Exaltation | Part 1a

Jesus' sake that your Father in Heaven will get you out of your situation for Jesus' sake and it don't even matter who you are. Y'all ready to get deep in this word? I'm gonna get down here with you so I can look in the eyes and make sure you're telling me the truth, alright? I just like being close. I feel like we relate better and I can communicate better if I'm down here on the floor with you. We read before the prayer in Matthew 23, I want you to underline two words in verse 12, Jesus said, "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." So in that last statement, if you would underline the word humble, and then underline the word exalted. That is a pattern through our Scripture that comes right here from the heart of our all wise God and through his Son Jesus Christ that the way to promotion is through humility. It's backwards to the world, but it's forward in the kingdom. If you would turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 5, let me show you where we see this again in Scripture. 1 Peter chapter 5 and we'll look down in verse number 6 of 1 Peter chapter 5. So we're in part 1 of exaltation. And what I'm really excited about in this study is that we're going to look into at least we'll start next week, we're going to look into an old covenant Hebrew name of God that Jesus captures, and that Hebrew name is El Elion, E-L-E-L-Y-O-N-L-L-Yon. It is the name of God that Satan coveted. It is the name of God that Lucifer wanted, according to Isaiah's prophecy chapter 14, we get some insight that Lucifer wanted that position and that authority that came with the name of El Elion, when it is recorded that Lucifer said in heaven, "I will be like the Most High God." The word "El Elion" or that name means "most high God." And I love the revelation that King Nebuchadnezzar got in Daniel chapter 4 of the authority

of the Most High God. His Nebuchadnezzar was arrogant and proud, he was king of Babylon, erected a statue that demanded worship. He saw himself as God until the Lord brought him to such a place of humility that he was walking on all fours, hands and knees, eating grass like an ox, and he came to the realization that he was no God. He actually writes the fourth chapter of the book of Daniel, and this is what he says in verse 17, if you take a note. In verse 17 he said, "The Most High God rules within the kingdom of men, which means nothing is beneath him, and he knows no jurisdiction." And this is what he said, he said, "He's able to give power and authority and promotion to the basis of men, which means nobody is outside the reach of the Most High God." And that can be encouraging today because you may feel like you're in a situation that is beyond the reach of the Most High God, but there's no place that we go that is beyond the reach of the Most High God. And we're going to look at an example of that today in Scripture in the Old Testament. Let me show you this pattern in how it continues in 1 Peter chapter 5. If you have found 1 Peter 5, say amen. Notice verse 6, "Humble yourselves, therefore unto the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." Once again, if you would underline two words, underline that word humble in verse 6, humble yourselves, and then notice that he may exalt you in due time. Once again, we see the pattern, humility comes before promotion, humiliation before exalt but they're not necessarily interchangeable. Humility is a decision that we make. I feel like the hardest time it is for us to be humble and choose humility is when we feel humiliated. And life and circumstances and folk have a way of humiliating us and choosing humility when you feel humiliated is the hardest thing to do.

But know that our Lord honors humility and that He exalts those that walk in the spirit of meekness and humility. And so I wanna show you an example of God's ability to reach into your situation when you choose humility and pull you out of any situation you might be any emotionally, physically, spiritually, financially, you're not outside of His reach, amen. So I wanna show you this, an example of this in the Old Testament. So if you would, go back with me to first Samuel and I wanna go to the 17th chapter, first Samuel, chapter 17. And I believe in using the Bible to minister the word of God, amen. I don't really have sermons, we just open the word and expound on the scripture. All right, when I first got saved by the Jefferson, I thought I was gonna learn the Bible. I got baptized and they gave me a Bible as a gift and then I went to church and I heard a text read and then I was told, close your Bible while I talk about and I closed my Bible and I was like, man, I guess we don't learn the Bible in church. So I went to Sunday school and then they gave me a book and then in the book, we didn't really learn the book 'cause the Sunday school teacher had a lot of stories to tell and so I learned it there. So I said, well, I guess I gotta go to BTU. Anybody remember BTU?

That was that service before the evening service. So I went there and man, I just been wanting the word all my life, amen. That's what I want right now. Hallelujah. Are y'all with me? Did y'all read the sign about the door when you came in? Oh, Hallelujah, let's get in this word. First Samuel chapter 17 or 18 when you get to say amen. First Samuel chapter 18. I want you to notice here in chapter 18 of Samuel what just happened because we're about to talk a little bit about David, King David. What happened in the previous chapter, first Samuel 17, is David who had been anointed to be the next king. He's not king yet, he's a shepherd boy, but was anointed to be the next king, is sent by his daddy, Jesse, to go carry his brothers some bread and cheese 'cause they were fighting the Philistines. But when David got down there to the fight, nobody was fighting 'cause they were all afraid of this giant named Goliath. And we talked about this in the previous series. But David said, you know what? I've watched the Lord, I've seen his hand, I know his power, by his name I defeated the bear that came after my daddy's sheep. And by his name I defeated the lion that came after my daddy's sheep.

And I believe this giant shall be as one of them. Come on somebody. In the good when you can reach in your past and find some victories and you'll use that to fuel your faith for what you're facing right now, well, that's what David did. And so he said, hey, what comes to the man that defeats this giant? And they said, well, tax-free living, a bounty, land, and the daughter of the king. And he's like, hey, let me at him. And so he defeats Goliath, he gets tax-free living, he gets a bounty and he got the wife, the daughter of the king. One chapter later, King Saul has brought David into his home, the shepherd boy. And we see this setting where David is gonna become best friends with his now brother-in-law, Jonathan. And he and Jonathan become so close in their friendship that they make a promise to each other, that they will always be friends to each other and bless one another, not just one another, but to their children, they were going, they made this pact, they made this covenant, they established this friendship. So we'll see it in chapter 18, verse one. And it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. And Jonathan loved David as his own soul.

Saul took him that day, that's the king, Saul, took him that day and wouldn't let him go. No more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. that was upon him and gave it to David and to his garments and to his sword and to his bow and to his girl. We might not really be able to grab what's going on here in our culture, but this is the way covenant ceremonies went. If you had two families that were gonna make a covenant, covenants first of all are based on strengths and weaknesses, so let's say you had a family called the Williams family and they were good at growing crops and vegetables and gardening, and man, they grew a lot of food, but they were weak, couldn't fight, and folk kept breaking into their crops and stealing their food. So let's say you had another family called the bird family. Now the bird family couldn't grow nothing, but they could fight, yet they're not a family you wanna mess with, but it's hard to fight when you're hungry. So the Williams family and the birth family come together and they could covenant. The Williams family says to the birth family, "We'll keep you fed if you'll protect our crops." Bird family says you ain't got to worry about it. Nobody else trespassing and you don't even need a no trespassing sign. We got you covered, just keep us fed. And so they would each put a representative out and the representatives would meet together

and a covenant would be made. And often in this setting, there would be an exchange. The Williams family would give up a tool and maybe the bird's family would give up a weapon and there would be an exchange and they would exchange garments and it would symbolize two families coming together in a covenant. We don't know much about it today, though we do see some of it in a marriage covenant because we have that name addition, the bride. Her last name becomes her middle name. Her husband's last name becomes her last name, which means when you put the two together, those names are combined and the families come together. I'm trying to get you to see that this was a covenant, a friendship that David and Jonathan are making, not only between each other, but their families, their children and their children's children. Are y'all with me still? All right, let's fast forward. Go with me the second Samuel, chapter number nine. Second Samuel, chapter number nine. By the time we get to second Samuel, chapter nine, Saul, the king is dead. His son Jonathan is dead. David is now king, but David has not forgotten the covenant that he made with Jonathan, even though Jonathan is no longer alive. David is walking in the kingdom. He is the king of Israel and he is walking out,

the manifestation of what he was anointed to be in his daddy's house by the prophet Samuel. But he has not forgotten the covenant that he made. So watch this in second Samuel, chapter nine, when you can see verse one, say amen. And David said, is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul? Saul was the first king of Israel, he's now dead. David is saying, is there anybody left of that family, that lineage, that household? That I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake. Oh, read that out loud. That I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake. In English, we see the word kind, like somebody opened the door for you, or letting somebody go in front of you in the line at the grocery store. But biblically, this word kindness is attached to the unconditional love of God. In Greek, it's hossed, the hossed love of God. In the New Testament it's agape, but it's an unconditional love. It's a love we don't earn. It's a love we don't deserve. It's a love that's unmerited. And so when David is saying, oh, it is gonna be good. When David is saying, hey, does the Saul have any children? Is there anybody left in the lineage of Saul? Because whoever it is, I'm gonna show that person. I don't even know their name,

but I'm gonna show that person, the kindness of God is gonna come through me to that person, all for Jonathan's sake. Now, if you're taking notes, there's three names. I want you to write down one under the other. Number one, I want you to write down David. Write his name down, David. Underneath David, I want you to write Jonathan. And then there's one more name I want you to write down under Jonathan. It's Mofibosheth. And humor yourself by writing it the best you can. Or you can read further down in this chapter and see how it's spelled, Mofibosheth. Because these three people, these three names, are gonna speak a message to you and me today that I cannot let you miss. left of Saul's lineage? Because I'm going to show him kindness. Now that would be unheard of. Because if you were a king as David is, you would traditionally and culturally, you would want to eliminate any heir of the previous king. I don't want there to be any lineage that might come and try to take the kingdom from me. So it would be common in the world for a king to want to destroy the successor's lineage so that no one would have any blood right to the throne. But this, David is not looking for someone that might have a lineage to the throne to destroy. He's looking for somebody that's in the lineage to bless. Oh, come on, somebody. Oh, this thing's going to be good. Watch this. He said, is there anybody left of the house of Saul? Well, there was this lifelong servant in the kingdom in verse two that they knew would have the answer, the name's Isaiah here. So they went and got him. So he asked Isaiah the same question, verse three, the king said, is there not yet any of the house of Saul, the lineage of Saul that I may show the kindness of God unto him? Zabe said to the king, Jonathan, half yet a son which is laying on his feet. He cannot walk. The boy was crippled when his nurse was fleeing in a

war. She tripped and failed. This little boy got injured and would never walk again. So whatever situation he's in right now, the picture of scripture is pointing to, he can't get out of it. He's in a situation he can't by his own strength get out of. Am I talking to anybody that's gotten themselves in a situation that you can't get yourself out of? I want you to know today about a savior who's ready to give you out of that situation for Jesus's sake, that your father in heaven will get you out of your situation for Jesus's sake. And it don't even matter who you are because David doesn't know this man personally. He's asking the question, did Jonathan have any children or any alive? Zabe, this lifelong servant of the kingdom, said, yes, he got a boy named Jonathan. He's laying on his feet and he's living in a place verse five, verse four and five down in a load of bar. Now, to you and me, that word load of bar might not mean nothing, but I want you to find your load of bar today because the word load of bar means parched pasture. It means it's so dry in that land that the ground is cracked. This is actually the image I was looking for during the humiliation series and it's why I chose this picture. They're going to pull it up. You may remember in this series, humiliation had a parched pasture under it because that's the picture of load of bar. Look at that land right there under that. That is a picture of load of bar, parched pasture, drought, dry, no vegetation, no growth, no blessing, no fruit. That's the place that load of bar represents. Thank you guys. That's the kind of place that that that that that Mafiboshuth is living in and he can't get out of it. He's there, he's broke in this place and David said, take me to him. Come on somebody. So we'll look at the spelling of Mafiboshuth in verse six. Now, when Mafiboshuth, I'll let you see how to write it. Now, in your Bible, let me say this first. I gave you three names to write down. David, Jonathan, then Mafiboshuth. Next to David, put a dash and I want you to write God. God, or your heavenly Father, whatever you want to put there, the most high, God. Next to Jonathan, I want you to write dash and then put Jesus. Well, if I was you, I'd put that in all caps. Jesus, come on somebody. So David in this story represents God. Jonathan in this story represents Jesus. Now, look in your Bibles at that word Mafiboshuth. Now, you'll notice a dash after the E. You see that? So Mafiboshuth begins with me. That's what I want you to do. I want you to write me next to the word Mafiboshuth. Now when I say right down me, I'm not talking about right down me, you.

Sound like a rush-hour movie, me? No, you, you, me. (congregation laughing) Jacob, you know what I'm talking about, don't you? No, right, right, you down, me. (congregation laughing) Oh, y'all with me here? You are "mafibishe," take a neighbor of that. You are "mafibishe." Notice that David said I'm looking for anybody in the household of Saul. I'm gonna show whoever that person is, kindness, but he won't have nothing to do with who they are. I don't have anything to do with where they are, who they are, what the name is. They're gonna be, they're gonna become a recipient of my favorite and blessing because of Jonathan's sake. I made a promise to Jonathan, I gotta make good on. Do you realize the only reason we're saved is because our father is honoring the covenant he made with his son, Jesus, that he made a covenant with Jesus and that my salvation is for Jesus' sake. My answered prayer is for Jesus' sake. The goodness of God in my life is for Jesus' sake. All that I've ever received of my father was for Jesus' sake, not my good, not my name, not my title, not my merit, not my good deeds know. By the grace of God, I am that I am. (congregation clapping) That's why I have to give him praise for all good

that comes in my life because I know I would not be walking in the goodness of God other than Jesus' sake. One thing, and I know you relate what I'm getting ready to say, one thing I will never do, it never is a strong word, but I really believe it. One thing I'll never do is offer a prayer to God in the name of James MacMenace. Can you fathom that right now? You pray to God and at the end of that prayer you use your name. That just sounds crazy don't it? I'm not even going, I was going to just be an example. I can't even do that. That's just foolishness for me to pray a prayer in the name of me. No, I pray every prayer in the name of him. I pray every prayer in the name of Jesus, why? I know God answers prayer for Jesus' sake. Jesus said in John 15, 16, before you chose me, I chose you, I chose you, and I ordained you that you would bring forth fruit, that your life would be abundant, that your life would bring me glory, that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he would give it to you. In other words, I live to bring Jesus glory. I live to bring him glory. If I have received any good starting with my salvation, it's for Jesus' sake. I can't brag about being saved.

I can't brag about being someone new. I am who I am because he is who he is. He saved me, he healed me, he forgave me, he delivered me, he blessed me. All that I have is because of him. He gets all the accolade, all the praise, all the honor, all the glory, because I have nothing without him. So David the King is going to see my fellowship who's living in a load of bar and is crippled. Now let's put ourselves in Mephibosheth's seat for a minute because I believe we are a spiritual Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth can only think on what could have been. His granddaddy was king, his daddy was the heir. He was in the lineage and now he's in a load of bar. How humiliating. You can only imagine the stories that he heard about what happened to his grandfather, what happened to his daddy, this daddy dying in a war. You can only imagine that David got the blame for this. The existing king is the reason you're in a load of bar. The existing king is the reason you're crippled. The existing king is the reason you have it so bad. And the enemy still tells those lies today that if God were good, why am I in a load of bar? If God were good, why is so much bad happening in the world? That same lie I can relate to because it's the lie of the enemy today. But I don't realize in those lies

that this king, this God, this quote unquote David is not out from my destruction. He's not out from my death. He's out from my good. He's ready to show me his love for Jesus' sake. It doesn't matter what my past looks like. It doesn't matter what my life looks like. It doesn't matter how handicapped I am because this salvation is not about what I give him, but it's about what he gives me. (audience clapping) (congregation murmurs) But I don't know what my filled with shit that's heard, but you can only imagine his mindset when the king showed up. So Zabes said, "Hey, he's down in a loater bar." Verse five, then King David sent and fetched him out of the house of maker, the son of Amiel, from a loater bar. I'm getting you out of there. "Now, when me fillable, chef, "I'm just trying to get you to see you in there, me. "Now, when me," I know it's my filled with shit, "I want you to see yourself in my filled with shit, "because I can see myself in my filled with shit, "because I look at my life daily, "and can't help but wonder what my life would look like. "We're not for the Lord in my life." That even when he saved me, I wasn't even looking for him. I know everybody's testimony is not the same.

I went to church that day to get my end to leave me alone, because I was tired of being invited to church. So I wasn't looking, I was looking to get my end to leave me alone. That's what I was looking for. But I ended up at church on a Sunday morning, and my heart got told, and I knew he was calling my name. I wasn't even looking for him, but he was looking for me. And I cannot imagine where my life would be right now, where it's not for him. And it wasn't because of what I had to offer. But here's King David calling for Mephibosheth. And I get what we say, and I'm not trying to be critical. When we say I found the Lord, but he wasn't lost. Mephibosheth didn't find David, David found him. Well, I want to thank you for allowing me into your viewing area today, and I hope that you were blessed by the ministry of God's Word. Our broadcast is made possible through the faithful financial support of our members and partners here in this viewing area. And I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider supporting the work of this ministry so that we can take the message of Jesus as the manifested Word of God, reaching more people in more ways and in more places than ever before. Thank you for your support. [MUSIC] But he's the only one I know to write a will. Die, activate the will, didn't get back up from the dead, and be the attorney of his own will. [MUSIC] Healer, deliverer, waymaker, peacemaker, provider, salvation, everything in one hand.

He is the capital S son of God. He's man enough to relate. And God enough to demonstrate his power in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God, verse 14. And the Word became flesh, and we beheld his glory. [MUSIC] (gentle music)