It’s A Package Deal

Text:

2Samuel 9:

And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!  And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.

 

2Corinthians 12:7-9:

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 

Theme:

It’s a Package Deal

 

Introduction:

• Second Epistle to the Church in Corinth, Second Corinthians, was written by the Apostle Paul.
  • Written in reaction to the good report that Paul got from Titus and Timothy concerning the church in Corinth.
  • Probably written at Philippi, or, as some think, Thessalonica, early in the year A.D. 58, and was sent to Corinth by Titus.
  • Addresses not only to the church in Corinth, but also to the saints in all Achaia, i.e., in Athens, Cenchrea, and other cities in Greece.
  • This epistle, it has been well said, shows the individuality of the apostle more than any other.
  • The epistle can be described as having the distinct sections. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary)
    • (Chapters 1-7) Paul speaks of his spiritual labours and course of life, and expresses his warm affection toward the Corinthians.
    • (Chapters 8-9) Paul gives specific directions regarding the collection that was to be made for their poor brethren in Judea.
    • (Chapters 10-13) Paul defends his own apostolic claim, and justifies himself from the charges and insinuations of the false teacher and his adherents.
• The text comes from The Second Book of Samuel
  • The 10^th book of the Old Testament
  • Written by Samuel, Gad, and Nathan.
  • The books of 1^st and 2^nd Samuel and 1^st and 2^nd Kings were originally know as the four “Books of the Kings” since they contained much historical information.
  • The purpose of the books was to present a history of the kingdom of God in its gradual development, and not of the events of the reigns of the successive rulers.
• Specifically in this the 9^th chapter of the Second Book of Samuel we find Mephibosheth,
  • son of Jonathan who was the son of Saul.
  • Lame in both his feet
    • 2Samuel 4:4, “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.”
  • David sought out Mephibosheth in order that “I (David) may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake”
    • Mephibosheth lived in Lodebar which was a city in Gilead
      • When the Bible refers to Gilead…
        • Jeremiah 8:22, “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?”
      • Gilead was a rough place…full of poverty and crime
        • Lodebar was a city in the midst of this desolate area of Gilead
      • David called Mephibosheth out of Lodebar…out of his “hole”
        • How many of us need God to call us out of our “Lodebar”!!!!!!
      • David brought Mephibosheth to the palace….sat him at the king’s table…fed him…treated him like the prince that he was destined to be!!
        • Mephibosheth was favored
        • His family was favored
        • His life was favored!!
• BUT, Mephibosheth was still “lame on both his feet”
  • 2Samuel 9:13, “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.”
  • For Mephibosheth, IT’S A PACKAGE DEAL!!!
• Then we find Paul crying to God about a thorn!
  • “there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”
  • God did not remove Paul’s thorn
    • 2Corinthians 12:8-9, “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
      • God said that His blessings have to be accompanied by struggle…strength has to come along with weakness.
    • For Paul, IT’S A PACKAGE DEAL!!!
  • We must learn from both Mephibosheth and Paul!
    • IT’S A PACKAGE DEAL!!!

Body:

• What is a PACKAGE DEAL?
  • From Mephibosheth and Paul we learn that A PACKAGE DEAL means a situation where the individual must accept, consider, or reconcile what they…
    • Like AND Don’t Like
    • Want AND Don’t Want
    • Expect AND Don’t Expect
    • Handle AND Can’t Handle
    • Understand AND Don’t Understand
• In life we have to reckon with “package deals”
  • When a parent reconciles a future decision, the children are a primary element of their consideration. Can’t you hear that Mama or Daddy telling someone… “Me and my babies are a ‘package deal’”!
  • Marrying an individual also means dealing with, if not accepting, their family ALSO.
  • Accepting person for who they are means accepting the Good, the Bad, AND the Ugly.
  • Hiring a person on a job means that you have hired both their Strengths AND their Weaknesses.
  • Living life means having to handle both the Ups AND the Downs.
• But, also, with God IT’S A PACKAGE DEAL!
  • He gives us all a thorn…as with Paul
    • 2Corinthians 12:7, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”
  • What some characteristics of the “thorn”?
    • It is in the flesh à Ecclesiastes 5:6, “Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?”
    • It pricks the flesh à James 1:14-15, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
    • It is of the flesh à Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like….”
    • It cannot be removed à Psalms 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
  • What is your “thorn”?
    • We all have it in some shape, form or fashion è SIN
      • Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
    • We can’t avoid SIN! It is the “thorn” that is our flesh!
      • Romans 7:18-20, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
    • We need Jesus to overcome our SIN
      • Redemption from SIN à Ephesians 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
      • Deliverance from the WORLD à 1Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
      • Deliverance from SELF à Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
  • The “thorn” is what makes the PACKAGE DEALS in our lives
    • Mephibosheth was given the privilege of eating at the king’s table, living in the king’s palace, and being served by the king’s servants…even though he was STILL lame in both feet.
    • Paul was saved by God, raised by God and used by God…even though he STILL had the thorn in his flesh
    • We must praise God…even though we STILL have infirmities
    • We must go on in God
      • …even though we still have problems
      • …even though we still have enemies
      • …even though we still have confusion

Conclusion:

• God has a purpose for the PACKAGE DEALS in our lives
  • To keep us humble…
    • 2Corinthians 12:7a, “lest I should be exalted above measure”
  • To keep us strong…
    • 2Corinthians 12:9a, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness….”
  • To keep us one with Him…
    • 2Corinthians 12:9b, “…Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
  • So, come as you are! He wants the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!!!!

 Just as I am, without one plea,

But that thy blood was shed for me,

And that thou bidd’st me come to thee,

O Lamb of God, I come!  I come!

#380