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I want to close on my portion of what

God is doing through this particular

story of Mephibosheth um by giving us

what I’m calling damage control

principles because we’ve been following

the life of a guy named Mephibosheth

who’s been damaged from a young age he

was 5 years old when somebody dropped

him he was in line to be royalty all of

it was taken away from him he had a

better future that something happened

and it robbed him of that opportunity

like many of us some of us had a

scholarship and then one wrong play got

hurt and it felt like we were robbed of

what we were destined for or you had all

the self esteem in the world and then

somebody sexually abused you and took

advantage of you and it crushed your

spirit see many people come into these

doors and act like life doesn’t happen

you were over the youth ministry and you

made one mistake and they demoted you

and took the position away from you and

you never want to delete again you were

married to the one you thought was your

forever and they committed adultery and

left the relationship and you felt like

you could never recover hey I don’t know

what’s damaged you in your life but all

of us have an area at least one but if

we’re honest many of us have many areas

that are damaged if we if we look at our

history and our behavior and why we do

things and why we don’t do things I mean

some of us right now are scared to be a

part of things that don’t look like what

they used to be let me help you you used

to be on a praise and worship team and

now you see these young people up here

jumping around and doing all this other

stuff and you could be an asset that’s

the praising worship team y’all heard

them they say AHA yes but you can be an

asset but somebody told you along the

way that your voice sounded a little

funny and so instead of working on it

and coming to another level and being

everything that you could be you just

stopped damaged and

today I want you to understand like

mephibosheth that God’s goal for your

life is to restore every damaged area of

your life he does not want you to die

damaged I want you to hear me say that

again when I was when I was studying and

I was praying God said Michael Michael I

want my people to know that it is not my

goal for them to die damaged whatever

area does your anger he said I don’t

want you to die damaged angry every time

something doesn’t go your way you you

roar up and you become the incredible

how many people have an Incredible Hulk

yeah I come if it’s the right situation

the right thing then you turn into

somebody that the what I call it uh

mister uh dr. Jekyll and mr. Hyde I mean

you just erupt other people have the

inverse when they get discouraged they

go and become a hermit crab

they isolate how many people when

something doesn’t go your way you

isolate come on let’s be honest like

damaged and God saying to every single

one of us no matter if I’ve named your

situation or not God said I don’t want

you to die damaged so what do we have to

do like mephibosheth when God comes to

us when the King calls and when we get

in front of him we have to submit to him

we got a bow and then the Kings gonna

restore us he was stored Mephibosheth

after years of being in a place called

lo debar a place of nothing

there’s years where nothing happened and

one day God restored everything back to

him I came to tell everybody today that

it is God if you don’t remember anything

else that I say I want you to know that

God’s plan for your life is restoration

more and better than what was even if

it’s broken now and we see that in

Mephibosheth life he goes up and he gets

seated at the Kings table and that boy

went from eating ramen noodles to having

his choice of whatever he wanted and the

beautiful thing about Mephibosheth

life he was damaged in his legs that’s

what the Bible tells us when he pulled

up a seat at the Kings table his damaged

area was what covered it was covered

it’s covered see this is what somebody

yelled healed and I’m glad you did that

because healing is a process covered is

instant so I can still be healing but

God’s got me see what we want to do is I

don’t feel any pain no more or it

doesn’t affect me or if I fully

forgiving them no no no we’re gonna walk

out your deliverance but we’re gonna

keep working on that but if you keep

reminding everybody you’re hurt

then you uncover yourself but in the

grace that I’ve given you I’ve covered

you and what we have to do is agree with

the grace of God on our life and not the

situation we’re still healing from

because once you receive the grace the

unmerited undeserved unearned favor of

God and some of you looking at me like I

don’t understand Pass I’m like I’m

trying to tell you right now there are

things that you are holding on to that

God has said just let it go because I’ve

already covered that I’ve already let go

of that I’ve already changed the

trajectory of your future but you’re

holding on to something and I’m pulling

you this way and you won’t let it go so

you’re stuck because my grace is pulling

you forward but your will is keeping you

back and got a sing let it go because if

you let me do the restoration it’ll be

more than you’ve ever experienced

Mephibosheth again went from eating

ramen noodles to having his choice he

had land that that the king ordered a

guy named zipper and all 35 of his

servants to to work for him this man he

literally went from not having anything

to having it done for him there are

things that God wants to place the Bible

tells us that there is you will live in

houses you didn’t build you you’ll have

land that you get in farm you didn’t

tell this

what restoration looks like God gives

you and placing you in areas that you

don’t deserve but it’s because of his

goodness and his favor on your life that

he says yeah you’re my child you

received me you accepted me here you go

you see there’s nothing my daughter

Isabella does to deserve what I do for

her it’s because she’s mine and we don’t

look at God like that

we look at him like we have to earn

every single thing that he does for us

oh I know why I got that blessing it’s

cuz I gave that five dollars in that

offering no boo-boo that five dollars or

that night he’s trying to make you more

like him he’s trying to give you the

character and the discipline to do the

right things but do you really think you

deserved what God gave you do you really

think you deserved another chance at the

marriage after you screwed it up do you

really think that you did no but we

serve a good god that looks past all of

our faults and he sees our needs and he

says I can’t even do this because of

what they did but I can do it cuz

they’re mine and I want you to hear me

if you don’t hear anything else cuz

they’re these people going through this

damage good series and getting healed I

want you to hear me say this it’s not

going to be by works it’s not gonna be

by works like okay now I’m serving and

now I’m read my Bible 50 minutes a day

and now I’m no I’m serious because we

think that somehow we want all of those

things but if the motivation is wrong

the outcome is going to be wrong god I

want you to know like Mephibosheth that

your damaged area did not disqualify you

to the king and he’s still looking to do

good for you and he still wants more for

you so last week then we saw this wack

guy come into the picture and his name

was zipper if you could just put a

picture a mental picture up for

everybody to see what I feel like zipper

looks like this is what I don’t know why

you know he fights a little kids and

stuff you know what I’m saying I I just

feel like this is what zipper looks like

to me

Yala really realized real quick that I’m

just crazy okay

but I want to paint this picture so

mephibosheth is getting restored from

everything that was stolen from him

zipper comes along and it’s supposed to

be serving with him be careful that

everybody that’s around you that God

places around you to work with you it’s

not always for you you will be naive to

think that and mephibosheth was so

excited just to be restored he’s not

even looking

you ain’t even looking at who’s taking

care of his stuff you know there could

have been I know there was at least one

sign that that that this guy’s Eber

wasn’t really out for the best

but he’s like you know what this is the

best thing I’ve ever had just keep doing

it keep restoring he’s he’s he’s farming

the land his sons are working he he’s

doing all this other stuff in one day I

told you last week David’s family he’s

the king at the time he has a problem

his sons are crazy his sons beginning to

fight one of the sons kills the other

son he sends his son away and then the

son come back then he is mad and was

like I’m about to take over dad’s

throwing him and kill him I bit I put

you I put that on Erik died and then

they get ready to go and kill King David

in the palace I’m just trying to catch

you up because I’m gonna give you some

damage control principles what ends up

happening in this story is that David

runs from the kingdom and when

Mephibosheth who’s been restored by God

been restored by the King hears that

they’re they’re leaving the palace he

tells zipper hey bro hey my source is

moving the the person who restored me

the one who is my sustainer the one who

is who is the one who brought me from a

dark place to this place he’s moving so

I need to move too and let me stop there

because we could

but let me just say if God ever moves

you need to move to like like you’ve got

if God’s doing something new and you’re

stuck in the way he was doing it you

need to move and in Mephibosheth knowing

that the only reason he’s in the place

he’s in now is because of his right

relationship with the king he was like

hey get the donkeys bro get get a

backpack we we oughtta hear if the King

goes we go

but zippers little hating self he goes

and I know he’s just thinking cuz he’s

just a hater and he’s like man the fool

can’t move by himself anyway he’s still

damaged in some areas let me take

advantage of what used to him

let me take advantage hear me hear what

I’m saying let me take advantage and

bring back to his memory his damaged

area cuz up into this point everything’s

good because he can get carried anywhere

he can move anywhere he needs to he has

all the resource he’s not worried about

food he’s not worried about housing he’s

almost forgot that he’s damaged and then

somebody with the wrong motive comes in

to try to take advantage of his damaged

area again I’m supposed to be working

for him but I ain’t he can’t move

without me he wanted a piggyback ride

here and get one and he takes an

opportunity that was a complete normal

thing and he damages mephibosheth again

I said it last week but it’s worth being

said again even when you’re healed in a

damaged area it has the opportunity to

be damaged again and if you don’t know

that you’re playing yourself

you you I’m out of that I’m free from

lust I am free I am free no I don’t look

at women that’s my sister hey sister hey

sister hey sister

y’all know what I’m saying we try to get

this thing that if it’s been healed it

could never get that’s why you have to

have accountability that’s why you got

to have if it was me I was just thinking

about this I think about the Bible if it

was me and I was Mephibosheth I would

have called my boy a maker um that was

down in lo debar see cuz there was a guy

that allowed mephibosheth to stay with

him all those years while he was damaged

I would have caught hey King could y’all

go get my boy and bring him to be with

with me because he cared for me when I

was still damaged he was around in my

struggle and I need some accountability

in this new space that I’m in just

because you get elevated doesn’t mean

that you don’t need protection just cuz

you’ve been better than you’ve ever been

doesn’t mean you don’t need to be

accountable to somebody just because

you’re the leader now do you know as the

past official I’ve people I’m

accountable to so I get up here and say

something crazy

somebody can boo-boo-boo-boo-boo Mike is

up here acting a fool could you please

get up why because as god takes me up as

the elevator keeps going up i need

accountability how will you be in the

position that God has you in and not

have people around see cuz

accountability is not just to correct

its to protect see cuz if maker was

there but do who was with me all the

time he would have salt like um bro

zipper is getting lost with our donkeys

bro and and he would have done something

so what are you saying Pastor Mike when

you know you’ve been damaged never walk

alone’ this ain’t even a point but I

feel the Holy Spirit shifting well when

you’ve been damaged in the area don’t

walk alone in that area if you know you

deal with pride don’t be prideful and

not tell nobody

you need a hey this is what I struggle

with hey this is why I’m at hey this is

still my problem I’ve trouble getting

around sometimes could you just be

around so if I ever need to get around

could you help me

that’s what hey I have trouble around

midnight I start thinking wrong thoughts

in my head and I go to website I started

off looking at some Yeezys but I ended

up with nessam mmm and so a double D ZZZ

and I just don’t it just came to my head

I’m sorry but but hear me but hear me if

you’re not that real with somebody if

you’re not that humble open and

transparent with somebody hey this guy

is coming around and I feel myself

getting weak around him we want to say

so I’ll just messed up I just messed up

I was with you when you took the text

message and you didn’t say anything I’m

just saying you have problems stealing

money you probably shouldn’t have any

accounts with you just on them because

if you’re damaging you don’t have

accountability in that area it is more

susceptible to be damaged again and

that’s what happened to mephibosheth

restored healed more than he’s ever had

now the people who were supposed to be

around him that watch this watch this

watch is the beautiful thing about

accountability Thank You Holy Spirit

accountability is solicited not assigned

the king assigned zipper to serve him

but he still needed to go find somebody

he trusted to be accountable to cuz

you’ll never be accountable to somebody

you don’t trust you will never be

accountable that’s why all these people

going around struggling yes him how you

doing I’m good I’m good and Hale is

breaking loose in your life but the

reason you didn’t tell them the real

deal cuz you don’t trust them and the

reason you don’t trust them is because

you didn’t bring them into the circle

and the reason you didn’t bring them

into the circles you think they were

gonna judge you because you’re damaged

in an area but when you know everybody’s

damaged it’s easier to bring people in

and say hey I’m not telling everybody

this but I need you I need you I think

about my boy John who is just up here

doing transition me and him are

accountable to each other there have

been times when when when that brothers

called me and being like Mike I just

need to confess some stuff that’s him

and he was like my wife don’t know this

yet but nobody else knows it but I need

to tell you because I know if I let this

cancer sit it’s not just going to be

where I could cut it out it’s going to

spread to a place where I’m gonna have

to get chemo around my whole life and

and and because of that trust I’ve been

able to help him be um literally get out

of situations that would have led to his

destruction the same thing I’m saying

with you I’m not telling you to go

around and get 50 people to have a

community meeting every night about

everything you do wrong like this is me

my name is John and I am a sinner like

don’t do that Oh what I am saying is if

mephibosheth would have had real

accountability he wouldn’t have got

played a second time if he had true

friends around him he wouldn’t have been

able to be damaged again and many of us

are damaged because we’re alone and God

just wanted to switch everything up just

for a minute and let you know that

walking alone was never his plan for

your life that’s why he created Eve in

the garden he said it is not good for

you to be alone that’s why sent the

disciples out how many by how many too

much he said none of y’all by yourselves

is gonna do this right so I’m

encouraging you to not get played like

mephibosheth cuz he was damaged again

Zipit and gone off and met King David

and said King haha it’s your boys ever

I’m here I brought all these camera

camels and I mean donkeys I brought this

bread for the people to eat I brought

this wine for everybody to drink and the

first thing the King said he didn’t even

acknowledge zipa he said where’s your

master

where’s Mephibosheth and then he had to

lie and then he had to slander and I

want us to pick this thing up right here

in second samuel chapter 19

and I want you to see it chapter 19

verse 17 because what happened is zipper

lied on on mephibosheth and the king got

frustrated and said well cool everything

I gave to him everything I’ll restored

to him I’m now giving it to you that

messed me up when I read it the first

time cuz I was like hold on now how is

this liar

this thief this hater getting elevated

and he’s wrong

I mean I wrestle with to see some of us

we read the Bible but I wrestle with the

Bible like I cuz if you don’t make sense

I’m like God you have to give me some

revelation cuz if you represent the king

and you a great king and you a good good

father and all this other stuff and now

the hater gets away and you give him all

my stuff but you don’t know I’m in a

broken place and I’m damaging he left me

and I was really trying to do the right

thing but he’s doing the wrong thing and

then you rewarding him God told me so

clearly he said the reason he rewarded

Zipporah was to test Mephibosheth heart

your hater is a part of your growth see

this was never about zipper cuz you reap

what you sow this was about Mephibosheth

God wanted to make sure that his heart

was still in the right place and he

would use somebody that shouldn’t have

been elevated to see cuz you will never

see what’s in your heart till you’re

done wrong I’m just telling you do do

something do something to somebody’s

kids let somebody do something to your

kids and then the prince will be like

well that’s just what happens

that’s just what happens i’ma tell you

what happened

get the baby bring about three or five

like you yall already know in your

minivan scope it is that they’re telling

y’all all the kids going when I say John

I’m a run up you jump out knock them

I’ll meet you at the end y’all triflin

[Applause]

on site you know sick but what I’m

saying is adversity trial injustice it

will expose your heart really quick and

the reason zipper got this was not about

silver it was about Mephibosheth and so

now we pick up

King David gnam they win the victory

they’re headed back to the palace to

rule and Absalon is dead his son and now

this is where we pick up in second

samuel chapter 19 verse 17 all these

people are coming now to help the king

and all his family and all his

concubines get back to the city and it

says there were a thousand Benjamites

verse 17 along with zebra the steward of

Saul’s household and his 15 sons in 20

servants the 35 people that were

supposed to be loyal to Mephibosheth

they rushed to the Jordan where the king

was they took the king and his household

over and did whatever they wish I can

just see them with their coats and just

oh king please don’t let your royal feet

be be bothered by the water they’re just

in here trying to brown-nose their way

because when you don’t deserve a

position you have to work your way to

keep the position y’all see what it says

at the inner it says they the household

all of them went over to do whatever he

wished when you get into a spot that’s

yours you can rest in it jump down to

verse 24 says Mephibosheth

Sol’s grandson also went down to meet

the king now this trips me out see this

how I read the Bible how do you get

there how the guy that was supposed to

help him plate him he’s been literally

sitting at the same spot and now it’s

saying that Mephibosheth come down to

the Jordan to meet the king this is what

see you gotta look past what it says and

see what God is trying to say there’s

always a ram in the bush if they left

your life God will send somebody else if

they didn’t work out God will send if

that business didn’t work and he said

you’d be a CEO he’ll send somebody else

it doesn’t even give their name who they

are cuz they don’t need credit God will

use people to get you to the place

you’re supposed to be at I want you to

see this so clearly instead mephibosheth

saw the damaged guy the broken guy it

says he also went down to meet the king

but look at his condition he had not

taken care of his feet trimmed his

mustache or washed his clothes from the

day the King left until the day he

returns safely

that was a funky meeting

but I want to give you my first point

right here this is a damage control

principle this is the thing that will

help you if you’ve been hurt before that

if a damaging situation is trying to

come back then it won’t hurt you the

same way cuz you’re gonna know now

you’re gonna be able to say y’all know

what damage control is right like it’s

when your wife asks you how do I look in

this dress and you’re not really paying

attention anybody look cool

and then she said cool and then men

automatically have this switch that goes

on – damage control we just start seeing

whatever needs to be said I mean cool

when I said cool I meant like a Bahamas

breeze and 72 degrees so that you know

what I’m saying

because we don’t we don’t want them

problems it’s it’s trying to contain the

damage that could be done and what I’m

saying is things are gonna come in your

life to try to damage you again but

these principle these four principles

I’m going to give you that we learn from

a fibia chefs like it’s going to give

you the opportunity to control some of

those areas that could destroy things

you’re gonna be like I know what’s

happening the first one that you have to

realize is you have to stay faithful to

the king through your trial

this is the first damage control

principle that Mephibosheth gives us the

reason he does some of y’all like why

didn’t he take a bath

why didn’t he shave why didn’t he clip

them toenails it’s because since he

could not go he had to show a sign that

he was still faithful to the king this

was his sign that no matter what happens

to me I need you to know that I’m gonna

be faithful to trust you in this

horrible season and see many of us when

we go through a trial we become

unfaithful to the king just honestly it

didn’t go the way that we wanted to go

we go out and find fun ourselves we go

back to the club we go hang out with the

person we was not supposed to we stop

coming to church we stop doing those

things and and the thing that you have

to understand is yeah you’ll be damaged

but don’t stop being faithful to

the king just cuz you got damaged again

he got played but he stayed faithful he

said I’m going to consecrate myself I’m

going to sacrifice something so that the

King knows that whenever we get back in

right relationship

I stayed faithful what does that look

like I’m gonna parallel this with the

situation in my life a few years back I

had the most horrible business

transaction ever happened in my life and

what ended up happening is through a

series of events we went through a

situation trying to build a home the

contracts were bad stuff started

happening our house didn’t get finished

all this other stuff happened and I was

still coming here I was preaching I was

I was doing all kinds of stuff not

trying not to let it come I was mad I

was pissed I was frustrated I I would I

would pray for people and they’d have

turn around and pray for myself cuz I

was like Lord why not I’m just being

real okay

but in that season I fasted every

Wednesday I mean when I say every

Wednesday I fasted every one it was the

hardest season of my life but I said God

I’m gonna do something too even in a

place where I don’t understand I’m

serving you I’m praying for people we

run in internships I’m doing all it why

is this have out and gave I don’t I

don’t soon see I don’t done all of this

and it looks like you’re nowhere to be

found but I know if I unplug from being

faithful to you even when I don’t hear

you even when I don’t see you even when

it feels like you’ve left me that’s just

gonna be bad for me so every Wednesday I

push away my plate and I wouldn’t be I

wouldn’t eat and I’d pray and some of

those prayers were hard y’all I mean God

Hey

thank you thank you for breath

thank you for life

thank you for my wife yeah thank you for

my wife lord thank you for my my

daughter lord you know we had to sleep

in this house and it’s too cold this

winter and we don’t have any heat in our

home and we just brought our baby home

yeah no I gave the money to get heat and

they didn’t put a heating system in so

now it’s winter and my firstborn is

covered up and we’re wearing full winter

clothes to bed and I just feel like

you’ve left me when I feel I feel like I

don’t know if I can go minister to

people this Sunday and I just need you

to give me grace to do it one more time

I do love you but I don’t feel you

amen now and you know what God does when

he’s not talking you’re in a test no

good teacher talks during the test they

they giving you everything you needed

for this and now I’m going through what

I got to go through but he’s not talking

cuz it’s a test

that’s what Mephibosheth was going

through he wasn’t up places alone and he

felt like God wasn’t talking because it

was not about Zambo remember it was

about my faith it was a test to see if

he would stay faithful when he didn’t

feel like anything was happening on his

behalf you may be in here today and you

like I haven’t heard god I come to this

church everybody act like he’s moving

where he at them like ah I don’t

understand I don’t understand it it

seems like everybody else’s marriage is

happy it’s in my everybody else’s kids

is doing good and getting a’s at school

junior at junior objects come on like it

you just I’m just serious because it

just looks like nothing’s lining up all

my other friends are getting married and

all my other friends getting houses and

all my other friends and I’m just

sitting out here and God says you’re in

a test I came to tell you Shh be quiet

steel yourself and remember the past

seasons that he’s taking you through cuz

he’s trying to allow you to pass the

test of right now I know it’s

uncomfortable I know it doesn’t feel

good I know it feels like you were not

prepared for this but it’s in you and if

you use what’s already been given to you

you’re gonna pass this test and so

that’s what Mephibosheth did his way of

passing the test was showing God that he

would not give up on him so he didn’t

shave he didn’t wash his clothes he did

he didn’t shave he didn’t clip his

toenails cuz he wanted whenever the

teacher came back

see I did this and I passed it won’t be

because I walked away it won’t because I

brought extra problems into my life by

going back to drinking and going back to

alcohol and going back to gossip if

that’s not what have I stayed faithful

even when I didn’t feel you I kept

coming to church when I felt like

everybody was looking at me

I kept serving when everybody was out to

look at leave differently and my damaged

air I kept on so god it will not be

because I quit because your word says

that the righteous man falls seven times

but he gets back up again and so after

I’ve done all to stand I must stand and

some of you need to get that resolved

because you’re in the fight of your life

and you want to run and god says stay

faithful to me even when you don’t feel

me some of you are believing God for

healing right now I feel the Spirit of

God and the doctor’s report keeps coming

back bad and God’s just trying to see is

your confession gonna change I’m healed

well mr. Todd this is not looking good

I’m healed well we ran the tests we said

we were gonna run we did the 6-week

biopsy and it looks exactly worse than

it did before we came in here I mean

he’s just trying to work in you the

stamina to stay faithful even in the

trial my marriage is healed uh I want a

divorce

my marriage is restored I’m leaving you

okay Bob I’ll be there where are you

gonna because I’m coming with you I God

is waiting for somebody to stay faithful

through the trial and mephibosheth

stayed faithful through the trial second

thing verse 27 it says my lord the king

is like an angel of

God so do whatever you wish this is what

happens he comes before the king and he

said why why why’d you leave me he said

this dude lied on me he slandered my

name he betrayed me he said but I

haven’t shaved I haven’t done anything

look at me I’m in a broken state right

now because I’ve been waiting for you to

come back and speak to me and he said

but you know what I’m not even worthy of

all of this you can do whatever you wish

this is the second point I want to give

you to have damage control you need to

trust the king with the outcome see

mephibosheth was so confident in his

relationship with God that even though

he was in a trial even though he was in

a bad situation he didn’t go to

explaining everything that happened and

trying to build the case against zipper

I love this cuz when you read this whole

narrative that I can’t go into but I

wish we had like two hours so I could

just do it he never blamed zipper he

never made it about him he just said my

man betrayed me he slandered my name if

that was me I would have built a case

February 26 you know what I’m saying I

would I would have I would have built

that case so hard and just said and it

is his fault and he is guilty restart to

me he didn’t do that cuz he knew right

relationship with the King would restore

everything that he needed he said so I

trust you do whatever you wish cuz you

know better you know why that person

left my life you know how you took me

off that job you know why you have me at

this church you know better some of us

just need that needs to be our prayer

life from now on

God you know better this is what I want

but you know better there’s a reason I

didn’t finish school at the time I was

supposed to there’s a reason that you

took me through this trial because you

know better God says in Jeremiah 29:11

that I have plans for you plans to

prosper you not to harm you to give you

a hope in the future what is he trying

to say I know better and so when you

know God knows better

you can be confident in trusting that

all things are really working together

for your good proverbs 3:5 my life

scripture trust in the Lord with all

your heart this is the greatest part for

me and lean not to your own because in

my understanding I would have done this

completely different I mean all the way

back from the garden I would have just

killed Adam and even started over with

Abram a meeting like you don’t say like

I would have started over but God said

my ways are not your ways my thoughts

are higher than you so when you trust in

the Lord with all your heart you have to

divorce your own understanding when you

really trust God you have it is the

prerequisite to divorce what makes sense

to you

that’s why many people go through

college and get these degrees and then

God have you worked in a whole nother

field and you know what he said because

when you really started trusting me he

said I had to cut your understanding and

I have to do it to a place where you can

trust me and that’s what Mephibosheth

did he trusted the king with the outcome

today God wants you to trust him

third thing mephibosheth was grateful to

the King for what he already had verse

28 says all my grandfather’s descendants

deserve nothing but death from my lord

the king but you gave your servant a

place among those who eat at your table

so what right do I have to make anymore

appeals to the king this man in his

damaged state was so aware of how good

the king was still to him and many times

we miss that when we go through a bad

situation we forget how far and how good

god has been to us I mean if you really

think about the last 10 years of your

life and how God delivered you he’s

changing you he’s renewing you your

marriage was on the brink it was

over you had made the decision your mind

was made up to commit suicide and God

literally has brought you but he has

restored you and then we get into one

thing my Jack was short God is a tithe I

did what you said and now look and I

know God if I he’s just like Lord Jesus

or maybe Lord me like I mean just it’s

like they haven’t learned yet like

anything I do to make it feel a little

uncomfortable because I’m trying to make

their character more like me they didn’t

get it yet

I am I purposely told them to give that

seed that made them $30 short and they

bills so I could see what they would do

at the last moment you know they don’t

even know I’ve already discounted they

hold cell phone bill for the next month

but they just won’t trust me in this

three hours it’s never what it looks

like it’s all about God trying to make

you look like him and so when damaged

situations come into our life again I’m

making a conscious effort effort to stop

and think about how good God’s been to

me

now I mean just stop just that I don’t

stop talking to God thank you

mmm this is this sucks it sucks yeah

this is a big one but man I I didn’t I

don’t even qualify to be a part of this

decision right now God you’ve been so

faith God I thank you that me and my

wife made it six years marry I mean this

is argument I mean this look like it’s

gonna be it it’s gonna be over at six

but God thank you cuz I know we I

remember thinking we wasn’t gonna make

it – and we’re here at 6:00 God thank

you for providing this home we don’t

have the money to read renovate it but

God I just think I think if you stop and

think how good God’s already I know I’m

dealing with this disease but the one

they gave me before this that they said

was gonna kill me huh I’m still

breathing it changes your perspective on

what’s happening when you get thankful

for what God’s already done yeah we need

more business but God we got a deal God

we do need God we do need my children do

need better great thing you need to do

better but father I thank you that our

relationship is kind of somewhat halfway

getting a little better I mean sometimes

you have to reach for gratefulness but

when you reach for it

gratitude fills up areas in your heart

that will give you the fuel to continue

to move forward and that’s what

mephibosheth did he said you know what

King cool I ain’t got now I have my

other home he bring me up here to just

tell you what happened but I know all my

family deserve death anyway when my

grandfather and father died I should

have died – and you didn’t just let me

live

but you restored me so at this point I

know what I deserve so you know what is

cool because you’ve already done so much

for me it doesn’t even matter what

happens out of this situation see what

does it look like when we get to the

point when we’re in a damaged situation

where you say God you done so much to me

I really would like you to come through

but it don’t even matter I’m not even

supposed to be here but you have been

faithful you have been good you have

restored me once and so he said Who am I

to even ask the king or make any more

Appeals I trust you and you already been

good so what do you do now last point in

the words I’m just gonna read the

scripture first verse 29

now let’s trip me out said the king said

to him after he said all of this stuff

why say more I ordered you zipper the

hater the one who has caused all of this

to be in control of this situation and

now you divide the land now this messed

me up this is me wrestling again with

Scripture coz mephibosheth was done

wrong but zipper gets to divide it now

it was my land in the first place but

when I you know you have to restore and

do everything right you’ll give the

hater the upper hand to be the one to

divide the land first off why are we

dividing the land it was all mine and he

came in lied we’ve we got that slandered

my name made up stuff and he still walks

away with half of my stuff he walks away

with some of my friends they walked away

with the with the business proposal I

made I want to recall back to your

attention that the trial and the hater

is never about them it’s all about your

heart and this is where I would have

messed it all up

like me personally I’m like okay King

haha great mighty king that’s how you

gonna do this I don’t think you heard me

I said he came light on me took my

donkeys you see and then he came in like

and he didn’t even defend it look what

he says he said Mephibosheth said to the

king let him take everything now that my

lord the king has returned home safely

now this is the difference between

immaturity and maturity because

immaturity is worried about the stuff

maturity is worried about the source of

the stuff you missed it

immaturity worries about well they got

the promotion and they got the girl and

and they got the stuff Mephibosheth said

forget all that I am back in right

relationship with the one who gave it to

me in the first place

so if I have right relationship with the

king

what is the land that zipper has I am

back with the restorer so anything I

need has the potential to be restored

and I came to tell many of us we need to

take a cue from Mephibosheth and the

great psalmist Elsa and we need to let

it go oh yes she is a psalmist to our

generation if you didn’t know see many

of us are holding on to things and

forfeiting our right relationship with

the restorer

but Mephibosheth knew as long see this

is the thing the hater wasn’t coming

back I love it

Thank You Holy Spirit you got to see

that he got the land but he lost his job

there’s no way after Moffatt you

remember what his job description what

you work for Mephibosheth for the rest

of your life you and all your sons as

long as he lived

you work for at the moment he got his

land that’s all he would ever get he

just cut off the inheritance for his

children’s children you reap what you

sow there’s no way my favorite chef

would bring him back bro you thought you

had me man get out of here

I bet you will never set foot on this

land again he lost his job he lost a

legacy and he lost his credibility so

anybody in the whole kingdom if they

heard his name it was synonymous with

what he did the Mephibosheth not that he

was a servant of the king or anything

this is what I’m saying

God’s got your haters stop stop worrying

about who doesn’t like you and who’s not

for you and who didn’t pick you and who

keeps overlooking them just just let

that go see Mephibosheth was focused on

the king because he knew the king just

got all his territory back he knows I

didn’t lie I stayed faithful to him I

stand the test of time he gave me he

started me back out with half of what I

had catch the revelation

sometimes when you’re damaged God won’t

start you back where you were

he’ll start you back with half of what

you had and see how you would steward

over it but you can’t think of it as a

loss because you have right relationship

with the king and this is this is what I

felt as I close this morning this is

what I felt that mephibosheth had in his

mind

I’m not going trip and I’m gonna let

that unforgiveness I’m gonna let it go

I’m gonna let the pain I’m gonna let the

right to talk about this to other people

I’m gonna let it go and you may be in

here and you’re saying well you don’t

know what they did to me pass the mic

and I’m damaged because this and I was

free from that and then they did it

again you need to what let it go let it

go everybody just an act of faith just

hold something right here and then just

drop it let it go see cuz if you do that

I believe this was what God gave

everybody in this place is giving

everybody in this place and this is what

Mephibosheth thought if the King did it

before

he can do it again