It is my privilege
to welcome you today
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to a program
entitled, Pillars of Faith.
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Pillars of Faith.
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This is a series of programs
that we air to give a good
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foundation for
life from Scripture.
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And each one of our
"Pillars of Faith" programs
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look at various
subjects of Scripture that are
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foundational for life.
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And today I am privileged to
introduce to you our speaker,
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our own C.A.
Murray, Pastor C.A. Murray.
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He is a student of Scripture.
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He has the love
of God in his heart.
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He's much loved here at
3ABN, and I know you viewers
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around the world love
Pastor Murray as well.
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His series is
entitled, Walk This Way.
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Often times life has
been described as a journey.
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As we walk along this journey
in life, it's important that we
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follow a good map so
that we reach the destination
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that we want to
achieve at the end of the road.
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And of course, we hope
that destination is heaven.
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And there's no better map that
I know of than the Word of God.
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And Pastor Murray has
developed a wonderful series
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entitled, Walking This Way.
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Part one was, Stay This Way.
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Part two, The Wise Way.
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Part three, Pray This Way.
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And now we are going to
hear, as Elder Murray presents,
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Be This Way.
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So I will have a word of prayer,
and then I would ask all of you
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to give our own Pastor C.A.
Murray your undivided attention.
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Let's bow our heads for prayer.
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Father in heaven, we
just thank You so much
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that You loved us enough
to not only give Your Son
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and send us the Holy
Spirit as we need for a guide,
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but You also left a written
Word that we can hold and read
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and use as a map
for guiding life.
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Please be with Your
manservant Elder Murray
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as he breaks the
bread of life to us.
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Give him clarity of thought,
give him articulation of tongue,
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and may we listen and
take heed to the Word.
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We pray in Jesus name, amen.
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Thank you very much.
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I can call him
actually Pastor Brian Hamilton,
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though he is now
the CFO here at 3ABN.
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Brian has pastored, and is
no mean student of the Word.
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He's a solid content preacher.
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He's stood in this pulpit
many times on Sabbath morning
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and delivered the Word
with passion and with power.
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And if we are fortunate and
blessed, we'll get to hear him
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in a future Pillars of Faith.
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He is a good preacher, and
one who divides the Word well.
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Today's message is a
little something that I put in
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simply because I wanted to
add something to this series
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that pertained
to our daily walk,
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to making our
Christian walk better.
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So we're taking, dare I
say, just a slight left turn,
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but it does fall into the
regime that we have established.
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"Stay This Way" was
Paul's counsel to the Hebrews...
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Hebrews
Christians, I need to say.
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...who were thinking
about returning back to Judaism.
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And Paul in his, dare I say,
apologetic, in his commercial,
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in his reciting and
reminding the Hebrew Christians
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of the pedigree of
Christ, the greatness of Christ,
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the all encompassing
uniqueness of Christ,
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was encouraging them
throughout the book of Hebrews,
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"Now that you've
begun to walk this way,
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stay this way.
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Don't go back into Judaism.
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Don't go back into the old way.
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Even though it's convenient,
even though it certainly has
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less trauma and drama
than the new Christian faith,
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stay this way.
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Stay with your
brothers and sisters."
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And then we talked
about the book of John
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in dealing with, The Wise Way.
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And John, in the gospel of Saint
John, does almost the same thing
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that Paul is doing to
the Hebrew Christians.
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He is giving a, dare I
say, commercial for Jesus.
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He is telling them of
the excellency of Christ.
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Again, the uniqueness of Christ.
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And we saw in, The Wise
Way, the touchless Jesus.
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We saw a Christ whose miracles
did not contain any kind of
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physical touch.
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And we said that the
reason for the way John
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structured his gospel,
the way he viewed Jesus,
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is because John wrote
to an audience who lived
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after the death of Christ,
who was the second generation
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of Christians towards
the end of the first century.
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Didn't know Christ face to face.
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Didn't touch Christ,
didn't handle Christ.
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All they had was the testimony
of the apostolic fathers
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and the Word.
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And we established that
when you've got the Word,
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it's as good as
having the presence.
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So those who were with Christ
had no advantage over those
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who came a little
bit later, because of the
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power of the Word.
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In the beginning was the
Word; the Word was with God,
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and the Word came
and dwelt among us.
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And so their connection
to Christ was the Word.
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And John is saying that
that connection is as strong
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as the physical connection.
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And healing can come
about through the Word
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just like it can come
about through the touch.
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And then we dealt with
another aspect of the gospel
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on yesterday's presentation.
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So we see now that in
the, staying this way and
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wisdom's way, and those
things that Christ has asked
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us to do, we can
serve Him faithfully.
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So today we want to look at
an aspect of Christian living,
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of Christian
growth, of Christian life,
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that I think is important
to our Christian living
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and will help us as we walk
this road that leads to glory.
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I'm going to ask
you to turn with me now
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to the Old Testament.
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2 Samuel 9:3-8
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2 Samuel 9:3-8
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And we will speak with
the Lord just once more.
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Father God, we ask
You to bless our words
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as we look at a very special
aspect of Christian living.
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Would You please give
us a complete understanding
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so that we can know
and do that which is right.
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We thank You,
Father. In Jesus name, amen.
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When we spoke of, Pray
This Way, on yesterday,
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our last presentation, we
looked at the model prayer.
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And there are aspects of
that model prayer that really
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feed into what we are
going to talk about today,
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as we looked at
Matthew 6 on yesterday.
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But I'm in 2 Samuel
9 beginning at verse 3.
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"Then the king said,
'Is there not still someone
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of the house of
Saul to whom I may
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show the kindness of God?'
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And Ziba said to the
king, 'There is still a son of
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Jonathan who is
lame in his feet.'
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So the king said
to him, 'Where is he?'
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And Ziba said to the
king, 'Indeed he is in the
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house of Machir the son
of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.'
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Then King David sent and
brought him out of the house
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of Machir the son of
Ammiel, from Lo Debar.
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Now when Mephibosheth
the son of Jonathan,
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the son of Saul, had come
to David, he fell on his face
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and he prostrated
himself," the Bible says.
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"Then David
said, 'Mephibosheth?'
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And he answered,
'Here is your servant!'
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So David said to him, 'Do
not fear, for I will surely show
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you kindness for
Jonathan your father's sake,
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and will restore to you all the
land of Saul your grandfather;
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and you shall eat bread
at my table continually.'
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Then he bowed himself, and
said, "What is your servant,
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that you should look
upon such a dead dog as I?'"
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Be this way.
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His name means,
exterminator of shame.
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Or in short, idol killer.
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You don't hear many
sermons about Mephibosheth.
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And that's possibly because one,
the name is rather difficult
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to pronounce, and two, as I
learned from the learned editors
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of the Wycliffe Bible
Encyclopedia, who all agree,
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he is possibly the poster
child for a life of disaster,
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a life of disappointment.
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He was born into
a disgraced family,
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dispossessed,
orphaned, crippled as a child.
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Most of his early life and
his formative years were spent
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in hiding, in a
sort of forced seclusion.
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Always afraid that he would be
caught and summarily executed.
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He was placed in, sort of,
a witness protection program.
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All of this through
no fault of his own.
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Mephibosheth had
done nothing wrong.
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His only sin, his only
sin, was being born into the
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wrong family at the wrong time.
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Of course, you've
heard that you can choose
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your friends, but you
don't get to select your family,
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or your relatives, and
even sometimes your in-laws.
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When you find someone
that you want to love,
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and you say, "I do," that,
"I do," includes the in-laws,
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the out-laws, and
everybody else connected
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with that person you love.
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And you don't
get to choose them.
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They come as
part of the package.
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So you don't get
to choose your family,
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but you do get to
choose your friends.
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And Mephibosheth's
only sin was being born,
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wrong family wrong time.
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And then when life and
the Lord gives him a break
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and turns his fortunes, he
gets lied on and loses it all.
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Anybody ever been lied on?
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Someone just tells a lie that
kind of just destroys your life.
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I mean, one of those character
assassination kind of lies.
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One of those kind of lies
that it's hard to recover from
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and that people
tend to want to believe.
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Not just damage or ruin your
reputation, but the kind of lie
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that can destroy your
livelihood or even your life.
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That's kind of tough.
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Mephibosheth was
victimized by such a lie.
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And the truth is, he
never fully recovered.
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It's almost as though he was
predestined to be the fall guy
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for the sins and machinations
and God-cursed conduct
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of so many around him.
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No wonder he doesn't
get preached on too much.
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No wonder we don't
preach about him too much,
00:14:00.94\00:14:03.24
because on the face of
things there is not much good
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to preach about.
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Except one thing.
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One beautiful God-blessed thing
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that we're going to
come to a little later,
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which actually is the
basis for this entire sermon.
00:14:17.22\00:14:20.39
So let's quickly
examine his pedigree.
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Let's take a look and
contextualize this man
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with the strange name
that means, idol killer,
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or smasher of idols.
00:14:29.93\00:14:31.40
Let's look at his legacy and
the legacy that was left to him.
00:14:31.43\00:14:34.50
First of all, he came from and
was born into a wealthy family.
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Now most people would say,
"So what's wrong with that?"
00:14:40.48\00:14:42.81
He's born into wealth.
00:14:44.71\00:14:46.92
His grandfather was
Israel's first king.
00:14:48.68\00:14:52.45
His grandfather was quite rich.
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And those riches passed...
00:14:56.36\00:14:58.69
I'm sorry, his great
grandfather was quite rich.
00:14:58.73\00:15:01.03
Those riches
passed to his grandfather,
00:15:01.13\00:15:04.17
to his father, and
should have passed to him.
00:15:04.27\00:15:08.20
His grandfather,
great grandfather,
00:15:09.64\00:15:12.57
was Israel's first
king; appointed, anointed,
00:15:12.61\00:15:19.45
against God's will.
00:15:19.91\00:15:22.28
I need to make that point.
00:15:22.75\00:15:24.09
1 Samuel 8
00:15:24.52\00:15:26.05
With the election of Saul,
Israel changed from a theocracy,
00:15:26.76\00:15:33.46
a nation ruled by God through
priests and judges and prophets,
00:15:33.93\00:15:39.50
to an aristocracy, or even
an oligarchy, a nation ruled by
00:15:39.80\00:15:45.47
kings, priests, and prelates.
00:15:45.51\00:15:48.74
The election of Saul,
you need to understand,
00:15:49.31\00:15:51.91
was ostensibly a beauty contest.
00:15:51.95\00:15:54.68
With Saul, it was all
outside, it was all surface,
00:15:55.78\00:16:01.32
it was all
patina, it was all facade.
00:16:01.36\00:16:04.39
it was all veneer, it
was all polyurethane coating.
00:16:04.43\00:16:08.56
Inside, the Bible lets us
know, as do the sacred writings,
00:16:08.76\00:16:12.50
Saul had no heart.
00:16:12.73\00:16:15.57
In the book,
Patriarchs and Prophets,
00:16:17.81\00:16:20.01
we read this about king Saul:
00:16:20.81\00:16:22.64
"The personal
qualities of the future monarch
00:16:23.78\00:16:26.58
were such as to
gratify that pride of heart
00:16:26.88\00:16:31.72
which prompted the
desire for a king."
00:16:32.12\00:16:34.62
So they wanted him to be king.
00:16:37.26\00:16:41.43
And he wanted to be king.
00:16:42.53\00:16:44.20
His own pride drove
him to want to be king.
00:16:45.10\00:16:49.94
Reading further, "There was
not among the children of Israel
00:16:52.77\00:16:56.14
a more goodlier,"
goodlier, not godlier,
00:16:56.41\00:17:01.88
"a more goodlier
person than Saul."
00:17:02.22\00:17:05.95
Saul was a good-looking guy.
00:17:07.69\00:17:13.29
But the truth is, Saul
had no business being king.
00:17:14.06\00:17:19.53
Saul had no business
ascending to the throne.
00:17:20.94\00:17:25.71
The truth is, and the
Bible brings this out,
00:17:26.91\00:17:29.78
there was nobody better looking
than Saul in the entire nation.
00:17:30.18\00:17:37.12
Saul was the best
looking guy there.
00:17:39.59\00:17:42.96
Let's go to 1 Samuel 9 and
I'll read you verses 1 and 2.
00:17:42.99\00:17:46.53
I'm in 1 Samuel,
just go back one book,
00:17:46.56\00:17:48.50
chapter 9 and we'll
look at verses 1 and 2.
00:17:48.93\00:17:51.60
This is kind of interesting.
00:17:51.63\00:17:52.97
1 Samuel 9:1-2
00:17:53.74\00:17:56.44
The Bible says,
"There was a man of Benjamin
00:17:57.27\00:18:00.74
whose name was Kish the
son of Abiel, the son of Zeror,
00:18:00.78\00:18:06.82
the son of
Bechorath, the son of Aphiah,
00:18:06.85\00:18:10.39
a Benjamite, a
mighty man of power.
00:18:10.72\00:18:13.69
And he had..."
00:18:13.72\00:18:15.06
Now listen to the words
that the Bible employs here.
00:18:15.09\00:18:17.56
"And he had a
choice and handsome son
00:18:17.83\00:18:22.10
whose name was Saul.
00:18:22.26\00:18:24.27
There was not a more
handsome person than he
00:18:25.43\00:18:29.54
among the children of Israel."
00:18:29.57\00:18:32.11
So you get that.
00:18:32.54\00:18:33.88
The Bible is making it
plain that Saul was the
00:18:34.81\00:18:38.11
best looking guy
in the entire nation.
00:18:38.15\00:18:41.82
Nobody looked better than Saul.
00:18:42.42\00:18:43.75
And you know, when you're the
best looking guy in the room,
00:18:43.79\00:18:46.52
that puts a
little pressure on you.
00:18:47.49\00:18:49.12
When you walk into the
room and everybody's head turns.
00:18:49.76\00:18:53.50
And the women say,
"Man, he is good-looking."
00:18:53.76\00:18:56.00
And even the guys say,
"Man, he is good-looking."
00:18:56.10\00:18:59.83
He's the best
looking guy in the kingdom.
00:18:59.87\00:19:03.61
Tall and devastatingly handsome.
00:19:03.91\00:19:06.98
You know, in our culture,
it's interesting because
00:19:07.54\00:19:10.01
people defer to
good-looking people.
00:19:10.11\00:19:12.25
In western culture, we
equate beauty with honesty.
00:19:13.25\00:19:19.22
Yeah, we do.
00:19:19.85\00:19:21.19
I had the, I was going to
say misfortune, but I had the
00:19:21.76\00:19:25.66
chance years ago
when I was pastoring,
00:19:26.09\00:19:28.26
a man came to me.
00:19:28.93\00:19:30.27
He was, I think as
I recall, 69 or 70.
00:19:30.30\00:19:35.34
Very wealthy.
00:19:36.30\00:19:37.64
And he wanted me to marry
a girl who was turning 40.
00:19:38.11\00:19:45.65
I think she was 38
or 39, just sub-forty.
00:19:46.01\00:19:48.78
He's just over 70.
00:19:48.88\00:19:50.69
And I would not do it.
00:19:51.29\00:19:53.15
Because in talking with her
and in counseling with them,
00:19:54.09\00:19:57.29
it occurred to me that
this may have been a situation
00:19:57.33\00:20:00.70
where she was going
after the cash and not the man.
00:20:00.73\00:20:03.06
And so I told him, "I don't
think this is a good match.
00:20:03.10\00:20:06.37
And I'm not really
comfortable doing this wedding.
00:20:06.40\00:20:08.70
I think she's
taking you for a ride."
00:20:09.17\00:20:11.17
And I told him that by himself.
00:20:11.21\00:20:12.64
And he said to me,
"Pastor, look at her."
00:20:13.07\00:20:17.31
You see, we equate
honesty and beauty.
00:20:17.95\00:20:23.79
Beautiful people
never tell a lie.
00:20:24.45\00:20:26.32
Beautiful people are
never evil or do wrong things.
00:20:26.86\00:20:30.43
And Saul is the best looking
guy in the entire kingdom.
00:20:31.33\00:20:34.43
He's the most handsome
guy in the entire kingdom.
00:20:34.70\00:20:36.53
And look what
else the Bible says.
00:20:36.60\00:20:37.93
I'm in verse 2.
00:20:37.97\00:20:39.63
The Bible says,
"From his shoulders upward
00:20:41.24\00:20:43.61
he was taller than
any of the people."
00:20:43.64\00:20:45.34
So not only is he the best
looking guy in all of Israel,
00:20:45.37\00:20:49.58
he's the tallest
guy in all of Israel.
00:20:49.61\00:20:51.18
Nobody comes up
taller than his shoulder.
00:20:51.21\00:20:53.52
So he's gorgeous to look at,
he's taller than everybody else.
00:20:53.55\00:20:58.25
And he is a person who,
when the people saw him,
00:20:59.29\00:21:05.86
they said, "This guy
has got to be the king
00:21:06.19\00:21:10.23
because nobody
looks as good as he does.
00:21:10.27\00:21:12.40
Nobody is as tall as he is.
00:21:12.43\00:21:14.04
He's got to be the leader."
00:21:14.07\00:21:15.40
Tall and devastatingly handsome.
00:21:16.30\00:21:18.74
But look at this, Patriarchs
and Prophets, page 608.
00:21:18.77\00:21:20.84
"Of noble and dignified
bearing, in the prime of life,
00:21:21.74\00:21:25.65
comely and tall, he appeared
like one born to command."
00:21:25.68\00:21:30.52
So when they saw Saul, and they
thought of who a king should be,
00:21:30.55\00:21:36.86
the women said,
"Anybody that looks that good
00:21:37.33\00:21:40.86
has got to be the king.
00:21:40.90\00:21:42.40
Look at him.
00:21:42.43\00:21:43.77
Taller than everybody else.
00:21:44.77\00:21:46.10
He's better
looking than anybody else.
00:21:46.13\00:21:47.50
We want him to rule over us."
00:21:47.54\00:21:49.94
But let's finish
what it says here.
00:21:50.27\00:21:51.77
It says, "Yet with
these external attractions,
00:21:52.31\00:21:55.91
Saul was destitute..."
00:21:56.75\00:21:58.85
Now what does destitute mean?
00:21:59.11\00:22:00.65
Totally devoid of.
00:22:01.38\00:22:03.15
"Saul was destitute
of those higher qualities
00:22:03.72\00:22:08.89
that constitute true wisdom."
00:22:08.92\00:22:12.33
In other words, Saul's only
qualifications to be the king
00:22:13.23\00:22:19.00
of Israel was that he
was tall and good-looking.
00:22:19.03\00:22:22.80
But he didn't have
any of the qualities
00:22:23.34\00:22:26.01
that make for a good king.
00:22:26.04\00:22:28.34
He was just, as we like
to say today, eye candy.
00:22:28.98\00:22:32.71
Looked good, but
inside he had no heart.
00:22:32.75\00:22:35.75
And that's not enough.
00:22:36.69\00:22:38.02
Let's look at the last
line in this little reading from
00:22:38.15\00:22:41.12
the book,
Patriarchs and Prophets.
00:22:41.16\00:22:42.89
"Saul had not learned in
his youth to control his rash,
00:22:43.93\00:22:50.03
impetuous passions; he
had never felt the renewing
00:22:50.07\00:22:56.71
power of divine grace."
00:22:56.74\00:22:59.01
So, this is the guy
we're going to make king.
00:23:00.44\00:23:04.48
He's better looking
than everybody else.
00:23:06.51\00:23:08.32
He's taller than everybody else.
00:23:09.48\00:23:11.55
But he lacks self-discipline.
00:23:12.55\00:23:16.52
He doesn't have self-control.
00:23:17.79\00:23:20.40
And he's never had a
relationship with God.
00:23:22.03\00:23:27.94
And this is the guy
you're going to make the king?
00:23:28.80\00:23:31.31
He has the power as
king to control you,
00:23:34.18\00:23:37.61
yet he doesn't have the
power to control himself.
00:23:38.71\00:23:41.88
He can run your life,
but he cannot run his own.
00:23:43.18\00:23:49.52
And worse than that, the
guy has got no God in him.
00:23:50.53\00:23:55.66
So we're going to make
him the king simply because
00:23:57.27\00:23:59.70
he's taller than everybody else
00:23:59.73\00:24:01.67
and he's better
looking than everybody else.
00:24:02.20\00:24:04.44
But those qualities
which make for a good ruler;
00:24:05.44\00:24:09.01
compassion,
self-control, empathy, caring,
00:24:09.04\00:24:13.58
and a love for God, he
doesn't have any of that.
00:24:13.62\00:24:16.99
This is the guy
we're going to make king.
00:24:18.42\00:24:21.56
Wealthy, self-indulgent,
from the tribe of Benjamin,
00:24:23.59\00:24:28.86
a big fish in a small pond.
00:24:29.33\00:24:31.53
That is why when Saul
was finally dispatched
00:24:32.53\00:24:38.87
and they were
looking for a second king,
00:24:39.97\00:24:41.88
the Bible makes it plain, "Man
looks on the outward appearance,
00:24:44.25\00:24:49.48
but God looks on the heart."
00:24:50.19\00:24:51.55
You can't go with it
because it's tall and handsome
00:24:52.65\00:24:55.72
and looks good.
00:24:55.76\00:24:57.16
You've got to see what's inside.
00:24:57.66\00:24:59.29
You've got to see
what's in the heart.
00:24:59.56\00:25:01.13
Let me just take a quick
left turn and say this too:
00:25:03.13\00:25:05.33
When you look at the life
of Saul and the life of David,
00:25:05.37\00:25:08.84
if you look at the
list of sins, the truth is
00:25:08.87\00:25:11.51
David's list of sins far exceeds
and is much longer than Saul's.
00:25:11.54\00:25:16.78
And I've wrestled
with that for many years.
00:25:16.81\00:25:18.71
How come Saul got
rejected so easily...
00:25:18.75\00:25:21.82
I shouldn't say so easily, but.
00:25:22.98\00:25:24.32
...after what seems
like a short list of sins,
00:25:24.35\00:25:26.42
and David, who murdered
and caballed and slept with
00:25:26.45\00:25:31.93
someone's wife,
and fathered a child,
00:25:31.96\00:25:33.56
and went on, and on, and
on, and on, and on, and on,
00:25:33.60\00:25:36.53
and God seemed to
live with him for so long.
00:25:36.56\00:25:38.07
I think maybe we
get a little clue here.
00:25:38.10\00:25:41.40
David knew God.
00:25:42.47\00:25:43.81
When David was out in
the field with Goliath,
00:25:44.47\00:25:46.47
slaying bears and
slaying lions, David knew God.
00:25:46.91\00:25:51.51
We find here
Saul never knew God.
00:25:52.55\00:25:56.99
Never had a
relationship with God.
00:25:57.45\00:25:59.35
There was nothing
in the bank for Saul.
00:25:59.39\00:26:01.59
And so when Saul went off
the tracks, he went off far.
00:26:01.62\00:26:04.49
He didn't take
blame for his own sins.
00:26:04.53\00:26:08.53
At least David, when he sinned,
said, "Lord, if You've got to
00:26:08.56\00:26:11.63
spank me, count to
ten before you do it.
00:26:11.67\00:26:13.87
But I have sinned and I
have sinned against You."
00:26:13.90\00:26:16.71
Saul never took
blame for his sins.
00:26:16.74\00:26:18.94
And so the prophet
Samuel leaves Saul.
00:26:19.47\00:26:23.75
And you know the story.
00:26:24.21\00:26:25.91
He never speaks to Saul again.
00:26:26.72\00:26:28.75
And then after Samuel
dies, Saul decides he needs
00:26:29.32\00:26:33.25
to talk with him.
00:26:33.29\00:26:34.62
And what does he do?
00:26:34.66\00:26:35.99
He breaks another command
of God and goes to a witch.
00:26:36.02\00:26:38.19
And the witch comes
up in the form of Saul,
00:26:38.59\00:26:41.93
and even the witch tells
him, "You and your family
00:26:41.96\00:26:45.10
are going to die."
00:26:45.13\00:26:47.14
Then Samuel dies,
Saul is left alone.
00:26:49.17\00:26:53.78
And one day it all comes true.
00:26:54.51\00:26:59.21
I need to say here that Saul has
a son by the name of Jonathan.
00:27:00.05\00:27:06.42
Jonathan loves David,
and David loves Jonathan.
00:27:07.16\00:27:09.79
They are two individuals
who are knit together.
00:27:09.82\00:27:12.86
Just two guys who liked each
other, who loved each other,
00:27:12.89\00:27:15.93
the Bible says.
00:27:15.96\00:27:17.30
Israel is fighting
Philistia at Gilboa.
00:27:18.37\00:27:21.04
The Philistines kill
Jonathan, his brother Abinadab,
00:27:21.94\00:27:26.27
his other brother Malchishua.
00:27:26.31\00:27:29.01
Saul is hit by an arrow.
00:27:29.48\00:27:31.25
And in chapter 31:6,
00:27:31.35\00:27:34.22
he asked for his
armor bearer to kill him.
00:27:36.25\00:27:38.55
The armor bearer is
not going to kill the king,
00:27:39.02\00:27:40.66
even at the kings request.
00:27:40.69\00:27:42.92
And so Saul commits
suicide and dies in disgrace.
00:27:43.22\00:27:48.36
His army is
destroyed, Israel is humiliated,
00:27:48.90\00:27:52.77
and Jonathan's son's
nurse panics on that day.
00:27:53.30\00:27:56.47
And this is what is interesting.
00:27:56.50\00:27:57.84
Johnathan's son's
nurse hears what happens
00:27:57.87\00:28:00.68
at Gilboa, she
panics, and in 2 Samuel 4:4,
00:28:01.94\00:28:06.95
when she hears of the
death of Jonathan and Saul
00:28:07.58\00:28:10.12
she grabs the little
boy and runs in terror
00:28:10.15\00:28:14.02
and drops him, and he becomes
a cripple from that time on.
00:28:14.06\00:28:20.96
So little Mephibosheth never
really has a chance in life.
00:28:23.93\00:28:28.10
On the day that
his dad is killed
00:28:28.57\00:28:31.07
his two uncles are killed,
his grandfather is killed,
00:28:31.17\00:28:34.61
his nurse makes him a
cripple when she drops him
00:28:36.04\00:28:40.18
and fractures
both of his ankles.
00:28:40.68\00:28:42.45
There's some indication
that he still could walk,
00:28:42.55\00:28:45.79
but he walked very
ungainly and was crippled
00:28:46.35\00:28:50.63
for the rest of his life.
00:28:50.66\00:28:52.06
Now war breaks out
between Saul's family
00:28:52.19\00:28:54.40
and David's family.
00:28:54.43\00:28:55.76
And this is the way
it is in ancient days.
00:28:55.80\00:28:58.60
Once a new king comes in,
then everybody in the old family
00:28:58.63\00:29:01.87
gets exterminated
or war breaks out.
00:29:01.97\00:29:04.21
And Abner, Saul's
general kills Asahel.
00:29:04.24\00:29:07.61
Joab and Abishai,
David's general, kills Abner.
00:29:08.44\00:29:12.75
And there is this systematic
extermination of the family.
00:29:12.78\00:29:15.62
And as David's
house gets stronger,
00:29:15.65\00:29:17.52
Saul's house is getting
exterminated and getting weaker.
00:29:17.55\00:29:21.19
And Mephibosheth is taken into
hiding, a self-imposed exile,
00:29:21.22\00:29:26.39
for a full generation.
00:29:26.43\00:29:28.46
In fact, he is so far off the
radar, so far off the charts,
00:29:29.86\00:29:33.20
that when David finally
finished all of his wars
00:29:33.50\00:29:36.60
he remembers a promise
that he made to Jonathan
00:29:36.64\00:29:39.71
who he loves.
00:29:39.74\00:29:41.08
He said to
Jonathan, "When I become king,
00:29:41.24\00:29:45.25
I will do
something for your house.
00:29:45.95\00:29:48.48
I'm not going to take out on
you the bad things your father
00:29:48.52\00:29:52.69
Saul did to me.
00:29:52.72\00:29:54.59
But I will do
something for your house
00:29:54.82\00:29:58.33
because of our
relationship together."
00:29:58.63\00:30:00.73
Here's where the story
picks up in 2 Samuel 9:1.
00:30:01.56\00:30:05.47
2 Samuel 9:1
00:30:06.00\00:30:08.27
This is where the story picks up
00:30:08.30\00:30:10.97
in the Scripture
lesson that we read.
00:30:11.81\00:30:14.44
And the thread is not long.
00:30:16.38\00:30:17.95
David had promised Jonathan that
even though there was enmity,
00:30:17.98\00:30:22.08
he was going to do something for
his house and for his lineage.
00:30:22.18\00:30:25.05
It took a full
generation, 20 years plus,
00:30:25.69\00:30:28.32
to fulfill that oath.
00:30:28.42\00:30:29.96
But there had been so
much time and so much killing
00:30:31.93\00:30:35.56
and so much hatred
between the two houses,
00:30:35.96\00:30:38.17
the house of David
and the house of Saul,
00:30:38.20\00:30:41.97
nobody even knew if anyone
was left from Saul's family.
00:30:42.07\00:30:47.28
So when David asked,
he is informed by Ziba
00:30:48.54\00:30:52.78
that there is a life-long
crippled son of Jonathan
00:30:53.18\00:30:57.39
by the name of Mephibosheth.
00:30:57.85\00:30:59.95
And we see in the book,
Patriarchs and Prophets,
00:31:01.12\00:31:03.16
written by Ellen White that
Mephibosheth had been trained
00:31:03.19\00:31:07.10
and taught those long
years of hiding to blame,
00:31:07.13\00:31:11.87
distrust, and hate David.
00:31:12.07\00:31:14.44
So when he is
brought before David,
00:31:14.97\00:31:16.71
you see why the Bible
says he came in trembling.
00:31:16.74\00:31:19.47
Because he's assuming
that David has discovered him
00:31:19.51\00:31:22.38
and is going to finish
exterminating the house of Saul
00:31:22.41\00:31:25.68
because he was
the last one left.
00:31:25.78\00:31:27.85
But no, David
told him not to fear.
00:31:28.75\00:31:32.15
"I'm not going
to take your life.
00:31:32.82\00:31:34.39
I'm going to give you
back all of the land that your
00:31:35.02\00:31:38.53
grandfather had, and
I'm going to restore you,
00:31:38.56\00:31:44.53
and I'm going to let you
eat at my table every day."
00:31:44.57\00:31:48.00
Now that term can be
taken a couple of ways.
00:31:48.04\00:31:51.61
One, "I will set a
place for you at my table."
00:31:51.71\00:31:53.91
The other is, "I will
provide to make sure you have
00:31:54.61\00:31:58.15
food at your table from
my table every single day."
00:31:58.18\00:32:01.58
In other words, it meant a
full acceptance and restoration
00:32:01.62\00:32:06.29
of Mephibosheth.
00:32:06.39\00:32:07.72
When you ate at someone's
table, when you are invited
00:32:07.76\00:32:10.56
to eat at someone's
table in Bible times,
00:32:10.66\00:32:12.79
that was full acceptance of
who you are, and what you are,
00:32:12.89\00:32:16.70
and what you're all about.
00:32:16.73\00:32:18.07
And so David was saying,
"I'm saying you're now part
00:32:18.10\00:32:22.40
of my family because of
my love for your father."
00:32:22.44\00:32:27.34
Then we see the
expression of Mephibosheth
00:32:29.71\00:32:31.55
who, in shock,
says, "What are you doing
00:32:31.58\00:32:40.19
that you should look
upon such a dead dog as I?"
00:32:41.72\00:32:46.13
We could write a whole
sermon, preach a whole sermon,
00:32:47.20\00:32:49.50
on the term, "dead dog."
00:32:49.53\00:32:51.97
There aren't many stronger terms
of disrespect and disregard
00:32:52.93\00:32:56.34
in the Old
Testament than dead dog.
00:32:56.37\00:32:58.47
It's a totally
self-deprecating term.
00:32:59.54\00:33:02.91
When you use that
term, you're really saying,
00:33:02.94\00:33:05.15
"I am nothing. I
am less than nothing."
00:33:05.18\00:33:07.98
You recall when
David fought Goliath,
00:33:08.25\00:33:10.32
and Goliath was so upset
that he, this giant champion,
00:33:10.42\00:33:14.39
would be asked to fight
this little stripling boy,
00:33:14.59\00:33:17.43
he said, "Am I a dog?
00:33:17.69\00:33:20.30
You're going to send this little
kid out here to fight me?"
00:33:20.76\00:33:23.16
When Abner slept with
Rizpah, Saul's concubine,
00:33:24.67\00:33:29.10
Ishbosheth accosted
him on that, and he said,
00:33:29.57\00:33:34.54
"Am I your dog that you
would talk to me like that?"
00:33:35.14\00:33:38.55
So though the term doesn't have
that kind of strong connotation
00:33:39.18\00:33:42.82
in our day, back in Bible
days when you used, "dog,"
00:33:42.85\00:33:47.49
or, "Am I a dog," or,
"This person is a dog,"
00:33:47.52\00:33:50.43
you're really
using strong language.
00:33:51.06\00:33:52.89
"Am I a dog," is a term of total
disrespect and total disdain.
00:33:54.20\00:34:00.27
So when Mephibosheth says that,
"You would have compassion on
00:34:00.90\00:34:05.84
a dead dog such as
I," he is humbling himself
00:34:05.87\00:34:11.71
in the strongest way
before David, and saying,
00:34:11.91\00:34:15.15
"I'm just like nothing.
00:34:15.18\00:34:16.52
I'm nothing.
00:34:16.99\00:34:18.32
And I'm humbled and shocked that
you would do this thing for me."
00:34:21.32\00:34:27.96
And from that time
on, his life changed.
00:34:28.96\00:34:31.10
The key that I want to
wrestle with in the last
00:34:32.27\00:34:35.50
little bit that is here
before us was the gratitude.
00:34:36.47\00:34:41.74
When we talk about, be this way,
00:34:42.48\00:34:45.08
the way I want
you to be is gracious
00:34:47.02\00:34:52.19
and have gratitude for God.
00:34:52.72\00:34:55.22
Gratitude is a
life-changing quality.
00:34:56.29\00:35:00.46
And I believe that this
little story is put here
00:35:00.50\00:35:05.80
for two reasons.
00:35:06.03\00:35:07.37
One, it shows the love
of two men and how one kept
00:35:07.40\00:35:13.17
his promise to the other.
00:35:13.21\00:35:15.48
But it's also there because of
the gratitude of Mephibosheth.
00:35:16.51\00:35:22.28
It's mentioned
because even in the face of
00:35:22.95\00:35:26.49
systematic
ingratitude and injustice,
00:35:26.52\00:35:29.29
the story within the story is
the gratitude of Mephibosheth.
00:35:29.52\00:35:36.67
Here is Ellen White's
closing line on Mephibosheth.
00:35:38.77\00:35:43.51
"He became strongly attached
to David, and like his father
00:35:44.44\00:35:48.11
Jonathan, he felt that his
interests were one with the
00:35:48.14\00:35:52.31
king whom God had chosen."
00:35:52.35\00:35:55.38
In other words, his
heart went out to the man
00:35:55.42\00:35:59.55
who he thought all of those
years was going to kill him.
00:35:59.79\00:36:03.53
And it was his gratitude that
bound up his life with David.
00:36:03.93\00:36:10.10
Now that's
important in these last days,
00:36:10.97\00:36:12.63
because the opposite
of gratitude, I think,
00:36:12.67\00:36:15.47
is entitlement.
00:36:15.50\00:36:16.84
The idea that you
deserve something.
00:36:17.01\00:36:19.07
And you hear about
that so much today.
00:36:19.11\00:36:21.64
But gratitude ought to mark and
earmark the life of a Christian.
00:36:22.54\00:36:29.42
The necessity of gratitude
is part of the Christian life.
00:36:31.25\00:36:35.72
To be grateful for the
things that God has given us.
00:36:36.36\00:36:40.96
Gratitude makes
our life happier,
00:36:41.63\00:36:45.23
makes our life sweeter,
00:36:45.63\00:36:47.94
makes our walk with
the Lord so much better.
00:36:48.14\00:36:52.04
But I want to
touch on gratitude.
00:36:52.47\00:36:53.81
Or perhaps
ingratitude may be better.
00:36:53.84\00:36:56.75
Isn't it interesting that most
of the counsel on gratitude,
00:36:57.75\00:37:02.28
or ingratitude, is found
in four books of what we call,
00:37:02.32\00:37:06.05
the spirit of prophecy.
00:37:06.09\00:37:07.42
Testimonies for the Church,
Testimonies to Ministers,
00:37:07.66\00:37:11.63
Messages to Young
People, Ministry of Healing.
00:37:11.93\00:37:15.70
There is an intimate
and intricate connection
00:37:16.40\00:37:21.04
between gratitude to God
and mental health, we are told.
00:37:21.57\00:37:27.51
That when we express gratitude
for the blessings that we have
00:37:27.81\00:37:33.72
and show appreciation of the
attentions that we receive from
00:37:34.35\00:37:38.85
God, it keeps the heart full
of the precious promises of God.
00:37:38.89\00:37:44.09
Now that's in the
book, volume 5, Testimonies.
00:37:44.13\00:37:45.49
In other words, when you show
gratitude for what God has done
00:37:45.53\00:37:50.20
for you, with you,
to you, through you,
00:37:50.30\00:37:52.30
it makes you a
better person to be around,
00:37:52.93\00:37:55.90
it makes your heart lighter,
it makes your mind sharper,
00:37:56.30\00:38:01.08
it makes you happier, and
it brings you closer to God.
00:38:01.61\00:38:05.98
In the book, Thoughts
From the Mount of Blessing,
00:38:06.85\00:38:08.78
another great book, page
84, Ellen White talks about
00:38:08.82\00:38:11.95
Christ's sermon on the mount,
00:38:11.99\00:38:13.32
she writes this, "God
watches for some return
00:38:13.42\00:38:19.76
of gratitude from us, as a
mother watches for the smile
00:38:19.79\00:38:25.47
of recognition
from her beloved child."
00:38:26.10\00:38:28.47
You know, when babies are
born, the things we go through
00:38:28.50\00:38:32.77
to try to make them smile.
00:38:32.81\00:38:34.24
You know, we just...
00:38:34.28\00:38:35.61
All the kind of things we
do to make the child smile.
00:38:37.21\00:38:39.71
And when you get a little smile,
oh your world is just perfect.
00:38:39.75\00:38:42.98
And then you
want to do it again.
00:38:43.35\00:38:44.69
You want to have
the baby smile again.
00:38:44.72\00:38:46.22
And you see, grown
people act like children
00:38:46.62\00:38:49.99
trying to get children to smile.
00:38:50.03\00:38:51.83
Well that's what Ellen
White is alluding to here.
00:38:52.53\00:38:54.56
She is saying that God
is watching us to look for
00:38:54.60\00:39:00.84
a return of gratitude on the
blessings that He's given us.
00:39:00.87\00:39:06.61
Now you may be
selfish and prideful to say,
00:39:07.54\00:39:12.31
"God hasn't done
anything for me."
00:39:13.55\00:39:15.08
The fact that you can speak
00:39:15.78\00:39:18.49
means He's done
something for you.
00:39:18.95\00:39:20.52
The fact that you are
bold enough to make such a
00:39:20.96\00:39:22.86
foolish statement
means He's blessing you.
00:39:22.89\00:39:25.43
So God is saying, "I'm
looking for a return...
00:39:25.93\00:39:29.60
I'm not asking for your money.
00:39:29.80\00:39:31.20
I'm not asking you to
swim the deepest river.
00:39:31.77\00:39:34.00
I'm not asking you to
climb the highest mountain.
00:39:34.20\00:39:36.50
I'm not asking you to cross
the deepest sea or widest ocean.
00:39:36.81\00:39:41.54
I'm just saying, be thankful
for what God has given you.
00:39:41.58\00:39:46.61
I'm just saying,
show a little gratitude
00:39:47.25\00:39:50.82
for the
blessings that you have."
00:39:50.85\00:39:52.52
And if you do not say, "Thank
you," for what you've got,
00:39:52.55\00:39:57.06
why would God
give you anything more?
00:39:57.56\00:40:00.53
Just be thankful.
00:40:05.83\00:40:07.17
"He," that is God,
"would have us understand
00:40:08.54\00:40:10.87
how earnestly and tenderly
His heart yearns over us.
00:40:11.21\00:40:16.64
He invites us to take
our trials to His sympathy,
00:40:17.31\00:40:21.55
our sorrows to His love,
our weakness to His strength,
00:40:21.95\00:40:26.76
our emptiness to His fullness.
00:40:26.96\00:40:29.69
Never has one been disappointed
who came unto Him in sincerity."
00:40:30.23\00:40:36.20
Now that's
something to be grateful for.
00:40:36.23\00:40:37.90
When you don't have
anything, He's got everything.
00:40:38.70\00:40:41.14
When you don't have any friends,
He'll be your best Friend.
00:40:41.44\00:40:44.31
When all you've got is
sorrow, He'll give you joy.
00:40:44.34\00:40:47.04
When all you've got is weakness,
He'll give you strength.
00:40:47.08\00:40:49.61
When you're empty,
He can make you full.
00:40:49.84\00:40:52.48
For those things, we
ought to be grateful.
00:40:52.51\00:40:55.05
The result of
fellowship with gratitude to God
00:40:57.02\00:41:02.02
will increase our piety,
our purity, and our fervor.
00:41:02.06\00:41:09.46
So in other words, fellowship
with God through gratitude
00:41:09.76\00:41:13.80
will make you more pious.
00:41:14.17\00:41:15.54
What is pious?
00:41:15.57\00:41:16.91
Piety is sincerity and fervor in
which you do the things of God.
00:41:17.71\00:41:23.28
That's piety.
00:41:23.35\00:41:24.68
That's the sincerity
that you approach the things
00:41:24.71\00:41:27.72
that God has asked you to do.
00:41:27.75\00:41:29.08
Purity.
00:41:29.92\00:41:31.25
That means the things
that you do are motivated
00:41:31.29\00:41:35.99
by unadulterated motives.
00:41:36.09\00:41:40.03
You're not suppose to use
the answer in the question.
00:41:40.50\00:41:44.40
So the things that you do are...
00:41:44.67\00:41:48.34
I want to say motivated.
00:41:50.54\00:41:51.87
But they are a force that
drives what you do for God.
00:41:51.91\00:41:56.78
It comes from
unadulterated motives.
00:41:57.08\00:41:59.85
In other words,
you're not going to serve God
00:41:59.88\00:42:01.92
because you're trying
to get something from Him.
00:42:01.95\00:42:04.25
You're not going to
pay your tithe because
00:42:04.29\00:42:06.69
you want Him to bless you.
00:42:06.79\00:42:08.39
You're going to pay your
tithe because He loves you
00:42:08.42\00:42:10.53
and you love Him, and
that's what He's asked of you.
00:42:10.56\00:42:13.40
It just so happens
when you pay your tithe,
00:42:13.43\00:42:15.40
God says, "I'll
pour you out a blessing."
00:42:15.43\00:42:17.33
But your motives are pure.
00:42:17.60\00:42:19.23
You do something
not to get something.
00:42:19.27\00:42:22.00
You do something
because that's what love does.
00:42:22.20\00:42:24.71
So your piety is increased,
your purity is increased,
00:42:24.74\00:42:29.14
and your fervor is increased.
00:42:29.18\00:42:30.91
Now fervor is the
energy that you put
00:42:30.95\00:42:33.98
into anything
God asks you to do.
00:42:34.25\00:42:35.98
You can be a
reluctant Christian,
00:42:36.28\00:42:38.15
you can be a reluctant servant,
00:42:38.19\00:42:39.82
or you can be an
energetic servant.
00:42:39.85\00:42:42.16
And when you show gratitude
to God, your piety increases,
00:42:42.19\00:42:47.96
your purity increases,
your fervor increases.
00:42:48.36\00:42:52.00
So your Christian walk will
get better if you be this way;
00:42:52.23\00:42:59.11
if you are a gracious
person, as Mephibosheth was.
00:42:59.51\00:43:04.68
I'm in fifth volume,
Testimonies, page 315.
00:43:05.61\00:43:10.65
"How often those who are
in health forget the wonderful
00:43:11.59\00:43:14.79
mercies that are
continued to them day by day,
00:43:14.82\00:43:18.06
year after year.
00:43:18.09\00:43:19.43
They render no tribute of praise
to God for all His benefits.
00:43:19.46\00:43:26.74
But when sickness
comes, God is remembered."
00:43:26.97\00:43:31.61
Is that not so?
00:43:31.64\00:43:32.97
"The strong desire for recovery
leads to earnest prayer,
00:43:33.24\00:43:37.11
and this is right."
00:43:37.15\00:43:38.48
So we're told that when
you pray earnestly to get well,
00:43:38.51\00:43:41.62
there's nothing wrong with that.
00:43:41.65\00:43:43.02
"For He is our refuge
in sickness and in health.
00:43:43.55\00:43:46.45
But many do not
leave their cases with Him;
00:43:46.82\00:43:49.72
they encourage
weakness and disease
00:43:50.53\00:43:54.06
by worrying and complaining."
00:43:54.10\00:43:56.80
You need to thank
God. And it is tough.
00:43:56.83\00:43:58.93
It's tough when you're sick to
think about when you were well.
00:43:59.83\00:44:06.11
Because you just want to
get rid of that sickness.
00:44:06.68\00:44:08.64
But we are being told here that
if we are as gracious to God,
00:44:09.18\00:44:15.45
if we show as much gratitude
in sickness as we do in health,
00:44:15.48\00:44:19.59
God will actually work
through to make us well again.
00:44:19.99\00:44:24.06
And even while we are
sick, having gratitude
00:44:24.56\00:44:29.33
helps us deal
successfully with the sickness.
00:44:29.53\00:44:33.20
Now you can shake
your fist at God and say,
00:44:33.23\00:44:35.94
"This is all Your fault,"
or you can look back on the
00:44:35.97\00:44:38.24
times when you were well
and say, "God, I thank You
00:44:38.27\00:44:40.04
for those good days, and I pray
that You will restore them."
00:44:40.08\00:44:43.11
And being gracious,
having gratitude, will help your
00:44:43.14\00:44:47.32
mental faculties even
while your body is suffering.
00:44:47.35\00:44:50.79
And that's what we're
trying to get through here.
00:44:50.82\00:44:52.32
That gratitude helps
you wrestle successfully
00:44:52.35\00:44:56.09
with the issues of life.
00:44:56.29\00:44:57.63
And don't always be looking
on everybody else's plate.
00:44:57.66\00:45:00.10
Be gracious and
thankful for what you have.
00:45:00.50\00:45:03.13
I always see people, you know,
looking on other people's plate.
00:45:03.16\00:45:06.30
Don't worry about their plate.
00:45:06.60\00:45:08.07
You don't know what
comes with that plate.
00:45:08.27\00:45:10.47
You don't really know
what comes with that plate.
00:45:11.07\00:45:13.51
Just be gracious and thankful to
God for what God has given you.
00:45:13.74\00:45:18.51
And that will open the
door for God to give you more.
00:45:18.88\00:45:22.58
She says, " If they
would cease repining
00:45:23.02\00:45:25.62
and rise above
depression and gloom,
00:45:26.02\00:45:29.22
their recovery would be
much more and would be sure.
00:45:29.42\00:45:34.30
They should remember
with gratitude how long
00:45:35.00\00:45:38.30
they enjoyed the
blessing of health;
00:45:38.33\00:45:39.70
and should this
precious boon be restored,
00:45:39.93\00:45:42.10
they should not forget
that they are under renewed
00:45:42.40\00:45:45.77
obligations to their
Creator to show Him gratitude.
00:45:45.81\00:45:51.55
When the ten lepers were
healed, only one returned
00:45:51.68\00:45:56.89
to find Jesus to thank
Him and to give Him glory."
00:45:57.29\00:46:02.52
Let us not be like the
unthinking, ungrateful nine,
00:46:03.16\00:46:08.70
whose hearts were
untouched by the mercy of God."
00:46:09.83\00:46:12.73
You don't want to be like that.
00:46:12.77\00:46:14.10
When God does
something good for you,
00:46:14.24\00:46:16.04
show a little gratitude.
00:46:16.64\00:46:18.04
And it's not always just cash.
00:46:18.07\00:46:20.21
People tend to say,
"Oh, the Lord blessed me.
00:46:21.11\00:46:22.71
I won the lottery."
00:46:22.74\00:46:24.08
"Our Lord blessed
me. I got some money."
00:46:24.11\00:46:25.45
"Our Lord
blessed me. I found..."
00:46:25.48\00:46:28.22
You know, there are
blessings in being able to
00:46:28.25\00:46:32.02
sleep at night
when you go to bed.
00:46:32.05\00:46:33.76
There are blessings in
having a good friend to talk to
00:46:34.42\00:46:36.93
when you've got troubles.
00:46:36.96\00:46:38.29
There are blessings
being a part of a church that
00:46:38.33\00:46:40.36
tells the truth
and knows the truth.
00:46:40.40\00:46:42.13
There are blessings that
come that you cannot quantify,
00:46:42.36\00:46:47.77
and yet they make the
quality of our Christian life
00:46:48.30\00:46:51.27
so much better.
00:46:51.31\00:46:53.14
Colossians 3:15, let
me just slip that in.
00:46:53.17\00:46:56.04
"When you open your
eyes in the morning,
00:46:56.64\00:46:59.95
thank God that He has
kept you through the night."
00:47:00.35\00:47:03.49
Thank Him. Show
Him a little gratitude.
00:47:03.52\00:47:05.35
"Thank Him for His
peace in your heart.
00:47:05.39\00:47:07.46
Morning, noon, and night
let gratitude as a sweet perfume
00:47:08.72\00:47:12.89
ascend to heaven.
00:47:12.93\00:47:14.76
Why is our gratitude so
limited?" Ellen White asks.
00:47:15.16\00:47:19.67
"It is only a ripple on the
surface compared with the great
00:47:20.30\00:47:25.51
tide of love given to
us by God that flows to us
00:47:25.54\00:47:31.21
from the Father."
00:47:31.25\00:47:32.58
The spirit of
gratitude promotes health.
00:47:33.01\00:47:36.12
So if you want to be healthier,
particularly mental health,
00:47:36.15\00:47:39.82
be thankful for what you've got.
00:47:40.09\00:47:43.46
"All true religion..."
00:47:44.43\00:47:46.76
Fourth volume of the
Testimonies, page 223.
00:47:47.83\00:47:51.67
"All true religion is
filled with gratitude."
00:47:52.20\00:47:58.97
In the fifth volume of
the Testimonies, page 474,
00:48:02.54\00:48:05.25
"Christ is abused by the
ingratitude of His people."
00:48:05.85\00:48:14.32
"Satan reproaches Christ,"
Christ's Object Lessons,
00:48:14.89\00:48:17.89
page 168, "because
of our ingratitude."
00:48:17.93\00:48:20.36
Satan says, "Listen,
You're blessing them,
00:48:20.40\00:48:22.33
You're saving them,
You're taking care of them,
00:48:22.36\00:48:23.80
You're doing all this stuff, and
nobody even says, 'Thank You.'
00:48:23.83\00:48:26.60
You ought to just quit and
then see what happens to them."
00:48:27.34\00:48:30.14
Satan would like that.
00:48:30.17\00:48:31.51
But God loves us too much.
00:48:31.61\00:48:33.04
Messages to Young People,
Ellen Whites says we are stupid.
00:48:34.28\00:48:39.21
Now you're saying, "Ellen White
wouldn't say a word like that.
00:48:40.75\00:48:44.09
She wouldn't call us stupid.
00:48:44.85\00:48:46.29
The messenger of the Lord would
never use the word, 'stupid.'"
00:48:47.22\00:48:49.29
Well, oh yes, she would.
00:48:50.63\00:48:52.13
She would use that
word. In fact, she did.
00:48:53.93\00:48:56.40
I'm in, Messages to
Young People, page 365.
00:48:56.77\00:49:01.40
"He," that is God,
"has implanted in the hearts
00:49:02.34\00:49:05.37
of His children," that's you and
me, "the love of the beautiful."
00:49:05.41\00:49:09.71
Beautiful
sunsets, beautiful flowers,
00:49:10.08\00:49:12.78
beautiful people,
beautiful situations,
00:49:13.05\00:49:15.55
beautiful mountains.
00:49:15.58\00:49:16.92
"But by many this
love has been perverted.
00:49:17.89\00:49:21.46
The benefits and beauties
which God has bestowed upon us
00:49:22.12\00:49:27.50
have been worshiped,
while the glorious Giver
00:49:27.76\00:49:31.80
has been forgotten."
00:49:31.83\00:49:33.44
So rather than thanking
God and being grateful to God
00:49:33.64\00:49:37.37
for giving us these
things, we turn our attention
00:49:37.71\00:49:41.61
and worship the things and not
the Person who made those things
00:49:41.91\00:49:46.58
or who gave us things.
00:49:46.68\00:49:49.08
Now comes the quote.
00:49:50.32\00:49:51.65
Messages to
Young People, page 365,
00:49:52.35\00:49:56.26
"This" she says...
00:49:57.23\00:49:58.96
That's giving praise to
the thing and not the Giver.
00:49:59.36\00:50:02.76
"This is stupid ingratitude."
00:50:03.47\00:50:07.94
Message to Young People, 365,
"This is stupid ingratitude."
00:50:08.90\00:50:15.94
And if you are unthankful or
ungrateful for what you have,
00:50:16.51\00:50:22.68
why would God undertake
to give you anything more?
00:50:23.15\00:50:28.06
If you cannot thank
Him for what you have,
00:50:29.86\00:50:32.63
be it little or great,
why would you deserve more
00:50:32.66\00:50:38.03
if you're not
thankful for what you've got?
00:50:38.33\00:50:40.84
Hebrews 13:5
00:50:42.20\00:50:43.97
"Conduct yourself
without covetousness;
00:50:44.64\00:50:47.41
be content with
such things as you have.
00:50:47.74\00:50:53.21
For He Himself has
said, 'I will never leave you
00:50:54.22\00:50:58.42
nor forsake you.'"
00:50:59.02\00:51:01.19
Isn't that
something to be grateful for?
00:51:01.76\00:51:05.56
It's repeating an
Old Testament proverb
00:51:06.46\00:51:08.70
found in Joshua 1:9.
00:51:08.73\00:51:12.37
"I will never leave
you nor forsake you."
00:51:13.00\00:51:16.20
The fact, the very
fact, that you've got a God
00:51:16.77\00:51:20.21
who has promised
to stand by your side,
00:51:20.24\00:51:22.58
to stick with you
through thick or thin,
00:51:22.61\00:51:24.78
is something to praise God
for, and to be thankful for,
00:51:24.81\00:51:29.05
and to be grateful for.
00:51:29.08\00:51:32.05
I'm in the fifth volume
of the Testimonies, page 640
00:51:34.16\00:51:37.53
Ingratitude, we
read, oppresses the soul
00:51:38.09\00:51:42.76
and separates us from God.
00:51:42.80\00:51:45.20
That's a
dangerous position to be in,
00:51:46.74\00:51:48.50
to be separated from God.
00:51:49.50\00:51:51.14
Simply because
you're not grateful.
00:51:52.17\00:51:54.58
Simply because you won't show
gratitude for what you have.
00:51:54.98\00:51:57.55
And as I said before, don't
compare yourself with others.
00:51:57.58\00:52:01.12
We all need pride.
00:52:01.15\00:52:02.78
Pride is the kind of thing
that makes you brush your teeth
00:52:03.35\00:52:06.39
and comb your hair in the
morning before you go to work
00:52:06.42\00:52:08.29
or come to church.
00:52:08.32\00:52:09.66
That's pride.
00:52:09.92\00:52:11.26
Pride makes you look
at yourself in the mirror
00:52:11.66\00:52:13.46
to make sure your
clothes are on straight.
00:52:13.50\00:52:15.53
That's pride.
00:52:15.93\00:52:17.27
Nothing wrong with
that kind of pride.
00:52:17.47\00:52:19.40
The problem is when
pride becomes proud.
00:52:19.83\00:52:23.27
And how does pride become proud?
00:52:23.57\00:52:25.77
When you compare what
you are, what you have,
00:52:26.34\00:52:31.45
with somebody else.
00:52:31.55\00:52:33.01
That's when you become proud.
00:52:33.62\00:52:35.02
That's when
pride, which is good,
00:52:35.05\00:52:36.62
becomes proud, which ain't.
00:52:36.65\00:52:38.52
Because the only person
you're supposed to compare
00:52:39.12\00:52:40.82
yourself with is Jesus.
00:52:40.86\00:52:42.52
Because when I compare
myself with anybody else
00:52:43.26\00:52:45.53
on planet earth, I'm
going to find a way to come out
00:52:45.56\00:52:48.50
looking better, smelling
better, thinking better,
00:52:48.80\00:52:50.67
singing better, talking better.
00:52:50.70\00:52:52.03
Somehow I'm going to say, "Well,
he's better looking than me,
00:52:52.07\00:52:56.50
but I've got more money."
00:52:56.54\00:52:58.07
Or, "He's got
more education than me,
00:52:59.01\00:53:02.54
but I have more
common sense than him."
00:53:02.58\00:53:04.35
You know, when you compare
yourself with other people,
00:53:04.38\00:53:06.61
you're always going
to come out some way,
00:53:06.65\00:53:08.28
you're going to find some
way to justify who you are.
00:53:08.32\00:53:10.45
Until you compare
yourself with Jesus.
00:53:10.55\00:53:15.29
No way you're going to
come out of that equation
00:53:16.26\00:53:17.99
looking good and smelling good.
00:53:18.19\00:53:20.10
What you come out with is
a realization of precisely
00:53:20.56\00:53:26.07
who you are.
00:53:26.10\00:53:28.20
You realize you've got
nothing to be proud about.
00:53:29.67\00:53:32.31
And your only pride is in
the fact that Jesus loves you
00:53:32.74\00:53:36.24
and died to save you.
00:53:36.34\00:53:38.88
So ingratitude oppresses the
soul and separates us from God.
00:53:39.21\00:53:42.58
5T, 640.
00:53:42.88\00:53:44.45
Cherishing ingratitude
puts your salvation in peril.
00:53:44.49\00:53:47.69
And that's one you
ought to underline.
00:53:47.82\00:53:49.16
Cherishing ingratitude
puts your salvation in peril.
00:53:50.39\00:53:54.96
Because it makes you disrespect
the God who saves you.
00:53:55.56\00:54:00.10
Cherishing ingratitude
puts your salvation at risk.
00:54:00.14\00:54:05.47
Well we can be lost...
00:54:06.78\00:54:08.11
...we can be lost...
00:54:10.55\00:54:12.01
...for being ungrateful.
00:54:13.68\00:54:15.18
Let me close with this story.
00:54:19.75\00:54:21.09
I, years ago, had a
chance to go to Uganda
00:54:21.12\00:54:27.73
and cross into Kenya
on a mission for 3ABN.
00:54:28.16\00:54:32.87
We had a new radio
station that was being produced.
00:54:32.90\00:54:35.87
One in Uganda and one
at the conference office
00:54:35.90\00:54:38.57
in Kisii, Kenya.
00:54:38.61\00:54:41.64
I found out that on the
African continent, they have
00:54:43.04\00:54:46.18
a nut, they call it a
berry, but it's really a nut
00:54:46.28\00:54:50.99
because it's quite
hard, called the taste berry.
00:54:51.02\00:54:55.62
When you chew this
nut, you don't swallow it.
00:54:57.13\00:55:00.36
You just put it in
your mouth and you chew it.
00:55:00.40\00:55:02.16
You crunch it and just chew it.
00:55:02.20\00:55:03.80
Chew it for about five minutes.
00:55:04.77\00:55:06.33
For the next hour or so,
everything you eat tastes sweet.
00:55:09.70\00:55:18.08
Now the nut itself
does not taste sweet.
00:55:18.51\00:55:21.15
It's the effect that
it has on your taste buds.
00:55:21.92\00:55:26.39
So they call it the taste berry.
00:55:26.82\00:55:28.42
Because I mean, you can
eat bitter roots, herbs,
00:55:28.62\00:55:31.33
take foul tasting medicine.
00:55:32.09\00:55:34.00
Anything you eat after
chewing this nut tastes sweet.
00:55:34.20\00:55:39.00
And the effect lasts
for quite a little time.
00:55:39.73\00:55:42.34
So young children who have...
00:55:43.07\00:55:44.87
Well they don't let
children take it too young
00:55:45.97\00:55:47.44
because it does have
some little side effects.
00:55:47.48\00:55:50.41
You don't want kids
tasting that thing because
00:55:50.45\00:55:52.28
it has a little caffeine in it.
00:55:52.31\00:55:53.65
But evidently everything
that adults take, medicine,
00:55:53.68\00:55:57.95
anything else, after chewing
this thing, it taste sweet.
00:55:57.99\00:56:01.02
It occurs to me that gratitude
is the Christian's taste berry.
00:56:01.06\00:56:09.40
If you are in right
relationship with Jesus,
00:56:10.97\00:56:14.17
if your heart is
open to the things of God,
00:56:15.17\00:56:17.84
if you see the things of
God in the right perspective
00:56:18.71\00:56:22.04
and are grateful for what
God is doing for you, with you,
00:56:22.08\00:56:26.48
to you, through you, you
will find that even life's most
00:56:26.51\00:56:32.75
bitter
experiences can taste sweet.
00:56:32.85\00:56:36.49
That something
good can come out of it.
00:56:37.39\00:56:39.86
That those things which
would break a lesser person
00:56:40.56\00:56:43.47
makes you stronger because
of the gratitude you have
00:56:44.57\00:56:49.14
for the God who
sees you through.
00:56:49.40\00:56:51.37
There's no promise
in heaven or on earth
00:56:51.91\00:56:54.41
that everything is going to
be hunky-dory and pain-free.
00:56:54.44\00:56:58.91
In fact, the Bible says,
"In the world you shall have
00:56:59.31\00:57:01.68
tribulation, but be of
good cheer; I've overcome."
00:57:01.72\00:57:04.35
That's John 16:33.
00:57:04.39\00:57:06.86
You're going to
have tribulation.
00:57:07.62\00:57:09.16
But be of good cheer.
00:57:09.76\00:57:11.09
Be gracious, have gratitude.
00:57:11.13\00:57:14.03
Because even
with the tribulation,
00:57:14.40\00:57:16.46
you've got a promise that
Jesus has overcome the world.
00:57:16.67\00:57:21.64
And you can overcome
even as He has overcome.
00:57:22.64\00:57:27.21
That, brothers and
sisters, is our taste berry.
00:57:27.71\00:57:32.28