Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Niver. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nibert. I'm reading from 2 Kings chapter
8 where Elisha is speaking to Hazel and as Elisha speaks to
Hazel the scripture says the man of God wept. He was weeping
while he was speaking to this man. Beginning in verse 12, and
Hazel said, why weepeth my Lord? And he answered, because I know
the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel. Their
strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt
thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and
rip up their women with child. And Hazel said, but what is thy servant? A dog? That he should do this great
thing? Do you think I'm so morally bankrupt that I'm capable of
doing this kind of crime? And Elisha answered, the Lord
has showed me that thou shalt be king over Samaria. And when Elisha told Hazel of
the atrocities that he would commit, he said, am I a dog that
I would do such a thing? Now I'm going to give the title
of this message at the end of the message. You know, Hazel
was not the first person to use language like this. Goliath said
to David, Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves? And
when Abner was accused of impropriety, he said, Am I a dog's head? Do
you really think I would do something like that? You know, dogs are
not presented in a positive way in the Scripture. We call them
man's best friend, and I love dogs, but that's not the way
the Scripture presents dogs. You were forbidden to give the
money that came from the price of a dog or the hire of a prostitute
into the temple. It was said to be an abomination
to the Lord. False prophets are called by
Isaiah dumb dogs and greedy dogs. And when Paul warned of false
prophets in Philippians chapter 3, he said, Beware of dogs. We're forbidden by the Lord to
give that which is holy to the dogs, and the one who falls away
is described by Peter as the dog returning to his own vomit. In Revelation 22, when the New
Jerusalem is described, we also have a description of those who
are outside of the New Jerusalem, and they are described as dogs,
sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, and idolaters. Now, Hazel says,
am I a dog that I should commit such atrocious acts? Now, I want you to put yourself
in his place. What if I came up to you and
said, you are going to kill children and you are going to come up
upon women who are bearing children, pregnant women, and rip their
stomachs out and kill them and their children? How would you
respond? if someone said, you're going
to do something like that. Now, I dare say most of us would
say, no, I won't. I will not do something like
that. But listen to me real carefully.
All God has to do is leave me alone. Remove the restraints. And there is nothing that I will
not do from stopping attending public worship and identifying
with the message of the Gospel to murderous acts such as this,
there's nothing I will not do if God does not keep me from
it. Do you believe that about yourself?
Now, Hazel didn't. Hazel said, am I a dog that I
would commit such wicked and sinful acts? Hazel did not believe
in the sinful, depraved nature of mankind. Now, I can have four
views of human nature. Please listen to me carefully.
There are only four possible views of human nature. The first
is the evolutionary view, that men are gradually becoming better. We started low and we're evolving,
evolving, And if that's the case, man will eventually be perfect.
Man will eventually save himself. Man doesn't need a savior. If
the evolutionary view is true, we just continue to get better.
Now, the second view of human nature would be that of men being
born with a blank slate, not having a good nature or a bad
nature, a blank slate. If they're put in the proper
environment, if they're educated properly, everything will be
fine. But if they're put in a bad environment, if they're not given
the right information, they'll go bad. Society has to give everybody
the opportunity to be good, to educate them properly, and so
on, and everything will be fine. Now, if that's the case, men
don't need a savior. Men need a teacher to give them
all the right information so they can do right. Now, the third
view is what most religious people have. Men are fallen. We fell
when Adam fell, and we're born with sinful natures, but we also
have the power of free will. We can choose to be good. We
can choose God. We can choose to accept Jesus
Christ as our personal Savior, and if we do that, all is well.
Now, understand this about free will. We have a will, and we
do what we want to do, neither more nor less. We have a will,
but that will is controlled by an evil nature. Now, if this
is true, that men do have this power of free will where they
can choose the good over the bad, we don't need a Savior,
we need a persuader, someone who can put pressure on our will
and get us to make the right choices. And the fourth view
is what I believe is the Scripture, I know is the Scripture view,
that men are dead in trespasses and sins, totally depraved. Now, that doesn't mean everybody's
out murdering, but it means they would if God doesn't prevent
it. It means that men have bad hearts. They have bad minds. They can't understand the Gospel.
They have bad hearts in the sense their affections are wrong. They
love what they ought to hate, and they hate what they ought
to love. A perverted will, chained by sin, chained to an evil nature. Now, that is the scriptural view
of humanity, and Hazel didn't believe that. He said, am I a
dog? Do you really think that I'm
so morally bankrupt that I will do something like that? Hazel
really believed that he wouldn't do it, but he did. You go on
reading in Kings and he was a monster in iniquity. All God's got to
do is leave me alone and I will be just like him. But let me tell you something.
It would be better to acknowledge that you're a dog because as
the wise man says in Ecclesiastes chapter 9 verse 4, a living dog
is better than a dead lion. Now, I want to ask myself the
same question that Hazel did. Am I a dog that I would do such
a thing? I hope you'll ask yourself honestly
that question. Am I a dog that I would do such
a thing? Now, at this time, I'm not even
asking if I'm a believer or if am I elect Have I been born again,
or do I have a new nature? Those are good questions, and
we'll save those for another time. But the question for this
morning is, am I a dog that I would do such unimaginable, unthinkable,
wicked things? Am I a dog? You know, there are
smart dogs and there are dumb dogs. pretty dogs and they are
ugly dogs. They are big dogs and they are
little dogs. But a dog is a dog. Am I a dog that I would do such
a thing? Now it can be a good thing to
be a dog. Now would you listen to me carefully?
The word worship in the New Testament, worship, is defined as licking
like a dog licks its master's hand. That is how true worship
is defined. When Gideon's army was pared
down from 32,000 to 300, the 300 that God chose were the ones
who lapped water like a dog. David The man after God's own heart
when Saul was pursuing him said to Saul, why are you pursuing
such a dead dog? A flea, why are you coming after
me? This is the man after God's own
heart that said that about himself. I repeat, are you a dog? Hazel
wasn't. Goliath wasn't. Abner wasn't. What about you? Now I want to
show you three scriptures where people were said to be dogs and
it was a good thing. The first is found in 2 Samuel
chapter 9. We read in verse 1, And David
said, Is there any yet that is left of the house of Saul, that
I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? Now when David made this
statement, He was the most powerful man in the world. 2 Corinthians
4, 17 says, And the fame of David went into all lands, and the
LORD brought the fear of him. upon all nations. He was the
most powerful military man in the world. He had the most powerful
army. He was in control. God had put
all of his enemies under his feet. And so when he says this,
Is there any yet of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness
for Jonathan's sake? All of his enemies had been defeated.
Now the house of Saul was his enemy. And yet he says, Are there
any of this house, my enemies? that I can show him kindness
to for Jonathan's sake. Now, who is Jonathan? Jonathan
was the son of Saul, and he was David's best friend. Now, many
years before this took place, you can read about this in 1
Samuel chapter 19. Many years before this took place,
David and Jonathan had made a covenant with one another, an agreement
with one another in 1 Samuel chapter 20, Jonathan says to
David, And thou shalt not only while I live show me the kindness
of the Lord, that I die not, but also thou shalt not cut off
thy kindness from my house for ever. No, not when the Lord hath
cut off the enemies of David, every one from the face of the
earth. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David and let
the Lord even require it at the hand of David's enemies. Now,
Jonathan says, I'm going to die. God is going to make you the
ruler of the world. He's going to cut off all your
enemies. And here's what I want you to do. I want you to have
mercy on my descendants after I'm gone. And David said, I'll
do it. So here, David says, Is there
yet any that's left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness
for Jonathan's sake? He remembers that covenant he
made with Jonathan. Verse 2, And there was of the
house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they
had called him unto David, the king 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 Ziba said unto the king,
Jonathan hath yet a son, But he's not worth much. He's lame
on both of his feet. He can't work for you. He can't
fight for you. All he can be is carried. All he can be is burdened. There is nothing he can do for
you. He can't even get here. He's lame on both of his feet.
And we read in 2 Samuel chapter 4 that the way he became lame
was he became lame through a fall. His nurse dropped him running
and when she was trying to escape from David or David's men and
she dropped him and he was lame on both of his legs because of
that. Now lame through a fall, lame on both of his feet. And
the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the
king, Behold, he is in the house of Maker, the son of Amiel of
Lodabar, the place of no bread. Then king David sent and fetched
him, fetching grace. He fetched him out of the house
of Maker, the son of Emeliel from Lodabar. Now in Mephibosheth,
his name means shameful thing, Now when Mephibosheth, the son
of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was coming to David, he fell
on his face and did reverence. He was scared to death. He knew
he was of the house of Saul. He knew that if David wanted
to, he could kill him on the spot, and he didn't know what
David's intention was. So all he does when he's brought
before the king is fall down on his face in reverence, knowing
he was in the king's hand and the king could do with him whatever
he was pleased to do. He falls on his face and he does
reverence. And David said unto Mephibosheth,
and he answered, Behold thy servant. David looked at him, and I don't
have any doubt that when David looked upon him, he remembered
that boy's father. He saw Jonathan's face, and he
remembered that covenant he made with Jonathan, and he said, Mephibosheth,
fear not, show thee kindness for Jonathan
thy father's sake, and will restore unto thee all the land of Saul
thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually."
I'm going to do all this for Jonathan's sake. And that's what
God the Father says to every sinner that He says, I'm going
to save you for Christ's sake. No other reason is needed. I'm
not saving you because of anything you've done or anything you intend
to do. I'm saving you for Christ's sake. Be kind, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven
you. And he bowed himself and said,
what is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead
dog as I am? Here, it's a good thing to be
a dog. Mephibosheth calls himself a
dead dog. We read in the 13th verse of
this chapter, so Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he did
eat continually at the king's table, and was lame on both of
his feet. He stayed lame, but his feet
were covered at the king's table. Oh, the grace of God. I'm still
lame, but my feet are covered at the king's table. It's a good
thing to be a dog. Now in Matthew Chapter 15, let
me show you another passage of Scripture. Verse 21, Then Jesus
went thence, and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon.
And, behold, a woman of Canaan, a place that God had cursed,
came out of the same coast, and cried unto him, saying, Have
mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David! My daughter is grievously
vexed with a devil. Now, this woman comes with a
great need. Her daughter is demon-possessed.
Can you imagine that? And she comes for the right thing. She says, have mercy on me, O
Lord. She didn't come making demands
out of him. She said, give me mercy. I don't
deserve it. Oh, that you'd have mercy on
me and look in favor toward me. And she came knowing who the
Lord was. She said, have mercy on me, O
Lord. You're the Lord. You're the King
of Glory. Thou Son of David. You're God's promised Messiah. She knew who Christ was. This is impressive. She comes
with a great need. She comes for the right thing,
mercy, and she comes knowing who He is. Look what verse 22,
23 says, but He answered her. Not a word. He ignored her. He did not respond to what she's
asking for. She's met with silence. Have you ever met with the silence
of God where you cry, you plead, you pray, you ask for mercy,
and there's no response? You feel like your prayers don't
get any higher than the ceiling. He answered her, not a word,
but you know what? She continued to cry. She didn't
give up. She continued to cry. Now, if you're meeting with the
silence of God, continue to cry just like this woman did. And the disciples came and besought
him saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. But he answered
and said, I'm not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. Now here this woman comes with
this great need. He doesn't answer her. She keeps
crying. They say, send her away. She
keeps crying. He says, I've only come for particular
people. I've only come for the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. I didn't come to save everybody.
Now listen real carefully. Jesus Christ the Lord did not
come to save everybody. He came only to save His elect. That's it. That's what the Scripture
teaches. He didn't come to save everybody.
When He died on the cross, He wasn't dying for all men with
that exception. He was dying for His chosen people,
those the Father gave Him before time began. Now, that's just
so. That's just so. He said, I didn't come to save
everybody. I've only come for the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. Now, how does she respond? Does
she get mad? Does she say, well, that's not fair. I'm coming the
right way. I'm not fair. This is not right. No, look what it says. It says
in verse 25, then, after hearing this, then came she and worshiped
him. You see, the Lord Jesus is to
be worshiped. for who He is, whether He does
anything for me or you or not. He's the Lord, and He is worthy
of worship. And that issue must be settled
in my heart. If I find fault with Him and
accuse Him of injustice in what He does, I'm not worshiping You
only worship a sovereign one in whose hands you are, and he
can do with you whatever he's pleased to do. Then came she
and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. Help me. You're the Lord. You're the Lord of creation.
You spake the world into existence. You're the Lord of providence.
You're in control of everything. You're the Lord of salvation.
Salvation's in your hands. If you do not help me, I will
not be helped. So Lord, help me. Now look at
his next response. Verse 26, But he answered and
said, It's not meat. It's not right. It's not appropriate
to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. Now,
he's saying to this woman, you are a dog. That's what he says. It's not
right to take my gospel, the children's bread, and throw it
out to the dogs. And how did she respond to that?
Did she get mad and become offended? No, she said, truth, Lord. That is the truth. I am a dog unworthy of your gospel. But I'm your dog. The issue here
is that of ownership. I'm your dog And I'm not asking
for a place setting with the children, but I'll take my place
with the dogs under the master's table, and I will be eternally
grateful for any crumbs of mercy that come falling my way." And
look what the Lord said to her. Jesus answered and said unto
her, O woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou
wilt And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." Now,
the last passage of Scripture I want us to look at is found
in Numbers 14. You see, wasn't it a good thing
to be a dog? She was a dog, and the Lord said to her, O woman,
great is thy faith. Now, in Numbers chapter 14, this
is after the spies that were sent in to view the land of Canaan. They said, we can't take it.
We can't take it. Caleb said we can take it because
the Lord is with us. And look what the Lord says about
Caleb. Verse 24, But my servant Caleb, his name means faithful
dog. Do you know Joshua and Caleb
were the only ones who made it into the promised land. Joshua
the Savior, Caleb the faithful dog. My servant Caleb, because
he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully. What do dogs do? They follow
their master. He followed me fully. Him will I bring into the land
where into he went and his seed shall possess it. Dogs follow
their master. I have a friend who was hunting
in the woods. And he came across a dog caught
in a trap. His leg was in a trap. And he
said, I tried to set the dog free, and the dog would try to
bite me. It was afraid, and every time I tried to do something
for it, it would snap at me. And I couldn't set it free, so
he said, I found a stick that was forked. And I took the stick
and held the dog's head down, put it around the neck, held
it where it couldn't bite me, and I set it free. And then I
put up the stick and the dog just kind of looked at me and
just wandered off in pain, lowly, and didn't see it again. So I
continued hunting. And he said, I felt something
behind me. And I turned around and that dog was following me,
that dog that I'd set free, that dog that I'd saved, even against
his will. He was following me and he said,
that dog followed me until the day he died. Faithful dog following its master. Now, it's a good thing to be
a dog. Now, I want to ask you a question.
Are you a dog? Hazel wasn't, Abner wasn't, Goliath
wasn't. Are you a dog? Now here's the title of this
message, All Dogs Go to Heaven. If you're a dog, you're somebody
the Lord will save. If you're like Mephibosheth,
Who am I that you'd have mercy on such a dead dog as me? If you're like the Syrophoenician
woman, when the Lord called her a dog, that's the truth, Lord,
but the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table.
If you're like Caleb, a faithful dog following your Lord, it's
a good thing to be a dog because all dogs go to heaven. He saves
dogs like this. Now we have this message on cassette
tape, DVD, and CD. If you call the church, write
or email, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Nyberg praying that
God will be pleased to make Himself known to you. That's our prayer.
Amen. To request a copy of the sermon
you have just heard, send your request to messages at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.