Updated: 11/11/2024
Sermon Prep
September of 2024 was our last month as just spouses and not parents. It was a fun month where we got to see our friends, Taylor and Emma, get married and go to their wedding in the mountains. Starting the journey we started back a few years ago of falling in love. That’s actually where this great photo of us comes from when one of their photographers snapped a picture of us during the ceremony prayer.
Given my time at church in leadership and work was coming to a close before my paternity leave, I began prepping these messages way ahead of time. In fact, this message I started working on in early August of this year. For one, early onset “baby brain” was taking effect where I just had a harder time thinking and staying motivated. As we were approaching the 36 week point, the reality of our daughter being born was fast approaching too so in the event she was born early I was prepared sermon-wise.
Since there was a big gap between the last 3 messages of 2024 and my sermon in June on David and Goliath, I treated it as an unofficial trilogy covering the first years of King David’s reign. Of the 3, I had the most personal interest in this one because for me it’s David at his absolute best. His most messianic if you will of what a foreshadow of Jesus looks like in a kingly figure.
I think that unbridled enthusiasm just enhanced all the extensive prep I did here. I also began adjusting my sermon format by introducing highlights to certain parts of my sermon notes. Blue is for quotes of other people, green is for Scripture sections, red is for Scripture citations, and yellow is for recurring themes.
For the sake of blogpost space, I left out the Scripture sections but the citations of what was read are still here. I’ve only just started that again, but that’s where the color shows up here. Below are the notes for this message and linked here is the sermon too.
Sermon Notes
Opening Line
- We all know someone that brings nothing to the table, yet we invite them anyway.
Intro
- Explain Silence (2016) and how Kichijiro represents our relationship to Jesus.
Main Point
- Jesus is merciful and kind, therefore he invites you to dine and reign with him.
- David also invited someone to the table, but first here’s the historical context.
Historical Context
- During the civil war, King Eshbaal was Israel’s 2nd king reigning for 2 years, while King David was Judah’s 1st king reigning for 7.5 years (2 Samuel 2:8-11).
- Eshbaal (Baal exists) → Ish-bosheth (man of shame) “is an intentional scribal alteration” as noted by John Bright (i.e. Hosea 2:16).
- Merib-Baal (Baal is advocate) → Mephibosheth (he scatters shame).
- Abner was King Saul’s cousin, Ish-bosheth’s uncle, and their army commander.
- Abner was assassinated by Joab as revenge for Abner killing Joab’s brother, but David didn’t know this plan. Abner was with David (2 Samuel 2:12-32, 3:8, 26-30).
Mephibosheth’s Suffering
- Read 2 Samuel 4 aloud.
- Baanah and Rechab as Gibeonites saw a way to impress David (2 Samuel 4:1-3).
- Mephibosheth was crippled because of moral suffering as his nurse was fleeing from the Philistines fearing they would kill him (1 Samuel 31:1-6, 2 Samuel 4:4).
- Types of suffering:
- Moral suffering is humans hurting humans.
- Natural suffering is creation hurting humans.
- Universal suffering is the death of the body and soul.
- Types of suffering:
- They were secret, selfish, and swift to sin (2 Samuel 4:6-8). We act that way too.
- David’s furious that they would defy God’s covenant with Saul (2 Samuel 4:9-12).
David’s Kindness
- Read 2 Samuel 9 aloud.
- David became king over all of Israel when Ish-bosheth died (2 Samuel 5:1-5).
- Lo-debar means no thing, so a town in the middle of nowhere (2 Samuel 9:4-5).
- Mephibosheth was hiding from King David because it was common for a new ruler to clean house and kill all survivors of the previous monarchy.
- In complete humility, Mephibosheth falls on his face like a dog might “lay down” and entrusts himself to the service of King David as a slave (2 Samuel 9:6-8).
- Saul had a tenth of Israel’s assets, so David gave back to Mephibosheth and his family what they lost from Israel’s civil war (1 Samuel 8:10-18).
- Honoring his covenant to Jonathan, David invites Mephibosheth to his table.
- This incredible gesture was culturally taboo and was a sign to everyone that Mephibosheth was grafted in with David’s reign (2 Samuel 9:11b-13).
- David continued to care for Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 16:1-4, 19:24-30, 21:1-9).
Why This Matters
- Mephibosheth goes from hiding far away in the outskirts of nowhere to now being dignified and esteemed as a regular member seated at the King’s table.
- “We might say we find David at his best… What’s being expressed here is the covenant love of God.” – Alistair Begg
Power Text
- Read Revelation 3:20-21 aloud.
- Because Jesus loves you, he wants you to dine and reign with him forever.
- “The most important thing that happens between God and the human soul is to love and to be loved.” – Kallistos Katafygiotis, The Philokalia
Outro
- Read Luke 22:26b-30 aloud.
- Life is about proximity with Jesus, whether you’re close to him or far away on your own.
- Jesus invites you to a kingdom life, even when you bring nothing to the table and don’t deserve it.
- It’s your choice: live in the middle of nowhere or take a seat at the table.
Final Thoughts
This is one of my personal favorite sermons to teach. There’s just so much I love here that speaks volumes both to the people involved and thematically as it points to what the messiah will be like when he arrives. How can you not get excited about God’s grace and his lovingkindness towards us. With that, Godspeed and Jesus bless.
chris cribari blog 