TAKE IT ALL I HAVE NO RIGHTS 11 SAM 19:28

1.WHAT A MARVELOUS PICTURE OF GOD'S GRACE

A. The Chief Object Of The Grace Of God Is The Lost Sinner And The Failing Christian

1. The Main work of grace is the restoration and salvation of these when sin and failure come in.

2. I have people encouraging me to admonish people from the law of God, that it needs to be mixed in with the message of grace.

3. The idea being that both are needed to cause a person to desire holiness.

B. Using The Law On People, Fails To Take Into Account The Fact That Human Beings Are Cripples And Can Never Walk By Themselves In The Way Of Holiness

1. Mephibosheth even when seated at David's table was still lame in both feet

2. How can the law produce holiness when the believer is lame in both feet

3. The law never produces holiness - it produces effort that ends in failure (Rom. 7:9-11, 22-24)

C. It Is The Grace Of God Alone That Produces Holiness Because Grace Provokes Love for The One

Who Has Bestowed It (Luke 7:47)

1. Love in turn begets a hatred for sin.

2. I cannot work my soul to save - For that my Lord has done)but I would work like any slave - for love of

God's dear Son

3. The difference the message of grace makes is illustrated in the Life of mephibosheth.

II. THE STORY WITH THE REBELLION OF WE BEGIN ABSALOM

A. David Was Forced To Flee With a few Hundred Faithful Men.

1. One of these was a man named Ziba - he was a one time servant of Saul and was designated to care for Mephibosheth a man who was a cripple.

2. Ziba came with a load of foodstuffs for David and his men.

B. When David Asked Where Mephibosheth Was He Told A Wicked Lie

1. He said he was back in Jerusalem saying; today the house of Israel will be restored to my father.

2. The real truth was Mephibosheth was so loyal to David he refused to trim his beard, wash his clothes or dress his crippled feet until David came home safely

C. Sadly David Believed The Lie - In Anger he Gave All Lands he Had Given To Mephibosheth Over To Ziba.

1. That was Ziba's plan - he wanted them for himself.

2. David came to Jordan and as he crossed over certain people came to meet him, Mephibosheth was one of them.

3. David asks Mephibosheth why he didn't come with Him

4. (II Sam. 19: 26-28) Gives us the answer to that question

D. He States The Facts Simply - Ziba Had Deceived Him, He Took The Donkey And Brought Foodstuffs

And Left Mephibosheth At Home. Being Crippled He Could Do Little To Help Himself.

1. Ziba Then slanders him and makes him out to be a traitor

2. The Untrimmed beard and disheveled clothes gave clear evidence of his loyalty.

3. Having made his statement he gave no defense, he left the matter up to David.

E. If David Gave Him A Death Sentence He Felt He Deserved It Being The Son Of Saul. By Rights He

Should Have Been Killed When David Took Over.

1. He states that only the grace in David's heart spared him and even let him eat at David's own table

2. He could never forget that he was the object of an extra ordinary grace.

3. From these two things he draws the conclusion that grace had robbed him of any right to ask for anything more

4. How could a dead man stand up for his rights

III. WHAT A SWEET SPIRIT IN THIS MAN - WHAT RIGHT HAVE I

A. This Is Ever The Attitude or Grace - By Rights We Should All Be Condemned And Sent To Hell For our Sins.

1. But the grace of God in the Lord Jesus has redeemed us from our sins and given us a place at Jesus table.

2. How can we then speak of our rights?

B. When people Hurt Us And Speak Ill Of Us, We Feel We Have A Right To Defend Ourselves And We Go To Great Lengths To Stand Up For Our Right

1. What a far cry from Mephibosheth attitude - what right have I

2. Most of us need a real experience of grace of the Mephibosheth order.

IV. MEPHIBOSHETH GOES ON TO SAY - LET HIM TAKE ALL

A. David Came To Realize He Had Been Misled By Ziba And Found Himself Having Given Mephibosheth Land Away.

1. Since David had given a kingly word to give the land to Ziba, he sought to save face by dividing the land and giving each half.

2. To this Mephibosheth speaks words of grace and nobility

3. Let him take all, forasmuch as my Lord the King has come home (11. Sam 19:30)

B. The kindness And Grace Of David Towards Him In The Past Had Begotten Such A Love For David

That personal Considerations Didn't Matter to Him.

C. He Loves the king So Much That He Has No Stomach To Continue The Contention Over rights

And Disputed Points.

1. Let him take it all - This is real grace - this is holiness

2. This attitude simply can't be produced by the law or legalistic exhortations

3. Such an attitude is compelling in the eyes of the world

4. I think of Carol Jeffries - husband left for another woman he had an empire estimated at 200 million - she could have claimed half.

D. Without Experiencing This kind Of Grace our Attitude Will Be That Of The Man Who Came To Jesus Saying, "Master Speak To My Brother That He Divide the Inheritance With Me".

1. Jesus gave him an abrupt reply - man, who made me a judge or divider over you (Luke 12:13-14)

2. Happy the man or woman who can truly sing the hymn, Take the world but give me Jesus.

3. 1 can tell you from experience this attitude of grace does not come easily or automatically.

4. Most often our first reactions are the wrong ones.

5. The old Adamic rises within us to claim its supposed rights

6. But the Lord Jesus comes and says; What right have I, let him take it all.

V. SOME FEAR PEOPLE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GOD'S GRACE

A. Some Feel We Should Add A Few Legal Exhortation Because Some Will Abuse The Grace That

God Offers To Sinners

1. But extra conditions on some might be more than they can perform and they become defeated in their lives

2. God decided he would take the risk of dealing with us on the ground of grace rather than the law.

3. If the grace of God does not motivate you to live Godly there is no other way.

4. But God's great gamble has paid off and countess millions of changed lives testify to its validity.

B. Has It In Your Case? Are You Still Trying To Be Holy By Living Up To The Demands of the Law.

1. The law according to the apostle Paul is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ

2. My friend whatever road you have been traveling on religiously is meant to lead you to Christ