Is This Seat Taken?
2nd Samuel 9:1-7
Luke 14
Introduction
It is an honor and a privilege to Pastor such an amazing group of people. Brittany and I are blessed to begin this journey of marriage surrounded by so many people who support us and love us. You all have blessed us so much since we have come here to be your pastors but these last couple of weeks have been amazing and we are thankful for all of you who helped make it happen.
As we were beginning the wedding process we begin thinking about invitations and who all we would send them to. We threw around a couple of ideas but came to the conclusion just to open it up to everyone who wanted to come.
In doing that the Holy Spirit quickened me and reminded me that Heaven did not limit its access to a few people who “rsvp” but because of Jesus anyone who believes in their heart and confesses with that mouth that Jesus is the son of God and that God raised him from the dead shall be saved.
He did not reserve Heaven for a certain group of people who seemed to fit the mold or people who were kosher. He opened it up to anyone who is willing to pass by Calvary on their way.
The invitation was nailed to an old rugged cross and the table has been prepared. Even when we were strangers, he bid us to come. Even when we were separated from him because of our sin, he sent his son into this world not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.
Some will reject but some will accept. Some will be interested and some will actually be present.
All have been invited.
1.The Invitation
I want to go back in 2nd Samuel and give you some brief history of what is exactly taking place during this time.
We see in 1st Samuel where David is anointed King. When he is brought into Saul’s home (the king at the time) David would play the harp and evil spirits would not terrorize Saul. David developed a committed friendship with Saul’s son Jonathan.
Even when Saul had gotten Jealous of David, Jonathan would hide David or do anything he could to help David flee the attacks of Saul.
Jonathan later dies and David becomes King and as David is sitting in his chamber he asked if there was anyone left from Saul’s linage, he wanted to honor them.
However, the only person that was left was Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, Davids lifelong friend.
He was disabled and was lame in both feet. He was living with another family who were probably taking care of him due to his disability. David has his servant bring him in and when he does, he gives him the land that belonged to Saul and assigns men to cultivate the land so that Jonathan’s son would have food to eat.
For the rest of Davids reign, Mephibosheth at ate the kings table regularly as if he was a son of the king.
I’m getting ready to drop some truth in this room tonight.
Before Mephibosheth could sit at the kings table, someone had to give up their seat to allow him to have a place to sit.
Even though he had Jonathan’s DNA and bloodline, David adopted him as if he were his own and tended for his needs.
Romans 8:17 says “and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”
Just as David cleared a seat at his table for Jonathan’s disabled son, Jesus gave up his seat beside the Father to make room for you and I; that we might be joint heirs with him and glorified with him.
We were disabled from birth due to sin being passed down from grandpa Adam and grand momma Eve. It wasn’t that we chose to sin, but since we bear the DNA of the unrighteous, it took someone who knew no sin to become sin, that we might become the righteousness of God.
Even though our DNA caused us to be disabled and imperfect, he put on a garment of the flesh, made room for you and I that we may have life and have it more abundantly.
David had a relationship, not with Mephibosheth but with his daddy. But because of his love for his daddy, he extended kindness to Mephibosheth. Jesus did not have to come to earth and give his life on Calvary, but because of his love for his father and his love for you and I, he made room for us and a way for us to become like him.
Some of us, on the other hand, will use our disability of sin as an excuse to stay out of the presence of God and living in a distant place in the company of people who will tend to our wombs but doesn’t have the ability to make us whole.
Listen to me…
you need to surround yourself with people who will make you better and not cause you to get bitter.
Mephibosheth answered to the invitation and little did he know that David was about to give him land that had been in his family for years.
He probably never thought he would be able to live on his own because of his disability. He would always be lame. He would never be able to live a normal life….
I can’t stand to hear people say, well I am nothing more than a sinner….all I’ll ever been is an unworthy sinner. THAT AIN’T BIBLE.
Jesus did not die so that you could stay an unworthy sinner. Jesus died so that you can become a joint air with him and inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul told the Corinthians church in 1st Corinthians 6:20 that we have been BOUGHT with a price. That word bought translates to Redeemed…or ADOPTED.
The Bible says that Jonathan ate at the kings table regularly as if he was a son of the king.
You cannot be a son or daughter of the king if you are feasting on tables other than the royal table.
Some of y’all claim to be a product of heavenly royalty yet you are walking and acting as if you are Hells peasants and Heavens beggars.
The devil is a lie! While my righteousness does not amount to much, I am not wearing my righteousness…I am standing in the shadow of the almighty! I am covered by his righteousness!
What amazes me is that when David called for Jonathan’s son, he never hesitated. He was disabled physically but he did not let his disability become an excuse for him.
Never let your spiritual disability affect your availability.
I don’t care who you are, what your story is, how much you dope it up, how much your drink it down, who you slept with last night, who you are hanging around, or what kind of lifestyle you are living…..
THE KING HAS AN OPEN SEAT AT HIS TABLE JUST FOR YOU!
DON’T TURN HIM AWAY BECAUSE OF YOUR DISABILITY.
2. Let Them Come
Well Pastor, we should really watch who we invite and make sure they aren’t trouble…
Is that your heart?
Jesus said that when we have a banquet (Luke 14:13) invite the people who are poor, who have disabilities, and people who are blind.
Just because they aren’t saved yet, does not mean they are not his children.
We never need to get to a point where we forget the empty seat that we were invited to fill. What would we have done, had Jesus said “They are too messed up”. “They are too broken” “They are too dirty”…..
Sinners will be messed up, broken, and dirty until the kings gets ahold of their life but don’t get mad when the king asks you to cultivate the land and bring food for them. You are saved to be a king, you are saved to be a servant for the king.
Broken people need mended people to show them what the king can do for them.
Don’t turn them away, let them come.
Don’t get mad because a sinner sins….that’s their nature it is what they do…but instead of getting mad; invite them to lunch…invite them to sit at your table.
3. Is This Seat Taken?
In Luke chapter 14:16 we see where Jesus is teaching a Parable about a man who was giving a large dinner and sent out invites. When given the invite, they all began to have an excuse. One had bought land that he had not seen, one had bought oxen that he had not tested, and the other got married and couldn’t come.
The man got mad. He told his servant to go into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in those who were poor and disabled, those who were blind, and those who were limping.
We have churches today who are trying to build churches with churchy people.
We only target the people who fit the mold of a church goer, but we get upset when they don’t accept our invitation and make excuses as to why they couldn’t come. Meanwhile, we are targeting the epitome of a Christian and there are people who are dying everyday and going to hell.
With a church on every corner, no one should ever have to die and go to hell.
It is sad to me that there are churches who will compete with each other of numbers and yet they will not compete with hell for lost souls.
Yet we wonder why the church has a bad reputation. I’ll tell you why, because we got people singing Just as I am, but if a person came into our church with alcohol on their breath, we would get mad and offended. If you are not going to allow them to come as they are, then quit singing just as I am.
Do we want them to stay in the same condition, of course not…but they belong to God and they deserve to hear his redemptive plan preached in his house.
I can see the first crippled man being brought to that dinner. I can just see him being brought into this house with this table that had been prepared for noble guest. Limping up to an empty chair, I can see him looking at the master of the house and asking “Is this seat taken?”
Is this seat taken?
To think that the gospel was originally intended for the Jews but when they turned away from him, he turned to you and I, the gentile people and because someone else gave up their seat, we can have a seat.
Jesus is preparing a table. He is sending out invitations through the spirit and inviting all to come and dine, but many who are sitting here tonight will offer an excuse before we ever provide a result.
I’m tired. I have a lot going on right now. My kids have this. My grandkids have this. It’s a long distance. It is this and it is that….
I’m gonna hit you with the truth…
You make time for what is most important to you.
If sitting at the table of Grace was important to you, you would make time to read the word, be in the word, and digest it. But when it’s not, you can’t complain when you sit through a service and still leave feeling starved and empty.
Well the Pastor isn’t feeding me…you are grown, learn to feed yourself! If the only time you eat is when I bring the meal, you will starve to death!
Church is not the table. Church is the opportunity.
The table is the presence and the nourishment is his promise.
I am skeptical of people who speak in tongues but have no worship life. I am skeptical of people who run and dance in the aisle but has no prayer life.
It’s as if you are content with smelling the aroma of the meat but enjoying the convenience of the milk.
Hebrews 5:13-14 says “For everyone who partakes of only milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. (14) But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil.”
This may hurt your feelings and you may get upset but I care more about your soul than I do your feelings or comfortability.
If you have been saved for 10 years or 20 years and you are still enjoying the bottle more than you are the manna….It is time for you to grow up and develop.
Quit blaming other people as to why you can’t grow and start examining yourself. It ain’t the preachers fault that you can’t pray in the confines of your home. It ain’t the preachers fault that you don’t read your bible.
Lay down the bottle and pick up a fork because the King is inviting you to dine at his table and you don’t want to miss what he has prepared for those who will respond to the invitation.
Conclusion:
In the midst of a world that was full of sin and iniquity. Troubled from here to there. Brokenness all around. Jesus gave up his seat beside the father, to give us an invitation to the table of Grace.
Disabled by sin, tended to by no one, we were broken, busted, and disgusted…but then Jesus came to bridge the gap between humanity and God that we might be adopted by through grace and covered by the blood.
There is nothing that i could have done to earn my seat at the table. The truth is this.
The only reason that there is an open seat is because Jesus temporarily set his aside.
He’s inviting you to sit at the table and dine with him….Will you accept or will you offer an excuse?