Wednesday Night Bible Study

praise the Lord everyone we greet you tonight in that wonderful name of Jesus that name that Pastor Anthony preached about Sunday that name that is above every name aren't you glad you know that name tonight praise God the name that is above every name we are are you ready to get into the word of the Lord tonight to study God's word um we are studying tonight one of my favorite subjects welcome to the family welcome to the family and uh I think it's uh you've heard me say this many a Time that the family is fashioned after God's relationship with the church and he even said I speak a great mystery when he was was giving advice to husbands and wives he said I speak a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and his church there is there's nothing there's no Institution on planet Earth that is more important than the family unit and uh if we had a little bit more attention and a little bit more um concern for the family would be a whole lot better off um I'll I remember many years ago brother Benson who who was the founding pastor of the church in Oak Ridge and also in Nashville Tennessee and I preached for him many many many years ago when I was just a boy but he preached for us here at the of the church here one night and and he preached about the relationship to the church and the and the family and he said he asked his dad one time uh dad what what is an orphan and his dad said Son you're an orphan that's what you are he was adopted brother Benson was adopting and that had resonated with him and he'd remembered down through the years and his stepfather or his adopted father said an orphan that's what you are and it somehow left a an impression on him and tonight we're going to be talking about being adopted to the family of God and every one of us have been adopted into the family of God if you are if you're born again follow it thank him for the privilege of being in the house of the Lord tonight I pray God that you will anoint the lips of clay with the spirit of God and give what you would have spoken in this service tonight in Jesus name we pray amen our Focus verse Romans 8 15. for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry about father the there's an organization that keeps track it's called an orphan uh organization and they say that there is over a hundred and forty million orphans in the world and I am scarce to think that that's nearly enough because so many children are left of fatherless and motherless and many are forsaken and when I think of myself as a little boy and perhaps you can think of yourself it was it was the most frightening thing to think of of being without a mother and a father I just couldn't I couldn't comprehend that and if I went to spend the night with some friends or something I worried about the Lord coming I wouldn't be with my parents and that was a child's thinking but there was such a lonely feeling and we've all heard the term homesick and I'm sure that every one of us has some time or another have felt that feeling of homesickness it's a feeling that that it's Indescribable actually and um I know with our own grandchildren as precious as they are there's a certain time in their life they want they they want to spend time with their mama and papa but until they get used to some time they'll they'll stay and then then when it gets bedtime they they start wanting to go home well there's must to be said about the family of God and being adopted into his family Rome Paul said to the Romans for we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but you've received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry ever father but let us go way back in the book of Samuel second Samuel chapter nine and there's some things I would like to call to your attention the the example set for us by King David the man the Bible called him the man after God's Own Heart it was David that who killed the Goliath the Giant and they sung the songs that David has killed his thousands and there are ten thousands but uh the David said that his gentleness has made me great he did not claim that being a giant killer and a great warrior made him great but he said thy gentleness has made me great it was David who wrote The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want him being a Shepherd keeper himself being a shepherd and keeper of sheep he uh he realized the value of being watched over by someone loving and caring that could protect you and then in second Samuel chapter 9 starting at verse 1 and David said is there yet any that is left of the House of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake now right off we have an unusual verse of scripture and a verse of scripture that is quite contrary to the expectations of the social order of that particular day because it was common thing that the transition of power from one king to another they they made sure they slew all the relatives especially all the sons of the former King because they would be a threat to the new ruler and I can't help but think that there's a spirit like that in the United States today I remember reading many years ago there was some fellow wrote a book the politics of ridicule and the way you get elected you start right off our ridiculing your opponent and digging dirt on him and and there has been such a spirit of hatred uh that used to be a word that you didn't use much but there's been such a word of hatred and and I must say it's not just on one party uh it's it's pulling up all the dirt and negatives that you can on the other party and and uh defeating the person that may not murder them physically but character assassination is in Vogue for politics today well Saul was David's King and Saul after David slew Goliath he first of all told his father Jesse that he's going to come and be my son and he he went through the the act of someone of adopting David that he was going to be his his son and stay with him but then when he heard the songs of people uh glorifying David he allowed that old green-eyed monster of jealousy to raise up in his heart and then he wanted to kill David and and perhaps to the to the day Saul died there was something in his heart that he couldn't live with David he could have enjoyed the uh the exports of David by by claiming that he I'm his King and look look what a great young man I'm bringing up but instead he he he hated him with such hatred he wanted to put him to death and on more than one occasion he literally tried to throw a javelin through him and David had to plea for his life and the Bible in one place said that Saul took three thousand of his best soldiers and and he he chased David to the the Bible said the rocks of the wild goats that's here he was squandering the the resources squandering the strength and and the the the ability of his great men chasing David when David loves Saul and again and again when David had the opportunity of slaying Saul actually when uh when they saw they sleeping in the trenches and David saw him laying there one of the David's men said here he is now you've got your your opportunity to slay him and David refused and that God forbid that I should touch God's anointing and then he even took his sword and cut the skirt of Saul's Garland off and got away and held it up and holler says see her I'm not trying to kill you I I love you you're my king but then he even repented of of even cutting the the skirt of His Garment because he reverenced the man that was anointed of God and he was God allowed Saul at the request of Israel for a king God allowed him to be anointed as king and at his beginning though he stood a head and shoulders taller than any other man in Israel uh when they went for his coronation they couldn't find him because the Bible said he was hid among the stuff he was humble at his beginning but as he received this power he became arrogant and self-centered and he wanted no competition well when when eventually there's a long long story of Saul's disagreement in his attempt to kill David eventually through his slackness as a leader and failing to follow God's plan Saul and Jonathan were killed by the Philistines and and when he was killed by the Philistines the uh there was a amalekite they were known for those that would come upon from behind and and they would strip the dead they would find a battlefield where men were slain and and they would strip the dead and there was a malachite that came out of the camp of Israel and came to David and said David I've got something to show you here and David said who are you well he said I'm the son of a stranger I'm on a malachite and said I Came Upon Saul and Saul was wounded and said he was about to die and I I saw that he could not survive and he asked me to end his misery and he said I took a sword and and I thrusted in him and I I relieved him of his misery and and he died and said here's his here's his crown and here's his bracelet and I want to and he thought for sure that he would be rewarded for sling David's enemy instead David said what made you think that you had the authority to touch God's anointed he said now you come to me thinking that you're going to be rewarded by telling me you kill Saul well first of all he really didn't do that Saul was already dead the previous chapter the last chapter of the book of of uh uh first Samuel tells about how Saul actually died he fell upon his own sword and and was dead well this amalekite he brought this bracelet and showed it to David and thought he was going to be rewarded but David said how dare you to touch God's anointed now my point of this right now some of us and if we aren't careful someone you dislike or has done you some uh great disappointing deed you might Rejoice at their Misfortune themselves but let me tell you something that's not the right attitude of a child of God he said to love your enemies pray for them that despitefully use you if your enemy hungers feed him this is the new normal for the child of God we don't try to get even we put that all in the hands of God and David had his soldiers to slay this lying amalekite for claiming that he had slain Saul well there's something about this I want you to understand the love and the Loyalty of David a man of God even though this was a somewhat of a change of uh well now somewhat it was a total change in the administration Saul is no longer alive and David is going to eventually reunite Judah and Israel and it's going to be one Kingdom and David could have rejoiced but he did not rejoice he helped Saul in high respect because he was the anointed of God now then time has gone gone by and David got to thinking about this and he said is there yet left of the House of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake I want to do something kind to the household of Saul God give us that attitude that we don't rejoice in The Misfortune of someone else but we pray for their blessings and there was of the House of Saul a servant whose name was ziba and when they called him unto David and David 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 show the kindness of God unto him and Ziva said unto the king Jonathan Hatha yet a son which is lame on his feet this was the grandson of Saul after a vicious battle and they were fleeing and and his nurse he was only he was five years old and in her haste she was trying to flee the city of Jerusalem and she dropped him and he was injured in both of his feet and he was lame for the rest of his life and now David is is asking is there anybody left of the House of Saul and the King said unto him where is he and zebra said unto the king behold he is in the house of this year the son of Amil in lodibar then David then King David sent and fetched him out of the house of Messiah the Son of emerald from lodibar now when mephibious the son of Jonathan the son of Saul was coming to David he fell on his face and did reverence and David said mephibosheth and he answered Behold thy servant now think about this for a moment uh mephibosheth had to think oh I know what's coming now my father my grandfather tried to kill David as long as he was alive now David is wanting to slay all the descendants of Saul my day has come and he was frightened and it fell on his face and called David he said my thy servant and David said unto him fear not now David could see the fear and the horror in his eyes to think that now then my grandfather's dad my father is dead and now then the new king is going to rid himself of any relative of Saul and let us pause for just a moment we're thinking about the family what what attitude do we have it breaks my heart I have seen family spit up split up over funerals or weddings or a piece of property or who got this or who got that and and they spend the rest of their life bitter at each other what a terrible waste What a Sad thing so much better off to bury whatever it is and be friends and love your your family let's let's be a family let's not I've heard folks saying I'll never have anything to do with him again I'll forgive him but I won't forget and and we allow something excuse me we allow something to enter our hearts and listen saints of God that's not the way to live you can live your life in bitterness and jealousy and anger and hatred excuse me but it's so much better to forgive and love love is so much sweeter and so much stronger if we'll just let God put that love in our heart don't let anything come between you and an end Lord uh there's a little saying someone said recently that the difference in uh in laws and outlaws is about laws wanted and and that's kind of a a little bit it's supposed to be a little bit of a joke but let me tell you something I loved my mother-in-law and father-in-law like I love my own father and mother and they love me like their own child and and what I'm trying to get across tonight is the value of a family and the love of a family is so precious it's so precious David said to him fear not I will surely show the kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake and restore thee all the land of Saul thy father and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually now we're talking about a lame man unable to take care of himself and now then the very King who sits on the throne that has the power of life and death said no I'm going to adopt you as my son and you're going to sit at my table the rest of your life and you're going to eat the King's food you're going to be served by my service ladies and gentlemen this is the love that Jesus Christ has for us even though some of us were strangers and foreigners and enemies of God he's a friend of ours and all you've got to say is I accept you as my Lord and my savior give him a hand clap praises there is anything in your heart against anybody I don't care who it is and many times as actual relatives sisters gets on the outs with each others and brothers and and Sons and fathers and daughters and mothers don't let the devil Place something in your life in your heart that your anger with anybody that's a terrible way to live and this is speaking of mephibosheth Jonathan's son and he bowed himself and said what is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am he called himself a dead dog he he lowered himself as low as it could to show that he was not arrogant or was no threat to David then the king called ziba Saul's servant and said unto him I've given unto thy Master son all that pertain to Saul and to all his house thou therefore and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him and thou shall bring in the fruits my master's son may have food to eat but mephibosheth the Masters thy Master son shall eat bread away at my table now ziba had 15 sons and 20 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 saith the king he shall eat at my table as one of the king's Sons uh just a few days ago we talked on the The Prodigal Son and I'd run across an old song I had written many years ago that when something like this um somewhere in the distance there's music Sweden miles there's food love and laughter I knew as a child but I lost it all when I left to Rome but all things is going to be different because I'm going home I'm still my father's child he still loves me I know his Mercy is sure and his love has no end and I know he'll be there to welcome me in Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son to show us the attitude we're to have to those that have squandered uh their goods wasted his Goods but when his father saw him while he was a great way off the Bible said he ran and fell upon his neck collapsed on his neck and kissed him and said hey and the the boy had already made up his story he was going to tell that I've sinned against heaven and against you I'm no more worthy to be a conscious so I don't want to be conscious just make me a hard servant my father's servants have breaded up in Despair and I'm perishing with Hunger this is the attitude the church has and and in this story this Parable Jesus told it has both sides there was a son that stayed there the the the older boy and when he heard music and laughter and uh joyous time going on he said what's going on a servant came out and said yours your brother that was lost has come home and then this jealousy began to creep up in his heart you and I we are all human beings and we have a little green-eyed monster living within our bosom if we're not careful it'll raise its ugly head and you'll find yourself being jealous of someone else that you think might be getting something that belongs to you don't let it happen don't let it happen and mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micah and all that dwelt in the house of ziba were servants unto mephibious so mephibious dwelt in Jerusalem for he did eat continually at the king's table and was lame on both his feet now let's go to the New Testament The Book of Romans chapter 8 and see how the Apostle Paul handles this subject therefore Brethren 8-12 therefore brethren we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh I have heard folks they feel like your enemy is my enemy well I want you to know I need every friend I can get I don't want to lose a friend I want your friends to be my friends that your enemies are not my enemies I don't intend to adopt them as my enemies and I therefore brethren we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh for if you live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortify the Deeds of the body you shall live there's a better way of living than this world lives if we live in the spirit it's so much better to forgive forget and love and live than to go around with bitterness and anger and jealousy in her heart for if we live after the flesh you shall die and if you through the spirit demodify the Deeds of the body you shall live that means you you kill the old evil spirit that tries to creep up in your heart and don't let it happen there are folks that that are living miserable lives today because they can't get something out of their heart towards somebody else and that is a sad sad way to live for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but you've receive the spirit of adoption whereby we cry of our father we found it we found a new way of life and and what a what a great what a great and wonderful life it is to find the Lord and you drop all that hatred and anger that goes with it there's a little reservation I heard many years ago that said battered and scarred and the Auctioneer thought it's scarcely worth this while to spend much time on the Old Violin but he held it up with a smile who's out of my bid for the Old Violin he cried who'll start the bidding for me a dollar we'll make it two only two dollars who'll make it three three dollars once three dollars twice going for three but no from far back in the room a gray-haired man came forward and he picked up the bowl whopping the dust from the Old Violin and tightening the loosened strings he played a Melody pure and sweet as sweet as the Caroling Angel scene the music feast and the auctioneer said in a voice quite in Lowell what am I bid for the Old Violin as he held it up with the bowl a thousand dollars who make it two two thousand who make it three three thousand once three thousand twice going and gone said he the people cheered and some of them cried we cannot understand what changed its worth quick came the reply touch of the Master's Hand many a man battered and bruised and scattered by sin as auction cheap I thoughtless crowd much like the Old Violin a mess of pottage glass of wine game of cards and he travels on going once and going twice going and almost gone then comes the master and the careless crowd can not understand a worth of a soul and the change that is wrought by the touch of a Master's Hand system of cool to Mark and I recorded a song years ago that said if you hadn't known me before I knew him you would understand why I love him if you hadn't known me before I knew him you would understand my love just an old rejected Relic on The Auction Block they had decided to throw me away the auctioneer said who will take him the room was quiet and still that a stranger came forward and he said I will if you had known me before I knew him you'd understand why I love him if you had known me before I knew him you'd understand my love let me go on and show you something else here it didn't end there David a man after God's Own Heart after all Saul had done to kill David and David did not attempt to retaliate but he returned kindness second Samuel 4 4 and Jonathan's 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 he made haste to plea that he failed and became lame and his name was mephibosheth the sons of Ramadan and bizarite Richard and benna went and came about the heat of the day to the house of ish Bash binab who lay on a bed at noon and became thither now Saul's youngest son put himself up as king his name was ishma binab and there was some his servants thought they could get in good with David and they came in the heat of the day and Ishmael was asleep in the midday and they slipped in and so they were conducting business and they they slew him and they came thither in the midst of the house as though they were that though they would have fetched tweet and they smote him under the fifth rib for when they came into the house he lay on his bed in his bed chamber and they smote him and slew him and beheaded him and took his head and got them away through the plane all night and they brought the head of ishma bidab Unto David or in Hebrew and said to the king behold the head of ishma spinach the son of Joshua Saul thy enemy which sought thy life and the Lord hath avenge my Lord the king this day of Saul and of his seat okay one more time we have folks resorting to the cruelty and the wickedness of murdering the offsprings of the former King and they expected David to reward them and David answered and said unto them as the Lord liveth who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity when one told me saying behold Saul is dead thinking to have brought Good Tidings I took hold of him and threw him in ziglag who thought that I would have given him a reward for his Tidings how much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand and take you away from the earth and David commanded his young men and they slew them and cut off their hands and their feet and hang them up over the pool in Hebron but they took the head of Ishmael h-e-t-h and buried it in the Sepulcher of Abner once again and I cannot make this uh strong enough that David is demonstrating David is showing that no matter how cruel and how mean someone has been to you you must not retaliate with the same meanness and some of us if we aren't careful the old devil will try to make us think that we've got a right someone did me wrong first so therefore I've got a right to do them wrong we don't have that right you can live in the freedom of forgetfulness and forgiveness and forgive your friends to forget your forgive your enemies and put it in the hands of God and oh how much better off you will be who'd just stand to your feet with us at this time bless you and me let us think tonight is there anything in my heart have I got anything against anybody has anybody done anything to me that would cause me to have an ill spiritual ill will toward them if I have I want God to remove it I want God to remove it I want to love everyone father we thank you tonight for the Blessed word of God I pray God that you will allow us and give us the ability to search our hearts and cleanse our heart from anything that would stand between us and our heavenly father Lord may we not hold anything against anybody on planet Earth but may we be ready to meet you in peace father I pray that your dismiss us from this place but not from your presence in Jesus name we pray amen and amen say cast tell somebody you love them tell somebody you love them and mean it