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Sermon Notes | Who is at Your Table
Here is a sermon I preached at New Life Fellowship in San Antonio
Who Sits at Your Table
Thesis: Inviting ALL people to your table is the sign of your trust and belief in Jesus Christ.
2 Samuel 9:1 One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked. “Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied. 3 The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.” Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”
He is found in Lo Debar and comes to Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 9:7 “Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!” 8 Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”
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.
3 Men of the Story:
- David: a Man of great POWER and AUHTORITY “Who can I honor?”
- Mephibosheth had nothing to offer David. He was lame in both feet. Living in Lo debar
- Ziba has no authority but is in a critical position to serve and facilitate. For David and Mephibosheth.
There are quite possibly folks here today that aren’t used to this church thing and you might feel like you are out of place because church is for good people.
“What do you have to offer God?”
“What have you done that would make you right with God?”
I have good news for you today.
Humans left God; rebelled, sinned. While we were in the midst of doing our own thing and living a life that built our own kingdom, He died for us.
God so loved the world that he put a chair at His table for us.
We (like Mephibosheth) have no power, resources or value to give God that he doesn’t already have in his existence already. YET, he gives us a spot. He gives us a place to simply be…us.
He is looking today for people to sit at his table that have nothing to offer him. He is looking for Mephibosheths that are broken, hurting, lonely, desperate.
If you are looking for a place to belong, then you have come to the right place! There is room at the kings table for you.
Sermon Notes 10/28/12
These were the notes I used on Sunday. As you can tell by reading them, they are not intended to be example of great grammar or editing. 🙂
They are spotty and have some elements missing. I usually fill those in from my mind. Also, I leave some of this content out of the sermon when it is not necessary to the particular audience.
2 Chronicles 5: 13 The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. 14 The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God.
Surverys show the: Reasons for not going to church: Boring, Not relevant, people feel judged
Surveys have recorded: What would make you come to church? “If I knew I could experience the presence of God or know what he we like.”
Relevant is a means to an end. All churches were relevant at one time. Today’s relevance is tomorrow’s religion.
What makes a church grow and have life is a transformational environment.
All the cool stuff, musicians, style, practical teaching, list goes on and on…Is not the power.
Solomon knew that all the pomp and circumstance is not the power. The priests were purified. We are all purified/royal priesthood.
1 Peter 2:9 … You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession…for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Everyone is gathered together. 120 in both this covenant and the upper room. Harps, cymbals, stringed instruments, forgiven people, finished works, sacrifice of sins. Singing, dancing, celebration, focus on God… Corporate Worship to God.
There is something powerful about people gathering together and worshipping God in one place.
For those of us who have been around a while, we forget and take for granted what it is like in the presence of God on Sunday morning. For those who are new to church, you might be struggling to figure out what the big deal is about gathering every single week, and reshaping our weekend to make sure that we don’t miss Sunday. We shouldn’t do it just to do it. That is laborious.
We forget the effect of the power of God on the lost.
Worshipping together as a group is different than missions, and social fellowship, and classes, All those are important and have a place in our discipleship.
However, we can not forget the power of getting together as a group and having an “At that moment” Experience.
‘At that moment’ – No flesh could stand or function in that moment. We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we engage God in sincere worship, it is the only time this side of heaven, every part of our sinful flesh brokenness, sin, pain, has to be paused! The only time this side of heaven. When we are in the moment.
1 Corinthians 1:29 …no flesh should glory in his presence.
Your flesh – that which is prone to sin and opposed to God, the animal nature with cravings which incite to sin. It is not a process or a part of growth. It is not like serving or discipleship. The world fades away and there is a reprieve of the flesh. We spiritually kiss in that moment the face of God. We get a tiny drop of what heaven will be like. There will be like no more sickness and no more pain forever!!
We learn to surrender to the presence of God. At that moment it is impossible to sin.
John 4:24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.
Jesus teaches at the well the lowest of the low. Half breed, woman, her only connection to power was 7 broken men, it was this woman that God brought this revelation of worship to. I will give you living water. She needed a release from the pain. She needed to experience the reprieve.
2 Chronicles 20: 21 After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” 22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. …not a single one of the enemy escaped.
Jehoshaphat king leading people. Singing the same song as earlier. Something had been taught to them. How to worship. At that very moment.
No flesh or enemy of god could stand in the glory of God. Worshippers set the atmosphere for the evil to perish.
Took three days to gather all the stud foreshadowing of resurrection.
Psalm 84: 5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. 6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. 7 They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.
turn your mourning into dancing
Valley of blessing.
God wants to turn your valley of battle/mourning into a valley of blessing. He inhabits the praises of his people. Stop fighting your battles and start worshipping god. Keep coming to church and start letting loose a little bit.
walking through the valley of weeping it will become a place of refreshing springs
You will remember places of blessing forever. You will want to return to physical places because if the deliverances
The only way for trials to become triumphs is through worship.
3 simple principles for “at that moments”
What is the most important commandment?
Mark 12:29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’
We can love him with all our heart soul and mind, strength “at that moment”
1. Engage God Physically. Strength You start with all these issues. Get your body moving. Your mind follows your body. Start clapping. Start dancing. Move something. Raise hands. Sign of surrender.
Our church is the big messy mix of humanity. We have all shades Of all kinds of cultures and issues.
We know the power of the presence of God. We have to carry the banner!
2. Encounter God Mentally– Mind- encounter God. Mind follows spiritually minded is life and peace. You focus on Him
3. Experience God – soul
Robin Steele 