Gospel—Bill Brockmeier
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
God.
And you know when I'm alone.
How are you?
Ask God's blessing in the word of prayer.
Our God and our Father, we thank Thee this night for Thy wondrous love to us.
We thank Thee that Thou hast made Thy love known to us in the gift of Thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank Thee, our God, that the Father sent the Son.
To be the savior of the world, we thank the our God without boundless love that would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now, our God, as we purpose to open Thy precious Word for a few moments this evening, we ask you that Thou it's taken in blessing to some heart.
In this room tonight that.
May still not yet know.
What it is to have their sins forgiven and cleanse the Way and the precious blood of Christ.
One who still stands before thee. Our God is guilty and lost. Still traveling that broad Rd. that leads to destruction.
Our God for that one tonight, should they die in their sins, would be forever vanished from Thy presence. Our God, we pray that Thy word would come into blessing to such a heart this night. Our God, we thank Thee for the marvelous love of giving our Lord Jesus for us. We pray our God as Thy word is before us.
That we might respond to that wondrous love, the love of God to us, we thank the Lord God, asking my help now in the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
Amen.
Like to begin tonight with reading perhaps the best known verse in all of Scripture, John three and verse 16.
John's Gospel, chapter 3 and verse 16.
Or God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Perhaps that is not a new verse to anyone in the room. And perhaps you can say, yes, I've heard that verse before. I've heard it many times. And sometimes we use the expression that familiarity breeds contempt.
00:05:12
And I wonder if such a thought would cross your mind. As I suggested, we read the third chapter of John in the 16th verse. You may have say, I've heard that verse before. I know John 316. I know it well. I've heard it from my youth. Ah, but what response does reading of the love of God have to your heart? This wondrous verse that God so loved the world. And tonight, if we have a message of truth in this world of deceit, it is because we have a message from God, God who is light, that righteous holy one.
If we have a message of truth, it's because we have a message from God. And if we have a message of love tonight, and thank God we do have a message of love, it is because we have a message from God himself. God is love.
Oh, God wants your blessing. God is the source of love. In this world where men are hateful and hating one another, we have a message of love. And if we have a message of peace tonight, it is because we have a message from the God of peace. In this world filled in distress and filled with wars and rumors of war, Oh, God is a God of peace. And in the world filled with sorrow, we have a message from the God of all comfort. Oh, God wants your blessing. In a world filled with sorrow, we have a message of comfort.
Comes from God. God is the source of all your blessing. And this is what this the Lord Jesus said to this rich ruler Nicodemus as he came to visit him. Those wondrous words for God so loved the world. He brought him right to the heart of God. And that's tonight as we open the pages of this precious book, we desire to bring you right to God, right into his presence, because ultimately it is with God we each have to do as it says in Hebrews chapter 4.
For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.
Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, for all things are naked and open under the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. You have to do with God. I have to do with God.
And we have to deal with one that knows your every thought, that knows your every stain of sin, from whom you can hide nothing.
He knows it all, and yet in spite of it He loves you, loves you more than tongue can tell. And how great was his love that he gave his only begotten Son? One time I was speaking to a man and he said to me, he said, well, if God is a God of love, then why is the world in the condition that it's in? Why is there so much tragedy and sorrow and wars?
Well, it's because man has rejected the love of God. You know what he referred that man.
To the than what we have in this very verse. The love of God was manifested, and then he gave his own Son to die. Think of the heart of God that would bring man, that would bring his beloved son before man, to have man ridicule and mock and spit in the face of his beloved Son and not come down with immediate wrath and vengeance upon such wickedness. Oh, that's the heart of God, friend. He wants your blessing and all. Think of the love of the Lord Jesus.
That went into those hours of darkness at Calvary's cross for God forsook him and where God's wrath against sin was poured out on the blessed holy head of the Lord Jesus who he suffered for sin, the just for the unjust that we might be brought to God. Oh God wants you to be brought to him to know his heart of love that over abounds and.
Goodness for you all, the world's in the condition it is tonight because it's rejected the boundless riches of the grace of God.
And so we have God as the source of the gospel, and his love is the sweetness of the gospel. Oh, and this in this world in which there's such strife and sorrow and hate, all the sweetness of the gospel, that God is love, and he so loved you that he gave his only begotten Son. Oh, that's the sacrifice of the gospel measure, the love of God by the gift that he gave his well beloved Son, as it tells us in Colossians chapter one, the Son of his love.
That very one from a past eternity, the Father's love rested on his beloved Son. That is what He gave. We had this afternoon where the creation of God, it was just a word, all but to save your soul, to take us to glory. It required more than the Word of God. It required the work of Christ and redemption. Where Christ suffered for sin, He bled, He died that you might live. Oh how sweet the gospel is and the sacrifice of the gospel that God gave.
His only begotten Son. But we notice here too that God loved the world. You know how it is with you. I know how it is with me. Our hearts are constricted and our hearts are restrained. We have our favorites, naturally. Our heart doesn't naturally go out to all but God. Love is for the world. It's for whosoever will. The message is for you tonight.
00:10:17
If you have ears to hear, our breath is still in you. The message is for you. God wants you to come. The scope of the gospel is to this world.
That whosoever believeth in him, you know, there was a that rich man, that famous man named in the Syrian who was a mighty man in valor. So the Syrian Army.
And when he was told what he must do to be healed of the leprosy, go dip in the Jordan River seven times.
He was enraged and insulted that such a thing should be asked of him, a mighty warrior.
But you know his servants, they love their master. They had a concern for him and one of the servants said my master.
He said, My Father, if the servant had bid thee do some great thing, what's thou not have done it? How much rather when he says, wash and be clean. God is not asking you to do some great thing, simply asking you to believe the story of his love and receive the gospel of his grace, to receive his own Son the Lord Jesus, to be your Lord and Savior, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish. Oh, how solemn this is, because there is wrath. Beware lest he take thee away with a stroke.
And then a great ransom cannot deliver thee. No, if you die in your sins, the great ransom of Christ itself cannot deliver you.
From hell, a great ransom cannot deliver you then, and there is wrath.
God is angry with the wicked every day, and because God is not executed His judgment upon evil.
Perhaps men lose sight of the true character of God, but he is light and there is wrath and there is there is eternal judgment for those that die in their sins. You know someone has made a little acrostic of that word perish and I think it bears repeating. Perhaps most have heard it to pass eternally ruin into Satans Hell. You know Hell was not created for sinners, He was created for the devil, Satan and his angels. But all those that die in their sins will land in that lake of fire.
And if we return to the 20th chapter of Revelation, we have a scene there where the Lord Jesus, because all judgment has been committed under the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus, as he sits on this great white throne. It's great because of the one who sits upon it. It's great because the judgment that will be pronounced from it, and it's white because it's absolute holiness. The judgment of God is according to truth. It is not according to preference. It's according to truth. And there's no blood there to cover for sins.
But we find those that are brought before God as they stand before Him in their sins.
And it says, think of this expression from whose face the heaven and earth flee away. Think of the majesty of that face where earth cannot stand before it, and the heavens cannot stand before it. They flee away. But there is the Sinner standing before that one at the great white throne. He cannot flee away. And what does it say? There was found no place for them. Why? Because heaven there were. They're not prepared for heaven.
And hell was not created for them, there was number place for them. And so the word in the language of the gospels is bind him, how to hand in foot and cast him into outer darkness. No, it was the hell was created for Satan and his angels. But all those that die refusing the offer of God's love and forgiveness will find themselves in that place that was created for the devil and his angels.
And I might just add another to perish.
Says in the first Peter. I believe it is. What shall the end be?
Of those that obey not the gospel of God. I don't know if I quoted that exactly, but the thought is what shall the end be that obey not the gospel?
Well, the end is eternal judgment. Hell is the permanent end for ruin, insolent, sinful humanity, Hell an awful place, the blackness of darkness forever. Oh, God does not want you to taste of His wrath, He wants you to drink of His love. And so, but whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. There is the satisfaction, the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of God, that God desires, that you might know Him and His Son Jesus Christ. Oh, that you might have.
The joy of forgiveness, the joy of knowing you'll spend eternity with God's beloved Son, forever in the glory. Oh, just these few thoughts to begin with. Now I'd like to turn back to the Old Testament because the Old Testament is beautiful. It's full of beautiful pictures. And I would like to turn to a passage tonight that would give us a little example or idea of the heart of God going out to all men and to see different responses to that wondrous invitation.
00:15:12
So can we turn please to Second Samuel Chapter 9?
Two Samuel, Chapter 9.
And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the House of Saul, that I may show him kindness?
For Jonathan's sake.
I'm going to stop right there just for a moment, because as we go through this chapter, I'd like you to bear in mind that David is a little picture to us of the Lord Jesus.
Now we find, unlike the Lord Jesus, that there was failures with David. And of course when we see David failing, that is not a type to us, that is not a picture to us of the Lord Jesus. But I believe we can see and David a picture of the throne of God and the love of Christ in desiring blessing for man. And so we find.
That David could say, Is there yet any left that is of the House of Saul, that I may show him kindness?
You know, it's been said that Scripture is the history of two men, the 1St man.
And the second man, Adam and Christ. And Saul was the first king of Israel. David was the 2nd king of Israel.
And I believe we have a little picture here of the heart of God and the heart of Christ wanting to bless any of the first race, the fallen race of Adam's race. And David said, is there yet any that is left of the House of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? Well, God wants to show you kindness. He wants to do you good and blessing. And as we read a few verses, we're going to notice a few that belong to the House of Saul to find the responses of those to whom this invitation applied.
They were of the House of Saul, and as such the blessing of God was for them.
And to see what their response to this wondrous invitation was.
Now verse 2.
And there was of the House of Saul a servant, whose name was Zaiba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Zaiba? And he said, Thy servant is he? And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house assault, that I may show him the kindness of God unto him? And Zebra said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziaba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the House of Maker, the son of Amule and Lodibar.
Then King David sent and fetched him out of the House of Maker, the son of Amule from Lodi Bar. Now in the Fibbage the son of Jonathan the son of Saul was coming to David. He fell on his face and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant. And David said unto him, Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan my father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
Then the king called Saul's servant, and said unto him.
I have given unto thy master's son all that pertain to Saul, unto all his house. Thou therefore, and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him.
Now shall bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat, but mephibosheth thy master's son.
Shall eat bread all the way at my table now. Ziba had fifteen sons and 20 servants.
Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that the Lord the king hath commanded his servant, social thy servant do as from Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table as one of the King's sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micah. And all that dwelled in the land in the House of Ziaba, were servants and a Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelled in Jerusalem, for he did eat continually at the King's table, and was lame on both his feet.
Well, the 1St man we want to notice that belonged to the House of Saul was Zaiba. Clearly says verse two, there was of the House of Saul a serving whose name was Ziva.
The question went out by David, who is left of the House of Saul, that I might show kindness. Well, here was a man that was the House of Saul. He was a servant in the House of Saul, but of the House of Saul just the same. And they called him. Perhaps there was those who said, well, here's Zaiba, he's of the House of Saul. Let's bring him to David.
Now, I want to make just a comment right now, and as we go through the chapter, we'll notice this.
Every time that Ziber speaks to David, he speaks of David as being his king or that he is David servant. He doesn't take the place of belonging to the House of Saul.
00:20:07
You know, there's people in this world tonight, and perhaps you're one of them, that have made the profession of Christian.
But first you have to own that year of the House of Saul. What I mean by that is this.
You must first own that you are a Sinner before God and you belong to a fallen race, that you have to own your need of Christ as your Savior. Profession will not do. And as you read this chapter, we find that Ziba continually seeks to work to get at the favor of David through one thing and another. And David not once acknowledges him other than speaking to him. And as we'll notice, thy master in reference to Saul, David continually puts him back, saying, Saul's your master, Saul's your masters. I have a year of the House of Saul. And continually this man speaks of David as being his Lord and master.
1St, we have to belong, we have to own that we belong to a lost race, we belong to the House of Saul, we belong to a fallen race, Adam's race. And so when they bring Zaiba to David and just add this thought to, it's interesting to notice the expression David and the expression the king because David was a man after God's own heart. And then read David, we see the heart of God coming out and blessing the man and the king carries more the thought of authority.
Well, they had called him unto David. The king said unto him, Art thou Ziba?
And he said, Notice thy servant is he, David, as much as says is.
Are you of the House of Saul? Aren't you Zaiba? He says, I serve in the sea. Oh, have you ever the word of God come to you and convict you that you're a Sinner before God? And you've answered I'm a Christian.
I asked the lady one time that I didn't realize it would be the last time I saw her as she lay there in this convalescent home bed. She was Speaking of her sorrow and her trouble and her grief.
And I said, do you know anything of the comfort of God, dot? And she said my father was a Baptist preacher.
But that wasn't the question I asked. Do you know anything of the comfort of God? The only thing of the love of God? It is not your natural connection. It is not who your relatives are. You belong to a lost race and as such you must come before God in that way. Thy servant is he. He wasn't David's servant. He was still of the House of Saul. And so David here says the king said in verse three, is there not yet any of the House of Saul that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And what does Zybus say? Yes, I'm here.
Wanting the kindness of God, he said, Jonathan hath yet a son.
Haven't heard that before.
I know someone that's a Sinner. I know someone that needs the gospel.
So it was available for Zyber, but he pointed out to somebody. He pointed out to someone that was lame on both his feet. Surely David would not be impressed with this. Someone that was lame on both his feet who could not serve him.
As he sought to Curry the favor of David, he started to finger point well Jonathan at the other son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where is he? Oh, where are you tonight? Friend? Before the eye of the holy God, where are you? Will we find out where Mephibosheth was? He was in this place called Lodi Bar.
I think if I remember correctly, the thought of Lodobar is a place of barrenness, a place of no pasture.
And that's what we had a little bit in our meetings today, isn't it? How God would take the beggar from a dunghill? They know the beggar is one that's entirely dependent on others. And that's what you are. It's what I am, is entirely dependent on the mercy of God. And a dungeon, the place of defilement, the place where you have nothing to offer to God and there's nothing that you can offer to God, friend, all you have is sins because all our righteousness is even or as filthy rags, this place of defilement. And Mephibosheth, I believe his name means a breathing shame.
Have you ever taken that place before? God? Why? If we get into our presence, we can say Amen to that.
Who can say? Yes, I am a breathing shame. All our hearts are so proud that they would prevent us from taking the place.
Of being a breathing shame in a place where there is no pasture anxiety appears to me that he was seeking to win favor with David by pointing out.
Is Mephibosheth a breathing shame lame on both his feet in the Lodi Bar, of all places?
Well, we find that David sent and fetched him. That was the one that he wanted to have blessing upon. Oh, God has sent His spirit into this world to bring souls into His presence and would to God tonight that He would work by His Spirit and bring you into the immediate presence of God, where you would have to do before God and to find that marvelous love that He has towards you, desiring your eternal blessing. What we find here as He comes in.
00:25:19
To David's presence David said, Mephibosheth. You know the Lord calls his sheep by name, and this one word from the mouth of David prostrates mephibosheth before David, and he says, Behold thy servant. Well, you know he had not yet entered into the thoughts of David. David didn't need another servant, much less a lame servant. All he did not yet enter into the love, the desire, the heart of God, or the heart of David for him, but he lays himself before David in his presence.
And as David speaks to the blessing that he has for him, Mephibosheth is overwhelmed. In verse eight, he bowed himself and said, What is thy servant?
That thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am.
Isn't that what we had in our Reading meeting this afternoon? Dead Gentiles, dogs of the Gentiles, dead in trespasses and sin. And here is Mephibosheth comes into the presence of David. He takes the place of being a dead dog. And all that's how we can take the place of being a dead dog in a breathing shame is when we get into the presence of Christ to see his wonderful love to us, to see his absolute holiness and how far we miss and how far we do not answer to what God's standard of perfection is.
And Mephibosheth bowels himself in worship of David's presence.
Well, we find as we move on that the king calls to Ziba.
Saul's servant, you see all through he Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given notice this thy master's son, all that pertained to Saul into his house. And now he finds in verse 10 that he provides this abundance for Mephibosheth Herziba becomes a servant. And then verse 11, then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my Lord the king hath commanded a servant, so shall thy servant do. Doesn't that sound familiar? Doesn't that sound like the children of Israel there when God had given them the law? All that the Lord has spoken will we do.
It's the language of the older son in Luke 15. You remember the story of the prodigal son.
But he had an older brother that was self-righteous and as he was pouting and angry.
That his father had received his prodigal brother. He says to his father he wouldn't go into that feast of merriment.
And joy, he was angry. So his father comes out to him. He says thou never gave us me a kid that I might make merry with my friends. He was angry and he said neither transgressed I thy commandment at any time. Well, he didn't enter into the heart of his father, did he? He was looking at his father as if he was a master looking for rigid obedience. And he was claiming his obedience was full and complete. And this is what Zaiba seeking to do and seeking to Curry the favor of David.
She says, according to all that my Lord, the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. Or have you ever come to the point in your life, perhaps as you struggle to earn the favor of God, to realize that is not what God wants? He wants you to take the place of needing absolute mercy and grace. Like Mephibosheth, who came in as a dead dog and we find will sit at the King's table as one of his sons. Here was I have a trying to win the favor of David through his works.
But God won't have it, because it's not of works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. You cannot earn your way into heaven, not by works, lest any man should boast as we have this afternoon. Oh, it's the favor, it's the graces, the goodness of God. Well, we find here Zaiba struggling to earn the favor of David. He finds it not. And Mephibosheth, who comes into his presence, takes the place of a dead dog, awed by the boundless grace of David towards him.
And now we find the Mephibosheth sits at David's table, notice as one of the King's sons. As one of his sons.
And God has sent the Spirit, his Spirit into our hearts, whereby we cry, ABBA, Father.
Oh, this is a place that Mephibosheth has brought to sit it David's table as one of his sons, and that place of dignity in that place of sonship, in that place of enjoyment of the heart of David and fullness. This is where Mephibosheth brought, but he was brought there not by promising to do all of Davide will. He was brought there as he fell before David and take the place of being a dead dog. Oh how we struggle sometimes to try to earn the favor of God when all He wants us to do is take the place of a broken, helpless, hell deserving Sinner.
00:30:07
And receive the boundless riches of his grace. So we find them. A fibreciath comes to this this the King's table. What an abundance of food was there to supply his every need on Ellis traveled on a little bit over to the 16th chapter.
Because the interim will find that Absalom Davidson rose up in rebellion and David was on the run. Mephibosheth was.
Left and now we find in chapter 16, Ziba comes to him.
Second Samuel 16 one and when David was a little past the top of the hill.
Behold, Zaiba, the servant of Mephibosheth now met him with a couple of ***** saddled, and upon them 200 loaves of bread and 100 bunches of raisins, and 100 of summer fruits in a bottle of wine. And the king said in his eyebrow, What meanest thou by these?
What you see? David says. What do you mean by this Zyber? Well, you know what Zyber was up to. Is there either chapter? We'll find out.
He's the inheritance that David had given the Mephibosheth and Zebra said the ***** be for the King's household to write on.
And the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink. And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziaba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem. For he said to day, Shall the House of Israel restore me the Kingdom of my father.
Then said the king desire. But behold, thine are all that pertained in the mephibosheth in Ziba, said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight. My Lord, O King, I'll just stop there to say that David was deceived by Mephibosheth. But you know you cannot deceive. God know there's a day when he's going to judge the secrets of hearts. The secrets of our hearts by Jesus Christ ought to think of that. There's nothing hid from Him, there's nothing secret. He knows it all. He's omniscient.
And that's all going to be come out and handled in perfect truth and righteousness. We see a failing with David here, but we read the passes to show how as I have a continued, he would not give up to try to earn the favor of David. But now we're going to find somebody else of the House of Saul. And perhaps you say you may not answer to Zyba. Perhaps you're not trying to earn the favor of God by what you perceive to be good works. Or you're not trying to earn the favor of God by taking the place of a Christian even though you know good and well you're not.
You've never accepted Christ as your Savior, but you would just as soon pass for a Christian among those that you mingle with. Perhaps you come in to this next man who is also of the House of soul in verse 5.
And when King David came to the Huron, behold, fence came out, a man of the family of the House of Saul, whose name was Shimmy I, the son of Gira. He came forth and cursed still as he came. And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. And thus said Shimmy I, when he cursed, come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man a Belial. The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the House of Saul, and who stead thou hast reigned? And the Lord hath delivered the Kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son.
And behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. And said Abishai, the son of Zury, I unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse? My Lord the king? Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. And the king said, What have I to do with you, You, you, ye sons of Zariah? So let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall say then wherefore hast thou done so? We'll just stop there. Here's another man says He's of the House of Saul.
And David's offer was any of the House of Saul that he might show kindness to him. But here is a man that despised David. Here's a man that reviled David. He cast stones at him. I hope that's not the expression of your heart, but sadly, it's the case of many in this world. One time I simply offered a gospel tract to a man at the gas station that was behind the the the bulletproof glass. Then he shoved the track through and I said, well, I simply he said, I don't appreciate this stuff being shoved down my throat.
I said I wasn't shoving it down your throat, I was just offering you this gospel tract. But he handed it back and he just glared at me and I walked away. Why the antipathy, Why the hate, why the opposition? I was just seeking his good and blessing. I think I trust to give him, tell him something of the love of God. Here's Davidde heart picture to us at the heart of Christ that go out to all men who would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And what a shimmy I do. He curses David and he cast stones at him. Oh, have you ever cursed the name, the blessed name of the Lord Jesus?
00:35:13
Says in the 139th Psalm his enemies take his name in vain.
Does God count you his enemy?
Oh, it's a solemn thing to take the name of God in vain. We all shimmy I curses. And we have this man Abishai who who had a heart for David and wanted to see justice and he wanted to set things right and he wanted to put an end to this man's shimmy eye who he despised. He spoke of him as a dead dog, just the language that Mephibosheth owned for himself. That was Abhishek's view. And David said let him curse.
No, He's thankful to God. We live on the day of His grace. There won't always be so there is a day.
When the Lord will execute judgment every morning, He will not allow this type of thing to continue on. But now it's the day of His grace and the Lord says let him curse. An old man goes on because God is showing grace to this world. He goes on in defiance of God's beloved Son and the truth of God and God in a sovereign ways. He allows that. He permits it to go on, but you know there is an end. Just reading.
Few proverbs on the way out and it struck me the 22nd of Proverbs I believe it is. There's this little a verse that says.
Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
And the next verse says this, for surely there is an end.
And thine expectation shall not be cut off. Why should my heart not envy sinners? Because there is an end.
And there is an end to the path, the path will end, and you may go on a shimmy eye, you may go on with your fist in the face of God, so to speak. But there is an end. And the counsel of the Proverbs is, let not thine heart end be sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long, for surely there is an end. There is a man named Mesaf on the 73rd Psalm. As he saw the prosperity of the wicked, and he could say their eyes bulge out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish. And as he considered, it was too painful for him to see that these men of this world, they prospered.
Godless men and it troubled ASAP. It bothered him, says Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I therein, yeah, therein there is going to be an end and there's going to be an end coming for you. And it may be sooner rather than later.
For my wife and I got married, we needed to stop by wanted to see the place where we were going to get married. It was a Community Center. And so it was open one large day afternoon. And we we stopped by and then we noticed there was some older people that were in a circle. They were singing songs of the world. So we just stayed out in the foyer and listened in. And this is a song they were singing. I only only words I remember were this enjoy yourself.
It's later than you think.
Enjoy yourself as later than they than you think and they were singing this song and.
As the end of the song, there was 2 old ladies sitting in the back and one turned to the other and said, isn't that the truth? Oh, but what about their souls? It's later than you think, and maybe later for you than you think, because there is an end. And that end for you may come tonight. Where will you go if God calls you into eternity tonight? Well, Jimmy, I was a he was a blasphemer, he cursed David.
We find that David allowed it, and we'll find that he allowed it for a time. But now let's move over to the 19th chapter.
Because we have these three people, we find Mephibosheth, who is the House of Saul.
That took the place of being a dead dog.
And he sat at the table of David, a picture to us of the Sinner. And we're all sinners. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
And you put your place as a center. Oh, that's where God would have you come to be blessed.
And he gets the richest blessing. He sits at the King's table as one of his own sons.
Then there's Ziba, who seeks to win the favor of David through gifts and through promises and through works and by profession. And then there's Shimmy Eye, a picture of a man that's a blasphemer and a man that has outright hatred for David, a picture of one that is hateful towards Christ. But now chapter 19 and verse 16, just notice here that David now is restored to the throne. Absalom is dead, and now David assumes that place of power once again.
00:40:07
#16 In Shimai the son of Gira of Benjamite, which was a Bahiram, hasted and came down to the men of Judah to meet King David. And there were 1000 men of Benjamin with him. And Ziba the servant of the House of Saul, and his fifteen sons, and his 20 servants with him. And they went over Jordan before the king. And they went over a ferry boat to carry over the King's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimi I, the son of Giraffe, fell down before the king as he was come over Jordan.
And said unto the king, Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did. Perversely, the day that my Lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart, For thy servant death, know that I have sinned. Therefore behold, I am come the first this day of all the House of Joseph, to go down to meet my Lord the king. But Abishai the son of Zuri, I answered and said, Shall not shimmy I be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed. And David said.
What have I to do with you, ye sons Azariah, that she should this day be adversaries unto me?
Shall there any man be put to death to stay in Israel? For do not I know that I am the stay king over Israel?
Therefore the king said unto Shemia, Thou shalt not die, And the king swear unto him.
And the fibrous the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and then he addressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed.
Until they take until the day he came again in peace. And it came to pass, when he has come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the King said unto him, Wherefore what is that not thou with me, Mephibosheth? And he answered, My Lord, O king, my servant, deceive me. For thy servant said, I will saddle me an *** that I might ride thereon and go to the king, because thy servant is lame, and he hath slandered thy servant unto my Lord the King. But my Lord the King is an Angel of God. Do therefore what is good in thine eyes. For all of my father's house were but dead men before my Lord the King.
Yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table? What right therefore have I yet to cry anymore unto the King? And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou anymore of thy matters? I have said, Thou in Ziaba divide the land. And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Ye let him take all, for as much as my Lord the King is come again in peace unto his own house.
Well here we have the two men Shimmy Eye who is a cursor of David, a picture of a blasphemer of Christ, and we find Zaiba, a picture of the religious man, the picture of man seeking to win the favor of God through his religion and works. We find now that Dave is in a place of honor, they both come to David.
On the same lines, no, nothing new for Ziba, but now Shimmy Eye has changed his tune.
And maybe there's a time, maybe as the word of God begins to trouble you and I trust or would trouble you and bother you about your sins. You say, you know, I, I've got to make good. I've got to in some way make up a tone for those sins that I've committed. I know it's not right. What we find here with Shimmy eye. He fears now the judgment of David. He fears the judgment of the king. And so he seeks to placate him by coming in.
And says in verse 19, Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me.
Neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely, the day that my Lord the King went out of Jerusalem, that the King should take it to his heart.
You know.
God, let's turn to the 10th Psalm. There's just a few verses I'd like to read in this regard.
Psalm 10.
Because Jimmy, I was seeking to cause David just as it were to sweep this under the rug. Don't remember that's history is you know what's in the past. Let's go on from here David. I was wrong and imperviously I sinned. But let's move forward on this. Let's not get hung up in what was happened before. But you know, man's thoughts are all these always wrong. And now the 10th Psalmist. Notice there's three things here that man says in his heart. Verse 6.
The first thing that the wicked says is, I shall not be moved, for I shall never.
Be in adversity.
Verse 11.
He has said in his heart, God hath forgotten, He hideth his face, he will never see it.
Verse 13.
Middle of the verse he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. Three things that the wicked man says.
And all of them are not true. The first, he says, is I shall not be moved.
I shall never be in adversity. Perhaps you know.
00:45:04
Perhaps you are a person like that. I shall never be an adversity. I'll never be in trouble. I'm never going to tremble. I don't eat God. That's the heart of the wicked. I shall not be moved. All you know that's not the case, because you do have to do with God.
That one you know the devils believe in tremble, but how about you? Are you not as wise as the demons?
They tremble at the thought of God, but not sinful, stubborn, foolish man, the wicked.
He says, I'll never be in adversity then, and down in verse 11 we say, well, God hath forgotten.
He never will see it.
But God has seen it and He hasn't forgotten your sins. It is only the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanseth us from all sin.
That will blot out your transgressions as a thick cloud. No in God's memory.
He's not going to forget those sins. They must be cleansed away in the blood of Christ. But here the wicked says, well, he'll never see it. And then in verse 13 you say, well, maybe he will see it, but he won't require it because how many times have you heard this? Well, God is a God of love, and I can't imagine a God of love sending anybody to hell.
You've heard that, I'm sure I've heard that. But that's not the truth of God, because we don't have a God of our own imagination, a God of our own thoughts. We have to go with God.
Bow to the God as He reveals Himself in this precious book. And there is wrath and there is judgment for sin. And yes, God will sin.
Sinners into hell. The word of God is plain on that. Oh, but you see the philosophy of the wicked.
Is all off base. Well, here's Jimmy. I though I was telling David, telling the king, don't remember, let's just move forward on this. What's past is past. Let bygones be bygones. And now I'm going to take the place like Zyva as a faithful servant. And you know, he even said I have sinned. I have sinned. Yeah, but what have you done about those sins?
Well, the Lord, he's a pure eyes to behold iniquity and cannot look upon.
Umm, sin. I'm not quoting that exactly, but God cannot, He cannot bypass it.
And now what does he say in verse 20? This is shimmy. I now think of it. This man that was cursing David, he said therefore.
Behold, I am come the first, this day of all the House of Joseph.
He takes the place of sinning. Now does he say, I come as one belonging to the House of Saul.
Answering to your invitation, David, of getting the blessing of God. No, he says of the House of Joseph, of all things.
Joseph, a beautiful picture of Christ, one that we just you can't help but admire. And what a figure he is in the history of Israel. And this is who Shimiai says of the House of Joseph. Oh, but the blessing of David is for the House of Saul. Well, David doesn't put him to death. He shows mercy. And I'm not going to turn to it. But if we turn to 2nd Kings chapter one, David as he passes the reigns of administration to his son Solomon, he notes shimmy eye.
He notes shimmy eye.
And Solomon has the boundary put down across if he crosses the brook, he'll be put to death.
And we know that Shumi I does cross that that brook and he is put to death because there is a there is a day coming when God will judge. He will judge. It's the day of his grace now. So David doesn't put this man to death, but there was an end for Shimmy I.
And so we find that his profession of serving David, it did not stand, and neither will your profession of being a Christian unless you first own yourself as a Sinner before God and accepting his free offer of salvation. But now he comes this this little reference to Mephibosheth.
We find that he hasn't taken care of himself in the absence of his king.
In the absence of David, the absence of the king, because Mephibosheth had a true heart, and we find that while.
While David fails in this, he's been deceived by Ziba. We find the Mephibosheth in the day of David's rejection. His heart is true to David. What a wonderful thing it is. Oh, have you accepted and known Jesus as your Lord and your Savior? Have you been true to him in the day of his rejection? He's been cast out here. He's not wanted here with a Mephibosheth heart was ever with David and we find something else.
Really, Mephibosheth, taking the humble place, rebukes David. David had brought him to the very place of favor at his table. Now Mephibosheth just takes the place of a servant before him. And he says in verse 27, we reference desire. But he has slandered thy servant unto my Lord the king.
00:50:11
Well, just a little word here. Oh, Zaiba would rest at nothing to try to get the favor of David, even if it meant slandering this poor man. Mephibosheth all. Beware of taking up with slander, speaking cruelly of those that God loves. It says in Proverbs 30, Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he rebuke thee, and thou be found guilty. Oh, don't be guilty of the sin of slander. Don't be guilty of sinning against the Lord's people. For he says, he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye.
Well, this man's eyebrow was a slander. Oh, you say, you might appeared very good on the surface, willing to serve, willing to work, willing to promise just about anything. But he was a wicked man, and it's manifested in the slanderous attack he made on this poor defenseless man named Mephibosheth. All your heart is going to get manifested sooner or later.
It says in Jeremiah that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked or incurably wicked. Who can know it?
Do not delude yourself into thinking there is some spark of divinity within as man speaks.
There isn't. They that are in the flesh cannot please God. There is nothing that you can bring to God.
That will win his favor. No, the only way to be brought into favor of God is to take your place as a lost Sinner, because Christ has suffered for sins. That one whom God found his eternal delight and favor, he went into death. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Being made a curse for us always made a curse. He was made sin. He suffered more than tongue can tell. And God showed his satisfaction and that wondrous work of redemption by raising him from the dead.
You know, if we had turned back to this 12Th chapter, we didn't do it before we read the passage.
For this invitation of David goes forth. Is there any of the House of Saul that I may show kindness to him? The chapter before shows all the victories of David, but not all of them, but many of them over the Moabites and the Ammonites and the Amalekites and the Philistines and the Syrians. All these enemies put down David Gatt himself a name. He got himself a name. You know, I think of that in Ephesians chapter one, how the Lord Jesus and resurrection has put above, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named both in this world.
And that which is it which is to come? The Lord Jesus. God has given him a name that is above every name.
David got himself a name in resurrection there, that glorified man. He sends out a message.
A blessing just as David, after defeating his foes, sends out this message.
To whosoever will, because it's any of the House of Saul, any of the houses Saul, That's what we've come to. That's what I'm trying to bring out tonight, a little picture of the love of God that would go out for whosoever. It would go out for everyone, just as David's message went out to the House of Saul. We find though, there was one man that refused to take that place, tried to say that he was a servant of David that tried to win and buy David's favor. And David didn't own it and find a man that cursed David, although the message was for him.
And then he tried to win back by his good words and fair speeches. Then we find a man that took the place of being a helpless Sinner and that is the one that got the blessing of God. And that is the way that you tonight can get the blessing of God is to accept God's word as it's so clear all of sin and come short of the glory of God. Brother back home has pointed out, I believe in the Spanish's death to evil is destitute of the glory of God. There's nothing in you to commend you to God.
All have sinned.
To take that place before him.
Well, one more reference I'd like to turn to, and that's the 21St chapter.
Because all though it does not say, these individuals were the House of Saul.
They are just the same and I won't go into this. Let me just.
Narrate a little bit of this chapter because of time.
Years before.
There were those in these giving I see inhabitants of the land that God had ordered his people to destroy that did not want to be destroyed, and they dressed themselves up with old shoes and and the moldy bread and so on, and to see the elders of Israel and allowing them to come into the camp of Israel, the Gibeonites.
And they were to be slain and put to death, and.
God. When they were brought in, God allowed it to be a reproach to them, certainly, but there they were.
But now Saul, we find in this chapter, he raised up a campaign or an extermination. He tried to exterminate those Gibeonites. He might have said, well, they're a blight on the testimony of Israel. They don't belong in here. They should have been killed. And I don't want him. So he he raised this attack and he killed these Gibeonites. And what happened? There was famine. There was famine in the land of Israel. He should have accepted it. But we find that how was how was there going to be peace in the Kingdom?
00:55:31
Well, it's a sad way as a deplorable state what happened in Israel. But let's notice in verse 6, this is what the Gibeonites said, in order that I might say there be restitution for this wrong that had been done against them. Now Saul was dead, the famine came in the next generation, you might say in David's day. In verse six, it says, let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, That is 7 men of Saul's sons, and we will hang them up under the Lord and give you of Saul, whom the Lord did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
Verse 7 But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the Lord's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. But the king took the two sons of Rizva, the daughter of Aya, whom she bare unto Saul, Harmoni, and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Michael the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the maholophyte. And so on he delivered them into the hands of the Gimme Knights, and they hang them in the hill before the Lord. And so on seven men of the House of Saul that were put to death.
But did you notice how it says in verse 7 the king spared Mephibosheth? Oh, he spared him.
It reminds me of John's Gospel chapter 5 and verse 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word.
And believeth on him that sent me shall not come into judgment, but is past from death unto life.
So if you believe this knight and receive the gospel of your salvation.
And you accept Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You will not come into judgment.
You're hearing the word, but the question is, have you believed it and made it your own? You will not come into judgment.
Oh, he could the Lord could say in John 10, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Oh, the security for a sheep that trusts in Christ never perish. And so Mephibosheth comes. The day of judgment arise, but Mephibosheth is spared. He does not come under the judgment of the king. But what about these other seven sons of Saul? You know one. Even his name was Mephibosheth.
And he was hung. Same name of the House of Saul indeed, but one lost one in death, and one lives.
There was someone, certain ones were talking, I understand about the gospel and the importance of, of of salvation and a man who wanted to put off and procrastinate accepting Christ. He said, well, remember the thief on the cross. And the response was which thief?
It's been said there's only one deathbed conversion in Scripture, one that none might despair.
But only one that none might presume.
Brother back home.
Who?
Did some parachuting.
Was on the ground.
As a man came down parachuting and the chute did not open.
As he went into the ground in depth, the man says we'll all be saved at the 11Th hour, 10th hour. Whatever is said, I'll, I'll get right with God before I enter eternity. But apparently as this man came down with his closed parachute as he went into the ground and apparently the noise comes quite good from from earth to earth to to sky. And as this man plummeted to his death, his mouth is full of oaths and curses as he went into the ground and was killed instantly.
Oh, don't say I'll get right with God right before I enter death. God. God is going to know.
Of obligation to take your soul to heaven.
You have a responsibility to believe the gospel tonight, he pleads in grace for your soul to come.
There were two thieves on the cross. One was saved indeed. One looked and said, Lord, Remember Me? But there was another thief.
Into a crisis, eternity he went, oh, don't trifle with God. Don't play fast and loose with the things of God. Eternity is forever, and eternity to forever regret that fateful decision you made to reject Christ. Don't do it. And so there are seven sons of Saul. Why did they not accept the same invitation the Mephibosheth had? I don't know.
01:00:12
But the fact is they didn't Doctor Walston, WTP Walleston, they made the statement that procrastination is the recruiting officer of hell. Oh, how many souls intend to be saved sometime and all you, you are fully intent that one day you'll have to do with God and you'll get this matter, your sins straightened out and you'll have it all out before him and you'll have the peace of God. You fully intend to do that, but you're going to do it later. Well, friend, later never comes. God's word is now. Now is the day of salvation. God had plead with your soul, not only does he commend his love to you, He commands all men everywhere to repent and why?
Because He's appointed a day into which he will judge the world and righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, that is the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus, whereof he's given assurance into all men, and that he raised him from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is assurance that God is going to judge this world by Christ. He's given assurance to you. There is judgment, it is coming. Are you prepared to meet God?
Wilhelm. We have these few pictures, then, of those of the House of Saul.
As we began the meeting for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. So the message goes out to all mankind. And what is your response? Why don't you take the place of the Mephibosheth and said yes, I'm a Sinner. I am at lost a hell deserving Sinner, desirous of the mercy of God. Oh, he will save you. Don't take the places IVA. I trust enough verses have been read.
From the Word of God to convince you to show you clearly that you cannot earn the favor of God by your works, by your promises, by your religion, by whatever it might be.
And to the warning for one that would blasphemy Christ. Oh, he takes it variously. He will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. And there are those we don't know why they accepted, did not accept the message of David. Perhaps they intended to one day, but they didn't don't put off.
Accepting Christ as your Savior.