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Title: Identity
Text: 2 Samuel 9:1
Ø What is identity: Identity is the fact of being who or what a person or thing is.
Ø There were many people in Lodebar but David remembered Mephibosheth only.
Ø David had promised both Saul and Jonathan that he would not exterminate their descendants when he became a king; 1 Sam 20:12-17, 42 and 1 Sam 24:21
Ø He kept his promise and went above and beyond the call of his duty. When Mephibosheth was in Lodebar David is the only one that had the capacity to save and show kindness to Mephibosheth
Ø Here in David, we see the picture of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ send to save us, the lost. Ephesians 2:1-9
Ø One thing that I have noted in life is that, God in his grace he gives us what we do not deserve
Ø It should be noted that David search for Mephibosheth was not the sad plight of the crippled man but David’s desire to honour Jonathan and the Father. He did what he did for Jonathan’s sake
Ø Mephibosheth was 5 years old when his father died in Chapter 4:4. He was now 21 years old and had a son of his own (v12) when David unofficially adopted Mephibosheth and restored his life.
Ø One that I noted in the passage, it is David that first made the move to look for Jonathan.
Ø The fact that it is David that made the first move to search for Mephibosheth; it should remind us that it is God that loved us first before we loved him.
Ø 1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Ø Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Ø Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight
Ø We were estranged from God and enemies of God, yet He loved us and send His son to die for us
Ø Mephibosheth Identity saved him from Lodebar
Ø All this happened because He was looking for an Identity.
Ø Everything have got any identity
Ø For David to rescue and restore Mephibosheth it cost him nothing, only land the land of Saul which he had never paid for.
Ø But for God to restore us and bring us into his family, Jesus had to sacrifice his life. He paid the debt. 1 Peter 1:18-19 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Ø David took Mephibosheth into his family, provided for him, protected him and let him eat at his table. Psalms 23.
Ø It’s not easy to take care of a grown man who is both lame in both legs. Yet David did that. Our God can even do more than that.
Ø Mephibosheth had access to the King’s resources and authority at his disposal.
Ø David repeats the words eat at my table 4 times in this passage (v7, 10, 11 and 13).
Ø This meant one thing; Mephibosheth will be treated like one of David’s sons.
Ø Mephibosheth looked upon himself as dead dog, that’s ok because of his circumstances. Sometimes our circumstances define us but that’s not who we are.
Ø If you read Ephesians 2:1-9, it tells us who we are now. We are the workmanship of his hands
Ø We have a higher position than that which David gave Mephibosheth, for we sit on the throne with Christ. We reign in life Rom 5:17
Ø God gives us the riches of his mercy, unsearchable riches Ephesians 3:8
Ø To Mephibosheth David supplied the needs but Jesus supplies all our need not out of an earthly king’s treasure but according to the riches of His glory
Ø Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Ø Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
Ø In 2 Samuel 21:1-11 especially verse 11 It should be noted that David also saved Mephibosheth for death when Saul’ s descendants were chosen to be slain because of the sin that Saul had done to the Gibeonites
Ø They tried to killed Mephibosheth but because of the covenant they could not. Because of the you have with Jesus nothing shall harm. John 1:12, Romans 8:31-39 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ø Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Ø 1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ø I have got one question for you today what is your Identity? Are you really sure of who you are?
Ø God spend a lot of time in the bible telling us who we are, it’s almost as if he knew that we will soon forget who we are. WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD AND NOTHING WILL CHANGE THAT.
Ø Some of us we have spend all our lifetime searching for our true identity
Ø All kinds of identities defines us in the society that we live in, the environments and circumstances around us. Different Words from ruthless people define us; terms like foreigner, incompetent, failure, unrepentant, liar, second class, disgusting. These Names are derogatory and dehumanising. They still our confidence. Some of the voices that we constantly hear speaking in our lives are suffocating. Suffocating our dreams. The Devil is a liar. The names from social media, newspapers and the people around us etc, you can name it.
Ø We live in the shadows of what someone else are calling us. Mephibosheth was living in the shadows of what they were calling him; lame and incompetent. Don’t allow people to name you what they want. Don't!!!!! In fact when they do this, they should know that’s the end of the story. This is crossing the line. I am who God says I am. Nothing else from this, that it. I will not enable them to call me or you what they want. Your are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Ø God knew this and he thought it wise to write it down to constantly remind me and you who we are. We are special. The true God says something about me and you because he a loving God. He has given us good names.
Ø He calls us friends John 15:15, No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Ø He calls us his workmanship, Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ø He calls us chose and Royal; 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Ø He calls us the temple/house of God, 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Ø He calls us His children; John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name
Ø He calls us his sons; Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Ø Romans 5:8 He calls us greatly loved; 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Ø John 8:36 He calls us free, free indeed; 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Ø 2 Corinthians 5:17 He calls us brand new; 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Ø My identity is not what the world calls me; They called Mephibosheth all kinds of names, but he was favoured. He had a covenant to eat at the table with the King
Ø In fact there is something that I have seen when something is given a name, transformation begins.
Ø An egg is not a chicken unless it is incubated and hatched. A chicken is also not an egg. You should incubate an egg to have a chicken. If you have 1 one egg, you get 1 chicken. But when it becomes a hen it can produce many eggs and many chickens can produce many eggs. Every egg should go through incubation before it becomes a chicken. We need some incubation today to have a great identity. My Father, may the Holy Spirit incubate us to produce more fruits and results
Ø Please reject whatever they have called you and whatever they believe you are. Reject it outright in Jesus name.
Ø I don’t know what you have been hearing from different sources and people in your ears; but never call yourself what the enemy calls you. Never. When David met Goliath (1 Samuel 17) he never called himself what Goliath was saying (cursing) to him. He told Goliath what he was going to do to him. We all that was the end of the story of Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:40-47 40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
Ø May the Lord make you to forget the shame of your youth today in Jesus name; Isaiah 54:4 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
Ø You are better than what they think you are. In fact today I want you to call yourself what God calls you and what you want to be in Jesus name.
Ø Titus 3:4-7 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Ø A lot of people are moving around with wrong identities; Identities that have destroyed their dreams. These are identities which they did not voluntarily take or accept. The devil is a liar. We should say enough is enough. Begin to claim and repossess your identity. John 10:10
Ø Joel 2:25-28 25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. 27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.
Ø You are the beloved of God; Romans 9:25 As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.
Ø You are fearfully and wonderfully made; Psalms 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
Ø Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.
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