Is the Gos\u00adpel more than eter\u00adnal life? To be with God once? Of cour\u00adse! Eter\u00adnal life beg\u00adins alre\u00ada\u00addy here on earth. Through Jesus Christ we have access to God\u2019s grace. What does grace mean? We want to look at this tog\u00ade\u00adther and let our\u00adsel\u00adves be inspi\u00adred anew by the Gos\u00adpel. Using the sto\u00adry of David and Mefi\u00adbos\u00adheth, we will see how God wants to bless your life today and how you can beco\u00adme a bles\u00adsing for others.<\/p>\n
In Mol\u00addo\u00adva we have done many evan\u00adge\u00adli\u00adstic out\u00adre\u00ada\u00adches this year. We have visi\u00adted peo\u00adp\u00adle in their homes and brought them the saving mes\u00adsa\u00adge of Jesus Christ. When we preach the Gos\u00adpel, we often have the future in mind. Eter\u00adnal life with Jesus in hea\u00adven. But what does the Gos\u00adpel mean for the here and now? Gos\u00adpel lite\u00adral\u00adly means: news too good to be true! Is the Gos\u00adpel more than the con\u00adso\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon of the after\u00adli\u00adfe? While thin\u00adking about this topic, I came across a gre\u00adat pic\u00adtu\u00adre in the OT<\/span>. I want to take you into this sto\u00adry and I am exci\u00adted to see what new things we can learn about the Gos\u00adpel of Jesus Christ. \tJona\u00adthan = Jesus \tWhat does gos\u00adpel mean to you? Do you expe\u00adri\u00adence the good news in ever\u00ady\u00adday life? Is the Gos\u00adpel more than eter\u00adnal life? To be with God once? Of cour\u00adse! Eter\u00adnal life beg\u00adins alre\u00ada\u00addy here on earth. Through Jesus Christ we have access to God\u2019s grace. What does grace mean? We want to look at this tog\u00ade\u00adther and let our\u00adsel\u00adves be inspi\u00adred anew by the Gos\u00adpel. Using the sto\u00adry of David and Mefi\u00adbos\u00adheth, we will see\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[26],"wpfc_sermon_series":[63],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-markus-inaebnit","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3128","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nDavid and Jonathan
\nIt all beg\u00adins with a fri\u00adend\u00adship bet\u00adween David and Jona\u00adthan. Jona\u00adthan is the son of the reig\u00adning king in Isra\u00adel and the rightful heir to the thro\u00adne. David, a she\u00adp\u00adherd boy, was anoin\u00adted as the new king by the pro\u00adphet Samu\u00adel becau\u00adse Jonathan\u2019s father, King Saul, did not live accor\u00adding to God\u2019s will. Actual\u00adly not a good basis to be good fri\u00adends. Again and again Saul tri\u00ades to kill David and final\u00adly dri\u00adves him to hide among Israel\u2019s enemies, the Phi\u00adlis\u00adti\u00adnes. But Jona\u00adthan remains faithful to his fri\u00adend, and David also remains faithful to his friend.
\nThen in 1 Samu\u00adel 31 Saul and Jona\u00adthan are kil\u00adled in batt\u00adle. The ama\u00adzing thing about true fri\u00adend\u00adship is that even death can\u00adnot des\u00adtroy it. Now the sto\u00adry beco\u00admes dra\u00adma\u00adtic. Accor\u00adding to the roy\u00adal dynasty, after Saul\u2019s death Jona\u00adthan would rule, then Jonathan\u2019s son and so on. But God had rejec\u00adted the house of Saul from the thro\u00adne and cho\u00adsen a man after his own heart \u2013 David. When the dynasties chan\u00adged at this time, nor\u00admal\u00adly all heirs to the thro\u00adne from the pre\u00advious dynasty were eli\u00admi\u00adna\u00adted so that the new dynasty could rule unhindered.
\nFrom Prin\u00adce to Son of Shame
\nJona\u00adthan had a 5\u2011year-old son named Mir-Baal. The sto\u00adry beg\u00adins with the fos\u00adter mother, who looks after Mir-Baal, lear\u00adning of Saul and Jonathan\u2019s death. She now assu\u00admes that David will come and kill Mir-Baal. \u00ab\u2026And his fos\u00adter-mother had taken him up, and fled: and as she fled hasti\u00adly, he fell down, and was para\u00adly\u00adsed. And his name was Mephi\u00adbos\u00adheth\u00bb (2 Samu\u00adel 4.4 ZB<\/span>).
\nOri\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly, Mefi\u00adbos\u00adheth was cal\u00adled Mir-Baal, which meant \u00abadver\u00adsa\u00adry of Baal\u00bb (cf. 1 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 8:34). But his name was chan\u00adged to Mefi\u00adbos\u00adheth, which means \u00abson of shame\u00bb. From that moment on, this young man was cripp\u00adled. We are tal\u00adking about a time when the\u00adre were no wheel\u00adchairs or phy\u00adsio\u00adthe\u00adra\u00adpy. No IV<\/span>. What a pathe\u00adtic, poor human being he must have been. His fami\u00adly dead, unable to sup\u00adport hims\u00adelf, living at the mer\u00adcy of stran\u00adgers, wai\u00adting to die. At the age of 5, his who\u00adle world is tur\u00adned upsi\u00adde down
\nHave you ever had a mefi\u00adbo\u00adschet moment? May\u00adbe it was the betra\u00ady\u00adal of a spou\u00adse. May\u00adbe it was the loss of a job. May\u00adbe you went to the doc\u00adtor. Felt good but the doc\u00adtor gave you a bad dia\u00adgno\u00adsis. May\u00adbe you feel lonely. Or you are strugg\u00adling with infe\u00adrio\u00adri\u00adty. The Coro\u00adna Cri\u00adsis is such a moment for many peo\u00adp\u00adle. At such moments, when we lose our foo\u00adting, our con\u00adtrol, what do you do? How can the gos\u00adpel help here? The good news? What does this good news do for me when I\u2019m in hea\u00adven in 50 years? I am in pain now! Do you know the\u00adse thoughts? Mefi\u00adbos\u00adheth is now hiding in the city of Lo-Dabar. Lo-Dabar means: wit\u00adhout pas\u00adtu\u00adre, bar\u00adren. The name of the vil\u00adla\u00adge sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adcal\u00adly cap\u00adtures Mefibosheth\u2019s life: unful\u00adfil\u00adled, bar\u00adren, a withe\u00adred flower, crea\u00adted to blos\u00adsom but withe\u00adred in the scor\u00adching heat of life. But now some\u00adthing hap\u00adpen\u00aded in his life. Tog\u00ade\u00adther we read from 2 Samu\u00adel 9.
\nFor Jonathan\u2019s sake
\nVer\u00adse 1: \u00abAnd David said, If the\u00adre be any left of the house of Saul, I will shew him mer\u00adcy for Jonathan\u2019s sake\u00bb (2 Samu\u00adel 9:1 ZB<\/span>).
\nDavid is not see\u00adking reven\u00adge against the house of Saul \u2013 David is see\u00adking someone to whom he can show roy\u00adal kind\u00adness. What is inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading is the state\u00adment of why he wants to do this \u2013 for Jonathan\u2019s sake. We\u2019ll read that again in a moment. Now David heard about Mephi\u00adbos\u00adheth (ver\u00adses 2\u20134) and David calls Mephi\u00adbos\u00adheth over (ver\u00adse 5) and no doubt Mephibosheth\u2019s heart stop\u00adped: \u00abThis is the end! Now I will die!\u00bb he pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly thought. We read on from ver\u00adse 6:
\n\u00abThen came Mephi\u00adbos\u00adheth the son of Jona\u00adthan, the son of Saul, unto David, and fell on his face, and bowed hims\u00adelf. And David said, Mephi\u00adbos\u00adheth! And he ans\u00adwe\u00adred, Behold, thy ser\u00advant is here. And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will shew thee mer\u00adcy for Jona\u00adthan thy father\u2019s sake, and I will res\u00adto\u00adre thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat at my table con\u00adti\u00adnu\u00adal\u00adly\u00bb (2 Samu\u00adel 9:6\u20137 ZB<\/span>).
\n#WeA\u00adreMe\u00adfi\u00adbo\u00adschet
\n\u00abFor the sake of your father Jona\u00adthan\u2026\u00bb Do we see the Gos\u00adpel in this sto\u00adry? Becau\u00adse of Jona\u00adthan, becau\u00adse of the death of Jona\u00adthan, David shows kind\u00adness and mer\u00adcy to Mephi\u00adbos\u00adheth. Do you see it? God gives us mer\u00adcy and kind\u00adness today becau\u00adse of Jesus. Becau\u00adse of his death on the cross.<\/p>\n
\n\tDavid = God
\n\tWho is Mefi\u00adbos\u00adheth = You<\/p>\n
\n
\nWe are all guil\u00adty befo\u00adre God. \u00abAll have sin\u00adned and for\u00adfei\u00adted the glo\u00adry of God\u00bb (Romans 3:23 ZB<\/span>). And fur\u00adther we read: \u00abFor the wages of sin is death\u2026\u00bb (Romans 6:23 ZB<\/span>). Death means being sepa\u00adra\u00adted from God, the source of all life. Here on earth but also for all eter\u00adni\u00adty. Being sepa\u00adra\u00adted from the table of God, which stands for com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon with Him.
\nLike Mefi\u00adbos\u00adheth, we are hel\u00adp\u00adless to do any\u00adthing about our con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon. But now comes the gos\u00adpel. David\u2019s kind\u00adness to Mephi\u00adbos\u00adheth was based on abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly NOTHING<\/span> that Mephi\u00adbos\u00adheth could bring to the table. For Jonathan\u2019s sake. It is the same with God\u2019s kind\u00adness to YOU<\/span> this mor\u00adning. His kind\u00adness was based on abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly NOTHING<\/span> that YOU<\/span> could bring. For Jesus\u00bb sake. Jesus, the Son of God, brings us to the table of God. \u00abBeing made righ\u00adteous wit\u00adhout merit by his grace through the redemp\u00adti\u00adon that is in Christ Jesus\u00bb (Romans 3:24 ZB<\/span>).
\nThe gos\u00adpel of Jesus Christ allows us to put grace in the gap bet\u00adween us and God.
\n\u00abFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of your\u00adsel\u00adves: it is the gift of God\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 2:8 ZB<\/span>). Mar\u00adtin Luther, he descri\u00adbes it beau\u00adtiful\u00adly, \u00abLaw is what we are to do; but gos\u00adpel what God wants to give.\u00bb God wants to give you a place at his table. And that stands for eter\u00adnal life after death, for one thing. Do you have that place at God\u2019s table? Remem\u00adber \u2013 you can only get your place becau\u00adse of the act of ano\u00adther. Have you ent\u00adrus\u00adted your life, your eter\u00adni\u00adty, to Jesus?
\nGrace is more
\nBut grace is much more than sim\u00adply eter\u00adnal life. Now my link to the begin\u00adning. What is the gos\u00adpel? Sim\u00adply some\u00adthing in the future? What is grace? Psalm 103:8 says that God is gra\u00adcious and mer\u00adciful. To under\u00adstand the\u00adse terms we need ano\u00adther term: jus\u00adti\u00adce. Jus\u00adti\u00adce means get\u00adting exact\u00adly what you deser\u00adve. Mer\u00adcy, on the other hand, means that God spa\u00adres us from the con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces and jud\u00adge\u00adment that we actual\u00adly deser\u00adve. So God does not do some\u00adthing, he reacts mer\u00adciful\u00adly. Like David with Mephi\u00adbos\u00adheth. Mer\u00adcy, howe\u00adver, is recei\u00adving the favours and bles\u00adsings of God that we did not deser\u00adve. And this beg\u00adins alre\u00ada\u00addy here on earth! Grace is coming under God\u2019s influence through Jesus Christ, coming under hea\u00adven\u00adly influence. \u00abFor the saving grace of God has appeared to all men, trai\u00adning us to renoun\u00adce ungod\u00adli\u00adne\u00adss and world\u00adly lusts, and to live pru\u00addent\u00adly, righ\u00adteous\u00adly and god\u00adly in this world.\u00bb (Titus 2:11\u201312 LUT<\/span>) Grace is the effec\u00adti\u00adve power of God in our lives! That is why Paul wri\u00adtes in each of his epist\u00adles, \u00abGrace be with you!\u00bb Peter also wri\u00adtes in his ope\u00adning words in the 1st Epist\u00adle of Peter: \u00abI wish you grace in the richest mea\u00adsu\u00adre\u00bb! In the 2nd let\u00adter he wis\u00adhes: \u00abI wish you to know God and our Lord Jesus bet\u00adter and bet\u00adter, and ther\u00adeby to expe\u00adri\u00adence grace and peace in ever grea\u00adter mea\u00adsu\u00adre\u00bb (2 Peter 1:2 NG\u00dc<\/span>). Paul places his who\u00adle minis\u00adtry under grace: \u00abThat I nevert\u00adhel\u00adess beca\u00adme an apost\u00adle, I owe exclu\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly to the grace of God\u2026it is not to me that I owe what I have \u00abachie\u00adved\u00bb, but to the grace of God that was with me!\u00bb (1 Cor 15:10 NG\u00dc<\/span>)
\nGro\u00adwing in grace
\nOur bibli\u00adcal man\u00adda\u00adte: \u00abBut grow in the grace and know\u00adledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ\u00bb (2 Peter 3:18 LUT<\/span>).
\nThe word \u00abGrow\u00bb is writ\u00adten in the acti\u00adve com\u00admand form. You are respon\u00adsi\u00adble for gro\u00adwing the grace of God in your life. God\u2019s grace must be actively sought and accept\u00aded. And whe\u00adre do we find this grace? At the table, with God: \u00abLet us the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre come befo\u00adre the thro\u00adne of our gra\u00adcious God with con\u00adfi\u00addence (becau\u00adse of Jesus), that he may bestow his mer\u00adcy on us and make us know his grace, and that we may recei\u00adve in due sea\u00adson the help that we need\u00bb (Hebrews 4:16 NG\u00dc<\/span>). We need to learn to come into the pre\u00adsence of God, to come to His table, to recei\u00adve grace, to recei\u00adve help, not just in the future, no, that is a word for today! Paul with his chal\u00adlenges recei\u00adved the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing word from God: \u00abMy grace is all you need, for my power comes to full effect pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly in weak\u00adne\u00adss\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 12:9 NG\u00dc<\/span>).
\nWhen we under\u00adstand that through Jesus we have an invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to God\u2019s table, let us no lon\u00adger be satis\u00adfied with fast food. Seek God\u2019s grace, God\u2019s influence, God\u2019s work today! In your pain, in your pro\u00adblems, in your loneli\u00adne\u00adss in your life situa\u00adti\u00adon. Through Jesus, the way is open for God\u2019s grace. \u00abBles\u00adsed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has bles\u00adsed us in the hea\u00advens with every spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal bles\u00adsing through Christ\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 1:3 ZB<\/span>). That is also gos\u00adpel! A mes\u00adsa\u00adge too good to be true!
\nMefi\u00adbosh was given food and a belon\u00adging at King David\u2019s table. But we are bles\u00adsed at the table with God the King with ALL<\/span> spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal bles\u00adsings in hea\u00adven through Christ. And with this bles\u00adsing packa\u00adge, which includes ever\u00ady\u00adthing, we can be vic\u00adto\u00adrious in every situa\u00adti\u00adon today. We over\u00adco\u00adme by far says Paul in Romans 8 as he expounds the gos\u00adpel of grace. That gives hope. This is good news. When we under\u00adstand this, then we are tru\u00adly bles\u00adsed and will be a blessing.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: 2 Samu\u00adel 9; 2 Peter 3:18; Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 1:3<\/p>\n
\n\tMefibosheth\u2019s life was fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly chan\u00adged by the unde\u00adser\u00adved atten\u00adti\u00adon of David. Do you expe\u00adri\u00adence how faith in God also chan\u00adges your life?
\n\tWhat does it mean to come to the table of God?
\n\tThrough grace we have access to God\u2019s table. How do you under\u00adstand God\u2019s grace and how can you grow in grace? (cf. 2 Peter 3:18)
\n\tEphe\u00adsi\u00adans 1:3: Through Jesus we are alre\u00ada\u00addy bles\u00adsed with all spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal bles\u00adsings. How would your life chan\u00adge if you belie\u00adved this?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"