Lameness That Lifts Me | II Samuel 9:13

Amen. There's an exegetical invitation I want to extend to you. I pray that you accept. You've been invited to fellowship with me this morning, the book of 2 Samuel. 2 Samuel chapter number 9.

Y'all gonna pray with me this morning?

2 Samuel chapter number 9. I'm gonna try to take 10 minutes off of my average sermon time this morning. 2 Samuel chapter number 9. I feel good this morning. We're gonna go down to verse number 13. Word of God says, so Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king's table. Now he was lame in both his feet. You may be seated. We thank God for his word, for the perpetual nature that lies there within. Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem now. And he ate at the king's table, yet and still he was lame in both of his feet. Just a few moments, with your help, I want to wrestle this morning from the subject lameness that lifts me. Lameness that lifts me. US Treasury Department has a division called the Mutilated Currency Division, and the Mutilated Currency Division has a very unique role. The role of the Mutilated Currency Division is to— I'm about to shout— redeem damaged money. Because paper currency has the tendency and propensity to be torn and damaged.

However, it is the role of said division to ensure that even though the currency has been damaged, that is not thrown away. Because it suggests that even though it may be ripped, even though it may be torn, even though it may have marks and damages, it still has value. And the damages on the currency does not devalue the currency. And, and the mutilated currency division ensures that the currency still has value based upon its maker and not devalued because of its mark. Child of God, come with me this morning to 2 Samuel chapter 9. We find this obscure man by the name of Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth at this moment has a problem because in 2 Samuel chapter 4, in a flee from David since he was Jonathan's son, he could have been looked at as a threat to David's kingdom. So Mephibosheth's nurse, in a rush to flee, dropped poor Mephibosheth. And at this tender age, in his youth, he was dropped on his feet, and from that day forward he became crippled. Now some time has passed up until 2 Samuel chapter 9. Y'all gonna be patient with me, are you? 2 Samuel chapter 9. David has it in his heart, I'm on the king— I'm on the throne now, but I have some unfinished business because I had a friend by the name of Jonathan, and Jonathan was very close to me, and I made a vow to Jonathan. And now I have not gotten too high to forget those who've helped me get to where I am today. And so the story goes that David asked the question, is there anybody in the house of Saul that I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake? That was this servant of Saul's house by the name of Ziba. Ziba says, yeah, there is this one, his name is Mephibosheth, but he's lame in both feet. David said, I don't care, bring him here. And he talks to old Mephibosheth and says, I'm gonna be merciful on you from this day forward. I know that you now reside in this obscure land called Lo Debar. But that's now your past. From this day forth, I want you and your lame feet to eat from the king's table. Y'all missed your shout. Even with his marks, he still had value. Even with his crippled legs, he was eating at the king's feet. And I want to know today if there's somebody in the house who— I see you with your suit on, I see you with your dress on, but you really have some crippled feet.

But your crippled feet has not stopped you from being blessed by your king. I'm gonna give you about 5 seconds because I'm trying to cut my sermon time down, but y'all acting mighty uppity with me this morning because I know many of your stories. And I know how good you are not, but yet and still the grace and mercy of God is overshadowing you right now. No matter what you've done, he's been good to you. No matter what you said, he's been good to you. No matter what you thought, he still healed you. No matter what you thought, he's still been proud of providing for you. Is there anybody who wants to confess, yes, I'm crippled, but he still cares for me.

Here is the irony. Thank you. In the text, we see the good news. In this text says the story ends here in chapter 9. It says that Mephibosheth now lives in Jerusalem. He don't live in Lo Debar. He doesn't live in this lonely, dark place anymore. But now Mephibosheth doesn't have to hide. He now eats from the king's table. But then the writer tells us something else: he's still lame in both feet. The grace in the text is that he's eating at the king's table.

But also the grace in the text is that he still has lame feet, which means that his life ain't all together there, but he's still at the king's table. And I want to let somebody know today, two can exist at the same time. I can have my problems, but I still have grace. God ain't took all of my issues away., but he's still blessing me. God ain't removed all of my problems, but I'm still anointed. God ain't took away all my tears yet, but I'm still at the king's table. And I'm not gonna let my lame feet tell the rest of my story, but I am gonna focus on the fact that I'm still at the king's table.

Can I take a turn on this text here? Because many of you all are Bible scholars and you know this story well. So can I dig another hole in this text? Hermeneutically help us see something. This is a political story because whenever a new king ascended to the throne, his practice— don't shout, Gavin— His practice was to eliminate the family of the previous king because it's highly probable that since that family member's alive, he or she would take the rightful place to the throne. But David saw that Mephibosheth was already crippled. So therefore, Mephibosheth, his ailment makes him not a threat.

So the grace in the text is that not only did David show him kindness, but God got in his lame feet and says, I'm gonna use your lame feet to put you in position that where people will want to show you kindness because they don't see you as a threat. Come on, since you missed it, it would be good if God would have taken away Mephibosheth's lame feet, but that's not what God did. But God got in Mephibosheth's problem and says, I don't have to eliminate your problem to bless you, but here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna use your problem, I'm gonna use your past, I'm gonna use what other people did, I'm gonna use what other people hurt you, I'm gonna use your flaws I'm going to use your lameness and I'm going to use that to lift you. Is there anybody in Pilgrim Rest this morning who knows that God not only blessed you through your problems, but he took your problems and used them to propel you to your destiny? They thought they were getting rid of you, but shapers put you in the hands of God. They thought that they were talking about you and spreading rumors, they just put you more popular for— you going to be exposed in your anointing. And I thank God today that the problems that God don't eliminate, he use them to propel me. Oh, bless his holy name this morning, because many of you think that you don't have grace because you still got a problem. But my prayer for you in preparation for this message is that God would take every last one of your problems and use the problem to propel you to your destiny. And we know that all things work together for the good of them, and that means that even your lame feet moments, God can use that for your good.

Let me see how I'm doing on my time. Here's what I came to preach. That God can take your painful places and use it to propel you to prominence. I know I look good when I said that. Why y'all looking at me like that? I'll say it again. God can take your painful place and use it to propel you to prominence. In other words, He gonna take that and add to you what the enemy thought he was doing against you.

God meant it for your good. So even if it ain't changed yet, that means God gonna change it to help you.

Here it is. I gotta turn this corner. Let me unpack my luggage and pull out some Hermeneutic Highlights. 167 is over that way. And I'm gonna see which way I'm gonna put my blink on. Tex does a good job of outlining something that we must be mindful of. We have to grow to be mindful of problematic priorities. Are y'all gonna pace with me this morning? I have a problem with a character in this text because I know him very well, and I think it may be a few of them in here. If you're guilty, just change and we gonna forget. This man by the name of Ziba, some call him Ziba. Y'all won't know my indictment against him. David asked a simple question. See, see, the question was, is there anybody in the house of Saul that I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake? Ziba says, yes, Mephibosheth, but he got lame feet.

Ziba, who asked you what his problem was?

The answer to the question was yes, Mephibosheth. Sweet children, this morning, how focused and how much do we prioritize people's problems? How much do we make other people's lame feet our business? How often do we disqualify people from the favor of God because we've seen them limp when they walk? What have you heard about somebody that's caused you to say, God, they are there, but they've done this? Who have you seen lately that God has favored them, and you've told yourself why God should not favor them? Whose resume have you read, and you see the blemishes and flaws on their resume?

And you've turned up your holy halo and said, God, you must don't know that they got lame feet.

I've been sad on social media, which is where the zybal spirit is very prevalent. I've been seeing the story and all the facts hadn't come out yet. I've been seeing the story about the young athlete who took his life under the pressure of that ziba spirit. And I came to let somebody know today, Mephibosheth, don't you let ziba diminish you from what God has for you.

Don't you let what people got to say about you cause you to disqualify yourself, because if God has favor on you God can favor you even in the midst of your flaws, and God's favor can bless you to eliminate your flaws. And I want to serve as a living witness today that yes, sometimes I limp. Yes, sometimes I got lame feet. But God, I thank you that you are still looking for me. I don't want to preach too long this morning But somebody— I want to give somebody hope this morning because people are dealing with peer pressure, trying to impress other people. People are trying to hurt themselves, trying to live up to other people's standards because you know that they know that you got lame feet. But let me tell you, yes, I got lame feet, but I got the Lord who is on my side. He walks with me with my lame feet. He talks with me with my lame feet. He orders my steps even though I got lame feet. Before you share, before you comment, you better ask yourself what God is going to do for them in the midst of me with your sharing self, with your screenshotting self, with your group chatting self.

Ziba gets on my nerves, but here is what blessed me. Ziba, or Ziba, whatever floats your boat, says he got lame feet. Oh, but stay calm, Gavin. Because you got a jacket on, you can't sweat through this and take it to the cleaners in the morning. Ziba said he got lame feet, but go back and read it. When Ziba said, the king still sought. Preach, Gavin Robert Hamps! Because after Ziba said he got lame feet. The king said, let me see him.

Ziba, you trying to tell David why he shouldn't see him. But despite what you say, thanks be to God that the king is still seeking. And I know that you don't want to admit it this morning, but there have been enough said about you that the king should not want to see you. But this king wants to see you. Despite what people say about you, despite what people got to say about your finances, the King wants to see you. Despite what people got to say about your scandal, the King wants to see you. Despite what the teacher said about you in school, the King still wants to see you.

And I thank God today Somebody better receive this prophetic, that the King is still seeking me despite what you said about me.

Keep on talking, the King's still seeking. Keep on gossiping, the King's still seeking. And I am going to be available. And when you just keep watching my story, he gonna come straight to me.

It feels good this morning to know that God used a lame man and made the lame man where his story was not finished based upon his crippled feet. And I want to tell somebody today Some of you may have been in a painful season. Some of you may be going through a painful season right now, but even through your pain, God can still promote. Even through the defects, God can still do the divine. Can I help you with a little bit of American history this morning? I know y'all don't care. But this thing preached me when God gave it to me. The Declaration of Independence, this treatise, this famed document signed in 1776. And we know this colloquialism, uh, uh, uh, can I get your John Hancock? John Hancock one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Ooh Lord, his signature is so distinct on the document. Matter of fact, if you go look at it, it's perhaps one of the largest signatures on the document, and his signature is now etched in human and American history. But y'all know there's more to John Hancock, don't you? Come here. Guess what I found out about old Hancock? Hancock suffered from what some of you men may know, and perhaps ladies may know about in here. He suffered from gout. Gout is condition where you have inflammation in the limbs. One of those limbs in which gout impacts is the fingers. Okay, okay, all right. But yet with infected hands.

He was still able to have impact despite his infection. Can I help somebody who has spiritual gout this morning? You may have gout in your past. God say just offer him your gout and he can use you and your gout to do something that's going to be lasting longer than whatever you can last.

And that was sign to have impact with infected hands. Y'all ready for me to leave? Y'all got your beans on and y'all ready for me to leave? Can I show you one more thing and I'm done? Text shows us also about promised prominence. I told you my problem with Ziba. He said that he got lame feet. When David called Mephibosheth to him, Mephibosheth said something so strange, but I think we often say the same thing: mind your business. He says, who am I that you would show such kindness to a dead dog? That sounds very humble, but really, if you dig deeper, it's not humility. It's humiliation. Cause you got to think that Mephibosheth, since he was a little boy, has been abandoned and been banished to Lo Debar. Lo Debar is a place of nothingness and has nothing to offer. And Mephibosheth has now been victimized by his current reality. What is your current reality that has caused you to change the way you view yourself? What spiritual load of bar are you in that when God wants to bless you, you talk about how unworthy you are? As opposed to just saying, thank you, God, that even though I'm in this place, you're still blessing me. What mistakes, what past, what truth has caused you to think as you yourself as a dead dog? I hope the question irritates us this morning because Mephibosheth is not the only one who's wrestling with dead dog syndrome. I'm looking at some people right now, you've been shouting, you've been clapping, you've been dancing, you've been singing, but you don't think that you deserve anything because you've been in the load of bar. You feel good right now, but when you walk out of here and go back home, you're gonna get that load of bar spirit back in you. God deliver us from being impacted by the spirit of Lo Debar. Here's the problem with Lo Debar. Even though he was in Lo Debar, he forgot that he was still coming from a royal lineage.

I know I'm in Lodabar now.

Hurry up, Gavin.

I know I'm in Lodabar now, but if I look in my family tree, I may be in Lodabar now, but I still come from a royal lineage.

And here it is. Somebody listening to me today has let your reality cause you to forget that you're still royal.

Chosen generation, a royal priesthood. I'm an heir and joint heir of the Savior. So yes, I live here, but I have a citizenship in the kingdom of God. So don't address me by what you think. I still belong to the King.

So address yourself as such. Come here. Can I show you how there's blessings in loadable? I wish I had time this morning. Here it is. Here it is. God, when your favor— here it is, listen to this closely. Two hands.

When God has favor on your life, he doesn't have to change your location, but he can chase you at your location. Like it, like it, like it, like it, like it before I say it again. When God's favor is on your life, he don't have to change your location, but he can chase you in your current location before he change your location.

Don't you forget that you belong to the King. Here it is, here's what blessed me, here's what blessed me. I thank God for this because it lets me know what's possible. Notice that healing the feet was not required for the king to give him a new seat. And somebody today, you're waiting on your feet to change.

But God says, I'm God enough to take you with your issues, and before your feet change, I can change and put you in a brand new location that you can sit there even with your issues, with your problems, and you still belong even though you got some work to do.

I gotta go. I gotta go, I gotta go, I gotta go. Rembrandt, the great artist, has a famous portrait called The Night Watch. The neat thing about this Night Watch is it's a live painting and it has great value. However, Rembrandt's Night Watch had been vandalized several times over history. 1975, it was cut down the center. 1990, somebody actually poured acid on Rembrandt's The Night Watch. When they prepared it, when they repaired it, they did not make an entirely new portrait, but what they did They took those blemishes and they worked with the blemishes to restore the painting back to where it was supposed to be.

So that means that God does not have to remove all your blemishes, but sometimes he wants to take those blemishes and still restore you.

Here's why, here's why I read this and my glasses fogged up. They asked, why y'all just didn't make a new painting? They said, because even though it had blemishes, it's still more valuable than if we would have made a replica.

Because even though it got blemishes, it still got Rembrandt's name on it. So even though it got its problems, it's got the right name on it. And that's why God still accepts you. Yes, you got your blemishes, but you got the right name on you. Yes, you got your mistakes, but you got the right name on you. So you don't need a new you, you just need a you in God's hands.

Good night, good night. Can somebody find E-flat for me? Here it is. I'm looking for somebody in this text, and y'all know who I'm trying to find. I've wrestled with the story for years, and, and I was tempted to say that the table is really somebody who's Jesus because he covered his feet. That's true, that's true. Really, since it was for Jonathan's sake, you can easily identify Jonathan as the Christ. But there is another inanimate object in this text. I told you that typically the king would go looking for the predecessor's family and he would eliminate— he would exhibit his wrath on the predecessor's family in order to eliminate them. But In this case, when the king went looking for people to give his wrath to, people— he didn't give wrath to Mephibosheth because he already had crippled feet. So when the king saw that something had already been crippled. He didn't kill Mephibosheth, but he gave grace to Mephibosheth.

And he gave grace—

good night—

to Mephibosheth because he saw that the feet had already been crippled. And when God sees us today, he could express his wrath on us, but instead of giving us wrath, he sees that his son has already been crippled. And because his son has already been crippled, now when he sees me, he invites me to the table. And all I'm trying to tell you is that I thank God he still sees crippled feet. He sees what happened on Calvary. He sees the blood that was shed on Calvary. He see the bruises on Calvary. He see the crown of thorns on Calvary. And now when he sees me, he welcomes me to his table. I should have put it in E-flat.

I'll do it next Sunday. But I thank God that it was the lameness in those feet, in those feet, that lifted me. And he took the lameness that he saw and used that as a reason to show grace. We all for Jesus this morning. We offer salvation this morning.