Sermon by Rev. Richard Jones
Is There Mercy Still For Me?
2 Samuel Chapter 9
CONSIDERING THE OUTCAST
2 Samuel 9:1-4 (ESV)
1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan”™s sake?”
2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.”
3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”
4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”
CALLING THE OUTCAST
2 Samuel 9:5-8 (ESV)
5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.
6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”
7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”
8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
CHANGING THE OUTCAST
2 Samuel 9:9-13 (ESV)
9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul”™s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master”™s grandson.
10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master”™s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master”™s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David”™s table, like one of the king”™s sons.
12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba”™s house became Mephibosheth”™s servants.
13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king”™s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
Ephesians 2:1-7 (ESV)
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience””
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ””by grace you have been saved””
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Titus 3:3-7 (ESV)
3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.