Unworthy At the Kings Table

He had no business eating at the king’s table. His family background, physical infirmities, and utter helplessness should have barred him from such an honored place. But there he sat, day after day, like one of the king’s own sons.

Mephibosheth had experienced more than his share of physical and emotional pain. Second Samuel 4:4 briefly recounts the tragic accident that left him unable to walk on the very day he learned of the battle deaths of his father, Jonathan, and his grandfather, King Saul.

Now, years later, David ruled as king over all Israel. Second Samuel 9 tells us Mephibosheth was living an obscure life a safe distance from Jerusalem. The usual custom in the ancient Near East was for new kings to wipe out the entire family of the previous king to prevent any possible political comeback. It is likely that Mephibosheth was also aware of his grandfather’s attempts to kill David years before.

So when messengers from King David arrived at his house to escort him to the king, Mephibosheth probably expected the worst. What he found when he arrived, however, was a king who understood grace; a king anxious to keep a promise he had made to Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father, many years before.

When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (2 Samuel 9:6-8).

You and I share a lot in common with Mephibosheth. We are unworthy servants who do not deserve any special favors from God. We and members of our family have sometimes treated him like an enemy. Crippled by the sin in our life, we are spiritually like dead dogs.

Yet God’s invitation remains open for a seat at his table. Each week we are invited to rejoice with our King at his table of remembrance. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God takes us from the gutter of sin and seats us at his royal table, with a promise of an even greater banquet someday in Heaven (Revelation 19:9).

So today as we sit at this table like one of the King’s sons or daughters, let’s celebrate the grace and kindness that allows us to be here. Let’s bow before the King and humbly respond to him as Mephibosheth did to David, “Your servant.”

Proclaiming to whom?

Today I want to read out of the book of Revelation.  I'm not going to be talking about end-times stuff,
I'm going to be talking about current-times stuff.  I'm going to read the words of Jesus he gave to the apostle John while he was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Revelation 3:14-20 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.  I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.  Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears  my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

A little bit of history about the church at Laodicea was it was once a thriving, influential church!  But what happened?  This church sat back on it's laurels and forgot their purpose.  They believed they arrived at the pinnacle of doing church only to receive a rather stern rebuke directly from Jesus, the one whom the church was supposed to be all about.

During our coaching time with HGC we have already been given massive insight into our church through reading and studying.  One of the books we're going through as staff and leadership is Who Stole My Church by Gordon Macdonald.  This book is awesome for any church going through transition and I highly recommend this book to members of our congregation to read.  Here is an excerpt from the book.  This is a member of the church who was against change coming to the realization that the church doesn't belong to him: "We have our money and our sweat equity in it, but it's not ours.  Not ours--it belongs to Jesus.  Remember?  He died for it and all other congregations like it.  If we try to exert ownership and freeze the church into conditions that are comfortable for us, we're going to become hopelessly toxic and lose everything we tried to make happen"

Now what does this have to do with communion?  A LOT!  1st Corinthians 11:26 reads "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" 

So what are we proclaiming?  Our programs?  Our carpet color?  Our worship style?  Our lighting preferences?  A dress code?  NO!  we're proclaiming the death of Jesus Christ and the hope it brings!  The we need to think about who we're proclaiming it to?  Just ourselves?  Each other?  A building full of people who already know about Jesus?  Yes and no!  We need to proclaim and celebrate the good news together but if that's our only reason for doing it we're missing the other half of the equation.  We are also to proclaim to the lost the good new of Jesus Christ!  I hope our churches are full of people who need to hear the good news  when we take communion each week.  To learn about the body that was broken represented by the bread and the blood which was spilled represented by the juice all pointing to the one hope the world has-Jesus Christ.

Luke 19:10 says Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  He didn't come for a church building, and organ, or an electric guitar.  He came for the lost!  The western church has spend too much time proclaim to ourselves how good Jesus is and how good we are while outside the lost don't even hear a whisper of the good news.

Take some time this week to think of one person who needs to hear the gospel proclaimed.  Invited them to come.  Make a resolution to share this proclamation with those who need the hope of Jesus Christ.