Sunday Morning Sermon Series - The Dysfunctional Family - Bonus Round

Grace Over Dysfunction and the Need for Unconditional Salvation

Now I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel wasn't there military?

The guy who praises God. Turn with me if you will to 2nd Samuel chapter 9. And that's mainly where we're going to be today 2nd Samuel chapter 9. We had just done Seven week or six week. We've just finished a six week Sermon series on grace over the dysfunctional family, and I had Several folks come to me and say man.

I wish you would keep going with that, but the reality is Everything in Scripture is about grace over dysfunction. It really is and every one of us in here needs to be reminded about How God's holy? beautiful grace.

Can not only Seal your destiny in heaven, but it can change your life right here on earth. We got half our church out right now. Bunny, I thought you did a great job as the second string. Miss Carla's not here and drummers not here, but bunny.

You did a great job. Where are you bunny? Oh? There's miss Carla. What are you doing back there? I? Gonna change it up a little bit. Well. That's all right. That's all right. Got to feed the second string every once in a while.

Get them some PT guys. This is a this is a rough Sunday today, ain't it? Little bit I remember when John and his family came here you know Katie was I don't know something like this and John Came here, and he was a clueless ignorant Methodist.

Which is kind of redundant I know but he was absolutely clueless and Man he got it together joined our MIT program it was licensed and ordained and has now been pastoring a church for the last what five years and Tragedy hits and I'm on the phone with him this morning and he's blubbering and crying and Then he says this he says God is in control man.

Is that just as Nietzsche or some of the other philosophers of the world? Is that just false? Hope based upon a religious conditioning, or is that something that is actually real? That's not a rhetorical question.

Farley, what do you think? How you people know that it's called that what did you say over there? Huh, would you know anything about tragedy? She lost her son in an automobile accident a couple three years ago.

I know some of y 'all are sitting there going. Oh God that just made things awkward. See you're you're you're part of the problem. Say you're part of the problem. You have been inundated with religious and cultural Conditioning so much that tragedy is seen as nothing more of tragedy.

Try to stay it away. Whether to embrace that with the grace of God it gives strength and it gives confidence and it gives witness and glory to God Almighty. See we we we try to act like we don't need exhaust fans in our bathroom.

We try to act like we got it all together. But you see we can't glorify God the greatest glory God gets is in the midst of our depravity in the midst of our pain. And then we still through the power of the Holy Spirit can rise up and say holy holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.

The world can't comprehend that hope. The world's never going to understand that hope. In fact the world Doesn't even comprehend the idea of what that is. How do we have that this morning? Well? Here's some good news.

How many of you in here are super Christians? How many of you are here now, I know all the deacons are. I get that I know all the deacons are but Shh. You'll embarrass yourself. How many of you are super Christians guys?

You know how many folks get frustrated and they'll come up with plausible reasons to quit Fellowshipping with the church. They'll come up with plausible reasons for disengaging with the spirit because what they do is they come to a point where they try and try again and keep failing because they Feel like there's some sort of plateau that needs to be reached before they can be accepted by God.

Do y 'all understand that concept? Are y 'all with me on that? There are people who are going to split the gates of hell wide open because they're trying to get religion before they find grace. I've known people like this.

It's like you want to take a bathtub to get cleaned up before you get in the shower. So you won't be so dirty when you get there and then we come to a place where we make these religious emotional decisions.

Or we make these religious Ideals or these standards in which we have to meet and we never can meet them. Then all we end up doing is beating ourself up. Isn't that just stupid? Hey, let's do something different shall we let's stop listening to the wisdom of men and let's start listening to the Word of God.

The Old Testament as a Foreshadowing of Christ

Now remember everything in the Old Testament. Old Testament is a Foreshadowing. What's a foreshadowing mean? Somebody tell me it's it's showing or explaining what's to come. What'd you say? A pre-curse that's good.

Very good. Cliff guys, Mississippi redneck gets it all of you should get it. Okay I mean if white trash can't understand this anyone can all right. So now listen, listen. We have everything in the Old Testament.

Pointing and describing the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Look with me in 1st Samuel. I know I told you 2nd Samuel, but I wrote it down for you. You don't even have to turn your Bibles there.

If you look at the top of that page there in 1st Samuel chapter 20. Let me explain a little bit about what's going on now. I'm not telling you for those of you that are visiting or those of you that are you know, you're one of them millennial Spiritual people ie an idiot.

Let me explain what's going on to you if I can. I David he's not the wittle guy who killed Goliath with the walk. Okay, that is one thing that happened in his life. David is a Foreshadowing of who Jesus Christ really is.

David's bloodline is going to be the bloodline from whom Jesus Christ is incarnate he is incarnate through the bloodline of Judah the tribe of Judah, but before we Get all carried away into that. I want to tell you about a guy named Saul he was king of Israel and David killed Goliath and everybody was talking about how awesome David was and Saul got jealous of David.

So God said, you know what David's going to be king of Israel. But uh, but he's not going to come to the throne yet. He's got a little learning to do and so here's what Saul did. Saul went around trying to kill David.

He would run around and tell him one day man. I love you so much. I love you so much David the next day. He tried to stab him in the heart. Kind of reminds me of menopause, but that's another subject another subject.

That wouldn't politically correct was it? Sorry. I feel bad. I feel no, that's gas. No, I'm good. All right. So he tried to kill him well Saul's son Jonathan loved David and he loved David because he loved David.

He didn't love David to get anything from him. He didn't love David. He just loved in holy love his friend David and David and Jonathan Made a covenant with each other and they said this they said no matter what happens.

Well, if my dad tries to kill you if I die if no matter what happens whoever is left David. You will take care of my family forever, or I will take care of your family forever. That's the way it's gonna be and David and Jonathan said I love you gave each other a hug and kiss.

Went their separate ways and they never saw each other again. Never saw each other again. They made a covenant with each other. Now. I want you to understand something about God's grace this morning. God's grace is a covenant an Unconditional covenant.

There are two types of covenant in Scripture conditional and Unconditional. Conditional is something like this if my people who were called by my name will hate Homosexuals and talk about how bad tattoos and smoking are will then say God bless America and salute the flag.

Then I'm gonna bless America. Is it doesn't say that does it it says this if my people who are called by my name will humble Themselves not everybody else will humble themselves. Turn from their sin here.

I will hear their prayers and then I will heal their land. You know, yeah, if we can just get rid of them liberal Democrats, everything's gonna be okay. Gosh. Gee, you'll be leave it to beaver again. Guys, that ain't the solution man.

It ain't Republicans in the name Democrats if God's people in this place Will humble themselves and clean up their act then God said I will heal. But anyways, that is a Conditional covenant. If you do this, I will do this got some good news for you today.

Your salvation is not a conditional covenant. Your salvation is not conditional. It is Unconditional it is an unconditional covenant. Okay, and that is what we need to see in understanding how David is a forerunner or Foreshadowing of Jesus Christ and first Samuel 20 they made an unconditional covenant.

Now guys Why do we need our salvation to be unconditional? Huh? We're we're wretched. We're wretched guys. Jonathan had a son. Jonathan was killed in battle. By the way, David becomes King. He's sitting and you can turn out a second Samuel 9.

He's sitting in the palace the Ark of the Covenants there. He's whooped everybody around. He is the big man on campus and in Second Samuel chapter 9 verse 1 it simply says this. God it says is there anyone?

Is there anyone of the house of Saul ie? Jonathan that I can show kindness for for Jonathan's sake read with me is Chapter 9 verse 1. David asked is there anyone remaining from Saul's family? I can show kindness to because of Jonathan.

So in other words David is now on top and he remembers the covenant he made with Jonathan and he asked is there anyone? Left and the question is answered here in in verse 3. It says so the king asked is there anyone left in Saul's family?

I can show kindness of God to zeal. Ziba said to the king. There is still Jonathan's son who was injured in both feet if you go back. The nursemaid who was carrying this kid named Mephibosheth. He got picked on a lot in school this kid named Mephibosheth.

She was running and dropped him and he was paralyzed from the waist down. This was Jonathan's grandson. And so now David who is the king is saying is there anyone I can show grace to? Why do we need it to be an unconditional covenant?

It's because of this we are paralyzed and wretched without Christ. Guys, I want you to understand this today. Listen to me. Some of you folks have tried religion. Listen, some of you have walked down an aisle and you've prayed Jesus Christ in your heart as your Lord and Savior and Nothing has changed.

Let me tell you why. Because you're not a Christian. Okay, wrap your head around that if you got to but you're not a Christian. Okay. Guys, there is no prayer in Scripture to get saved. Does not exist.

You see you walk down an aisle and you did what? Religion told you to do instead of what Scripture said you should do. You cannot come to Jesus on your own. You are dead in your sins. You are without Hope.

I know a lot of people and others make some of you feel. I see some of your rear ends growing legs and walking on the chair. Stay with me. All right. I'm trying to get you to stop taking the blue pill and come to the reality of what Scripture says.

Okay, this isn't holly hobby. Jesus. All right. This is really what the Word of God says. It says that you are incapable of finding Jesus Christ. You cannot find him. He has to find you. You see you're lame.

You're crippled. Look, it's Tim back there. He's a cripple in a wheelchair. Tim run on up here, buddy. Come on Tim. It's not gonna happen. Jake spread your spread your legs out on the ground and run up here.

Jake's got two little nubs. It doesn't matter how much he wants it. Jake's never Gonna run up here guys. You have to understand that because of your sin. You cannot earn your way to God. You cannot be religious enough.

You cannot be holy enough. You cannot be perfect enough to find salvation now. Someone says yes, there's a guy named Mephibosheth. We're gonna call him fib for short. Oh fib. Yeah, we found all fear. It's Jonathan's grandson.

And this is what David says. We'll go get him and bring him here. So we're actually seeing now David militarily. Military and politically. What should David be doing with Mephibosheth? Killing every other you know.

Every other king in the world if he comes up any of the bloodline of the past dynasty. We got to kill them to death. It's the only common-sense thing to do, you know. David doesn't do that. David has a covenant now.

Mephibosheth is sitting there and he's has nothing he has no way to make a living. He's basically gonna slowly starve to death. All of a sudden he's sitting there and he hears I Wish I had coconuts, but never mind.

Some of you older folks don't get there younger folks don't get it. Anyways. Here's horses coming. All of a sudden Kings banner is flying from a spear and here comes an Squadron of Calvary that bearing the royal household flag of David.

Mephibosheth doesn't go. Oh, I wonder what the king wants. You know what he's doing. He's crawling for the nearest hole. He is going to crawl under the bed because he knows he's fixing to get killed to death.

The soldiers see him and they say hey, are you Mephibosheth? He's like Yes. They say come with us. The king wants to see you. Oh, I bet the king wants to see me. They load him up with a chariot carry him back to the king.

Mephibosheth comes and they plop him down there in front of the king and He's like, oh god here it comes. David says hey. Who are you? I'm. I'm Mephibosheth. I'm gonna show you kindness because of your father.

Because of your father's father. Here's what I'm gonna do. From now on you're my son. You're gonna eat at my table. You will never have need again, but it's more than that. I'm gonna restore back to you everything that originally belonged to your family.

All of the lands the houses the servants cattle all of it is now yours again. And from now until the day you die. You are going to be a member of the king's household. In salvation. I don't know what is.

Kids boys and girls put away the ABCs put away the Romans Road put away Faith and grow and all these other stupid acronyms we come up with to try to explain salvation. Salvation is basically this you don't deserve it.

You can't earn it. God loves you enough to give it to you. Anyways, that is grace. That is grace. The minute you think you can work at it the minute you think you can earn it. It no longer is grace anymore.

Grace is God's riches at Christ expense. You know many people actually believe that Gideon this bathtub washes their sin away, dude. It's the same water out of my bathroom. It comes out of a hot water.

It ain't holy. It's just water. It can't wash away anything. But the blood of Jesus Christ when it touched that cross when it was spilled it was spilled for me and that one drop of Jesus's blood is enough to wash all my sins away.

You may be sitting in this room today lame. You religion may have harmed you if you're one of those people that have a war story about how you were wounded in church. Or some other dramatic garbage to try to explain away your rebellion against the Holy God today.

It's the day that it needs to die. If you've been all I've heard them all guys. Oh, you don't know what happened me. I don't have to know what happened to you. I know what Jesus Christ has done and the hope and peace that you need is not going to be found in you.

Continuing to live your drama wounded lifestyle. It's going to be found in you submitting to the holiness and grace of Almighty God. Now listen to me if you read on down in chapter 9 if you read on down in chapter 9.

And I wrote it out for you. Go down there to verse 12 13 and 14. It says this so Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. Amen. Mephibosheth had a young son. Whose name was Micah.

All those living in Ziba's house were Mephibosheth's servants. However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king's table and his feet had been injured. I always thought that was a weird Literary ending, you know, it's kind it doesn't.

You know what? I mean, and they wrote off and lived happily ever after Shrek and Fiona, you know. He forever ate at the king's table. It was so beautiful dogs were sleeping with cats. It was beautiful.

Everybody loved each other. Israeli and Palestinians were going away, right? I mean it was wonderful. Oh, but by the way, he was lame still in both feet. Well, that's kind of a downer, you know, you know, it's really cool.

I Can do nothing to earn my salvation. I can do nothing to keep it.