, is not fair. 501 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,400 And we should be. Grateful that life isn't fair. 502 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:50,120 So why would you say that if life is fair, you belong in a 503 00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:52,720 devil's hell. And so do I. 504 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:55,920 Let's just stop right there. The fact that he. 505 00:27:55,920 --> 00:28:00,000 Saved us the fact that He seated us in heavenly places, the fact 506 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,440 that He gave us that which we could not deserve because we 507 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,680 were lame in and of ourself and we could not perform the natural 508 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:07,160 functions that we were supposed to. 509 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:10,880 But yet the King saw us in our need and saw us in our disgrace, 510 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,640 and yet cleaned us up and gave us everything that we have. 511 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:17,760 You may not have much, but you have him. 512 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,840 So what do we do if someone rides off on our donkey? 513 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,480 We say it's OK because I still have him. 514 00:28:27,360 --> 00:28:30,840 You know, there's a great issue of life, or great principle of 515 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,160 life rather, that would help us when it comes down to the things 516 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:38,720 we think we have that we lose that really for the believer, 517 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,040 you can't lose what you don't have in the 1st place. 518 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:50,480 What do we say? My car, my house, my clothes, my 519 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:58,760 money, my wife, my children, all is ours. 520 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,160 You know, I try to be. Careful as a pastor. 521 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,840 I I say. You've heard me say this before. 522 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:06,680 I try. I try not to. 523 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:12,320 Rather, this is my church or my people, my pulpit. 524 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:14,960 Why do I not use those kind of terms? 525 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:18,760 Because it's not my church, it's his. 526 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:22,440 It's not my pulpit. It's his. 527 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:27,080 You're not my people. Now listen, you're my people in 528 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,360 the sense that you know, this is where I feel loved and this is 529 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:32,520 where I belong. This is where God's called us. 530 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,360 You're my people, but you don't belong to me. 531 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:39,520 All of it. Is his. 532 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:44,440 Now you would rightly say Amen about that, about me, but 533 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:48,840 everything that I just mentioned are all gifts of the Lord as 534 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:52,160 well. My spouse. 535 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,880 I'm thankful for Diane. Thankful doesn't even cover how 536 00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:00,160 I feel about my wife, but I know this. 537 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,720 She's a gift from the Lord in my life that God directed her, 538 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,920 directed her from Scotland to Australia to Scotland to 539 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:11,400 Oklahoma. Didn't see that one coming and 540 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:16,640 put our paths together. That's just a start. 541 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:19,840 She's a gift from the Lord. My children. 542 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,920 They have 4 amazing children. They are typically gifts from 543 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:30,480 God. Some of you caught that they're 544 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:34,360 gifts from the Lord when I was a as a young adult. 545 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,800 I think I should be a father like I I need to I need to be 546 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:41,280 parented into adulthood basically, But yet they got be 547 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,400 quiet. All right, But he said that's 548 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:45,560 right. That was not the time to say 549 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:46,560 that's right. Was that you? 550 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:48,440 Was that Rick all right, So no, it was not Rick. 551 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:50,160 Don't do that right. So don't confuse me right now. 552 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,160 All right, I'm going to end up going to Matthew chapter 4 553 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:56,480 again. But yet God saw fit to make me a 554 00:30:56,480 --> 00:31:02,200 parent and have children who's made I've made mistakes more 555 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,840 than I could count on my arm. But yet the God saw fit to make 556 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:10,240 me a parent. It's a gift, you know. 557 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:14,080 I, I don't believe I'm going to, you know, make it on the Forbes 558 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,720 500 list of richest people in the world. 559 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:21,120 I don't think I would make it on the Forbes 5 million list of 560 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:24,200 richest people in the world. I mean, I'm making 5 billion. 561 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:28,560 I'm not sure, and you may not either, but God's given us a lot 562 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,040 financially. He's taking care. 563 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:36,240 Of us more than we deserve. Our health may not be all that 564 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:41,120 it ought to be or that we like it to be, but you're still 565 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:45,160 sucking oxygen right now. You're still above ground right 566 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:46,800 now. What does that mean? 567 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:52,040 God has you here for a purpose. It's a gift, the job that you 568 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,040 have. If if. 569 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:55,920 You are working if you're able to work at. 570 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:59,360 However, that situation is but. But that God. 571 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,960 Would place you in a place where you could be a light for him and 572 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:07,200 also still meet the needs of yourself or your family. 573 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:11,160 That's a gift. The successes that you have, 574 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:15,480 that you know, skills that you know certain things about life 575 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,200 and that you've been able to have success in certain areas. 576 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,600 Well, Pastor, that's because of the sweat of my brow and because 577 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,600 of my, my muscles and my and my brain. 578 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:27,440 Who do you think gave you all of that? 579 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:32,160 You see it all. Belongs to him. 580 00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:38,200 So when he deems that some of that no longer belongs to us, 581 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:44,520 the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, and blessed be the 582 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,560 name of the Lord. What do we do? 583 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,320 When we see someone ride off on our donkey, well, we're like 584 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:52,840 Mephibosheth. What right, therefore, have I 585 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:56,400 yet to cry anymore to the king? Let him take all he says. 586 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,680 I don't even have a right. You realize how powerful that 587 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:01,520 statement is? I don't even have a right to cry 588 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:04,040 to you. But yet here our. 589 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,800 Heavenly Father bids us to come and prayer to him. 590 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:10,080 He may not give us. Back that which is lost, but He 591 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:13,240 will take care of us. We could be like Job as I just 592 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:14,600 mentioned. Naked came out of my mother's 593 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:16,520 womb. Naked shall return, hit her. 594 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,000 The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. 595 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:23,640 Blessed be the name of the Lord. I think of John. 596 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:28,880 On the Isle of Patmos, served the Lord faithfully was the one 597 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:32,640 disciple that wasn't martyred, at least as history tells us. 598 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:36,400 But yet there he. Is exiled on the Isle of Patmos. 599 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:40,920 What is he deserving of? To be there just preaching the 600 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:46,000 word of God, but in the midst of the world coming down on him and 601 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,120 saying we're going to hold you down? 602 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:53,120 He says I was in. The Spirit on the Lord's Day and 603 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:55,840 what happened? We have the Book of Revelation. 604 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:04,440 God takes away, God gives when someone rides off on our donkey 605 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,360 and it's not our fault and it's not anything that happened 606 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:10,239 because of what happened to us. It's just been perpetuated on us 607 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:15,679 by the world or by situations or standards or or situations or or 608 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:17,960 that have taken place. What do we do? 609 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:20,679 We just say, Lord, you're in charge. 610 00:34:21,639 --> 00:34:24,360 I'm not. Whatever you put in my hand, 611 00:34:24,639 --> 00:34:29,320 I'll receive with gratefulness. There are Zebas out in this 612 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:32,480 world that are out to get us. No, there are people who. 613 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:35,040 Are out there that know you're a believer and want to take 614 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:36,560 advantage of the fact that you're a believer. 615 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,120 They want to take advantage of your good graces. 616 00:34:39,639 --> 00:34:41,480 They want to take advantage of your kindness. 617 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,440 They want to take advantage of you just because they don't love 618 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:46,880 the Lord and Jesus said you think they treated me bad. 619 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:50,239 How do you think it's going to be when I'm gone they're going 620 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:53,639 to treat you bad as well. And so this is what's going to 621 00:34:53,639 --> 00:34:57,920 happen to us. But yet Despite that, even with 622 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:02,160 what the world brings upon us, Matthew Chapter 7 verse 11 tells 623 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:05,800 us that our Father loves giving good gifts to us. 624 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:10,440 Despite all that the world tries to take away, He still loves 625 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:13,320 taking care of you. One of the things I love doing 626 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:14,960 as a parent is giving my children gifts. 627 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,320 I love seeing their face when you give them a gift. 628 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,400 I would, I realize now as a parent what people always say, 629 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:23,240 you know, and about, you know, I'd rather, I'd rather give the 630 00:35:23,240 --> 00:35:25,000 gifts than receive them. And I thought that's crazy. 631 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,120 I'd rather receive the gifts, you know, But when you see your 632 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:30,320 child's face light up, it's something that they wanted. 633 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:32,320 You think, man, that's pretty cool. 634 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,040 That's pretty cool. And here's our Father, our 635 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:43,840 Heavenly Father, who derives joy out of giving us good gifts. 636 00:35:45,240 --> 00:35:48,040 Well, how? Could we be upset at him? 637 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:53,320 For what he's. Done to us what he's, quote, I 638 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:56,400 should say, done to us, when all he's done to us is provided 639 00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:01,560 everything that we have. By the way, if you lost 640 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:05,680 everything, believer, you know what You'd still have salvation. 641 00:36:07,720 --> 00:36:11,320 For it is the gift. Of God, not of works, lest any 642 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:14,440 man should boast. Satan can't take your salvation. 643 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:19,960 Once you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you belong to Him. 644 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:22,680 And that's a gift that can't be taken away. 645 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:24,680 That's right. You know, even if you lost 646 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:26,720 everything in this life, and I'm not saying that I hope that you 647 00:36:26,720 --> 00:36:28,200 do. I certainly hope that I don't, 648 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:30,480 but even if you lost everything in this life. 649 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:33,800 And you had Jesus. Christ for eternity. 650 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:36,400 Do you think you'd be up in heaven saying, man, I'm glad I'm 651 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:37,840 up here with Jesus, with you for eternity? 652 00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:40,680 But and what happened down there, you took everything away 653 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:42,600 from me. I When you're in the presence of 654 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:45,960 Christ, those things will just fade away. 655 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:48,360 I'm not. Saying that the difficulties and 656 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:49,920 hardship of your life are unimportant. 657 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:52,240 I'm not saying that. I'm saying they do need to be 658 00:36:52,240 --> 00:36:56,600 put in perspective and then the perspective of a great God. 659 00:36:56,600 --> 00:36:59,280 You know, one of the best parts about all this, and I think 660 00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:01,800 somewhere in the back of Mephibosheth's mind, he 661 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:05,080 understood this. What did he lose? 662 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:11,280 He lost his land. He lost the financial means of 663 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:13,000 the crops which were being grown. 664 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:16,120 He owned all of it. Now he owns half of it. 665 00:37:17,240 --> 00:37:20,320 But there's one. Thing that he didn't lose. 666 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:24,320 It's never mentioned. Here, and that's this, that even 667 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:28,520 if he didn't have anything left, where was he still always 668 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:34,520 welcome at the King's table? That even if he had lost 669 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:39,360 everything, he still will be provided for by the hand of the 670 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:41,320 King. If you lose. 671 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:43,760 Everything. And I don't hope you lose 672 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:45,960 everything. But if you lost. 673 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:50,240 Everything or I lost everything? You will still be provided for 674 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:52,920 by the hand of the King. Why? 675 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:59,200 Because he's a good king. It's not about what it is, it's 676 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:01,960 about who it is. David says. 677 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:03,960 Mephibia says. David, I have you. 678 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:09,120 That's enough. It's so easy to be able to look 679 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:12,800 at the situations of life and and to to twist them so out of 680 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:16,720 proportion that you're you get angry at God. 681 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:20,800 When I found. Out and I know some of you have 682 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:24,480 been or newer here, but I so I'll, I'll try to tell the story 683 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:26,880 without belaboring it, but it's been on my mind a lot this 684 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:31,400 weekend with with brother Steve being here back in 2020. 685 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:33,000 I was just having a tooth removed. 686 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:35,600 I had a sore tooth that had been bothering me for a while. 687 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,680 I'm ready to have the oral surgery over in Brockton. 688 00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:42,600 I'm in the chair. They've already got my vitals. 689 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:45,880 They're ready to go to take out the tooth and and the doctor 690 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:47,440 comes and says, hold on, hold on a second. 691 00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:49,200 There's something I didn't see here before. 692 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:52,280 I'm just checking the last time. There's a there's a little bit 693 00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:56,320 of a mass inside your jaw. I can't, I can't do this today. 694 00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:58,120 And he said the words that none of us want. 695 00:38:58,120 --> 00:38:59,760 You just want to hear that live around here. 696 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:04,160 You need to go to Boston. You know what I'm saying? 697 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:08,160 When Brockton doesn't cut it, you got to go to Boston. 698 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:10,920 And that's what I did. Within a few days I found out 699 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:14,000 that a non cancerous tumor, but a very aggressive growing tumor 700 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:18,040 in my jaw and it was going to require major surgery, could 701 00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:19,840 have been out in the hospital for two weeks. 702 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:22,120 I'll just be out of the pulpit for 8 weeks. 703 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:25,880 And it was a thing. And, and, and the reason I think 704 00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:28,520 about it with Brother Smith and talked about it was because when 705 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:31,800 I was in the hospital, his wife Becky came and took care of my 706 00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:35,920 family and took care of, of, of the everything on behalf of my 707 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:38,640 family while Diane was trying to come help me at the hospital 708 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:40,680 because it was still in the middle of COVID and you can only 709 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:43,760 have one person come for five hours a day to come come check 710 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:45,920 on you. And I couldn't talk because my 711 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:48,560 mouth was wired shut. So I needed someone to help on 712 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:51,760 my behalf, take care of things because I had some medical 713 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:53,280 needs. And sometimes I didn't even know 714 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:55,480 we're going on because I was so medicated out of my mind. 715 00:39:56,600 --> 00:40:00,320 All this is going. On, you know, I got this cut 716 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:02,280 here, some of you've commented on, on that big guy. 717 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:04,600 It wasn't a knife fight that I was in Dorchester one day. 718 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:08,280 You know, it was a it was, was just surgery that took place. 719 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:11,280 And I'll tell you, I was in the midst of all that and there were 720 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:14,640 there was a couple days I was laying in that hospital and I 721 00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:17,760 got to this woe is me place of saying God. 722 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:24,480 I planted a church. We worked hard here. 723 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:27,080 You know what I've done? For you. 724 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:30,480 I don't know how to try to be. Humorous about it. 725 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:33,640 I'm I'm being serious. You know what I've done for you 726 00:40:34,720 --> 00:40:40,040 and here I am I'm in my late 30s I'm laid up on my back I've got 727 00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:43,360 a bone taken out of my of my leg to be able to rebuild my jaw. 728 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:46,640 I used to run all the time for years and it's hard for me to 729 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:49,160 run right now to be able to do those things that I enjoy doing 730 00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:51,880 and because of of that, like I knew that I was going to be laid 731 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:53,480 up. I didn't know how I would be 732 00:40:53,480 --> 00:40:54,960 able to talk. I didn't know how to be able to 733 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:56,920 preach all these things. I was at the point is like. 734 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:01,560 Why now here Here's the. Thing. 735 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:03,800 My. Story. 736 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:09,440 It's it's a big one in my life. But that's just my. 737 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:11,640 Life. Because each and every. 738 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:14,760 One of you have stories that are equally as painful, maybe not 739 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:18,200 physically, but emotionally and spiritually. 740 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:21,840 Now you're just being. Faithful to the Lord and all of 741 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:25,920 a sudden someone you trusted did something to your money, and 742 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:29,000 maybe it's gone. Someone you. 743 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:33,360 Trusted you told them some very. Intimate. 744 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:37,600 And deep things about your life. And they use that information to 745 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:42,520 hurt you with someone else. You knew that you're. 746 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,800 On the fast track at your job and that you were going to be 747 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:48,960 just going up, up, up, up, up until one day you got called in 748 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:53,960 the office and say go up, up, up, up, you're out with no rhyme 749 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:57,920 or reason. You could be feeling. 750 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:01,240 Great. And all of a sudden you have a 751 00:42:01,240 --> 00:42:05,080 routine checkup. The blood work's off, and the 752 00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:10,240 next thing you know, we could go on and on and on. 753 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:12,080 Here's the thing. I could make the application, 754 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:13,880 but you're already making the application in your mind, I'm 755 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,800 pretty sure. What do you do? 756 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:18,680 When someone rides off on your donkey. 757 00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:21,920 You know it. Really comes down to this. 758 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:24,680 Thank the Lord you had the donkey as long as you did. 759 00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:29,080 And move. On in trust and faith that the 760 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:32,120 king will take care of you there's. 761 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:34,800 A lot of bitter. People out there. 762 00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:38,320 They're saved by the. Grace of God we had. 763 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:39,960 They're bitter how God has treated them. 764 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:43,720 If you're going to spend an eternity with Him in heaven, you 765 00:42:43,720 --> 00:42:47,080 probably ought to get that settled down and know that that 766 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:51,880 good God who saved your soul is good, whether he gives or 767 00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:54,200 whether he takes away. Now, I'll be honest to you, 768 00:42:54,720 --> 00:42:57,200 looking back several years at what happened to me at that 769 00:42:57,200 --> 00:43:02,120 time, I'm careful to say I'm thankful for what God did with 770 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:04,000 me through that time. Because if he thinks I'm really 771 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:06,400 thankful, he might do it again. Because I got another jaw, I 772 00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:08,000 still got another side, and I don't want him to do that. 773 00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:13,640 But I can see all that God did in my life to strengthen me, to 774 00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:18,120 help me to prepare my future. And I would I want it. 775 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:19,120 To happen again? No. 776 00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:22,120 But did I know God was with me every step of the way? 777 00:43:22,120 --> 00:43:24,960 When I thought He forsook me, they was actually drawing me 778 00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:28,200 closer. God. 779 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:30,800 Cares for you. The King. 780 00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:33,520 Will take care of you if your donkey is gone. 781 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:35,320 Thank the Lord you had as long as you did. 782 00:43:36,240 --> 00:43:38,760 But keep on going. And doing what God has called 783 00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:41,040 you to do. Thank you for. 784 00:43:41,040 --> 00:43:43,880 Listening to the sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist 785 00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:46,000 Church. If this message was a blessing 786 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:49,480 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 787 00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:54,040 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 788 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:58,880 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 789 00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:01,720 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 790 00:44:01,720 --> 00:44:02,920 grow in His Word.