Genesis Ch18v1-15 - Ordinary People, Extraordinary God

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Genesis 18, we're following along in our studies through Genesis.

Thank you, just waiting for a drink.

Thank you.

Thank you.

In the heat of the day, Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby.

When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them, and he bowed low to the ground.

He said, if I found favour in your eyes, my Lord, do not pass your servant by.

Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.

Let me get you something to eat so you can be refreshed, and then go on your way, now that you have come to your servant.

Very well, they answered.

Do as you say.

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah.

Quick, he said.

Get sixteen kilograms of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.

Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice tender calf, gave it to his servant who hurried to prepare it.

He then brought some curds and milk and set these before them.

While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

Where is your wife, Sarah?

They asked him.

There, in the tent, he said.

Then one of them said, I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah, your wife, will have a son.

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent which was behind him.

Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.

So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought.

After I am worn out and my Lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?

Then the Lord said to Abraham, why did Sarah laugh and say, will I really have a child now that I am old?

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.

Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, I didn't laugh.

But he said, yes, you did laugh.

Well, let's pray.

Father, we thank you for giving to us your words in our language that we can read,

and that by your Spirit's help we can understand.

We pray that from this short text, you would teach us about yourself,

and how we should live in response.

May not one of us leave this building without being changed and transformed by you today.

And we pray this for your glory and for our good.

Amen.

Well, Sunday mornings, well, usually Sunday mornings anyway, I know it's an afternoon,

can be a bit frantic, especially for me.

It usually ends with me sitting in the car, beeping the horn.

Eventually, Kirsty makes her way to the car, and the conversations begin.

What took you so long?

And it's only then that I realised, well, somebody had to unload and load the dishwasher.

Somebody had to get the sandwiches prepared for afternoon tea.

Someone had to bring my Bible, which I had left on the stairs yet again.

Just because Kirsty isn't running in a hurry, doesn't mean to say nothing is happening.

Well, it appears that God is not in a hurry.

And that doesn't mean that nothing is happening.

God had promised to Abraham that he was going to be a blessing to the world.

And God confirmed it by his covenant.

So by the time we turn to chapter 18,

we expect to find Abraham as a great nation, blessing the world.

We expect to see him on his world preaching tour,

entitled Five Steps to a Blessed Life,

filling the stadiums, signing books.

But that's not where we find Abraham.

We actually find him all by himself under a tree.

Look at verse 1.

The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre

while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.

It seems that when it comes to God's promises,

God isn't in much of a hurry.

But that doesn't mean to say that nothing is happening.

So let's encourage ourselves that as we look at this text this afternoon,

not to rush.

Let's take our time,

slow down,

and see what God is teaching us.

The first thing that I want us to see is

the ordinary ways in which God's people serve.

The ordinary ways in which God's people serve.

God hasn't forgotten his plan of redemption.

In fact, it's through the ordinary, everyday acts of service

that God is doing his work.

Now, before we see this,

we need to get to grips with our three friends.

We're introduced to them at the beginning of verse 2.

Abraham looked up and saw three men standing by.

Now, this isn't the Trinity.

Some people say it is, but it's not.

As we read through the text,

it seems that one of them is the Lord,

while the other two are angels,

God's messengers.

And we can see this if you go to the very end of the chapter.

Chapter 18, verse 33.

We read that when the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham,

he left and Abraham returned home.

And then into chapter 19,

the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening.

So there we have our three visitors

who've been encountering and speaking

to Abraham the Lord

and two angels.

Now, while we at this stage know their identity,

it's not immediately clear to Abraham who they are.

But let's get back to the main point.

Abraham may be waiting at his tent,

sits shading from the sun,

waiting for God to fulfil his purpose.

But that doesn't mean he's just twiddling his thumbs,

doing nothing.

No, Abraham gets serving.

First, notice the attitude of Abraham.

Look at his attitude, verse 2.

Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby.

When he saw them,

he hurried from the entrance of his tent

to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Now, bowing low is a posture of humility.

It's bowing down as if to say,

at your service, your master.

How can I be of help?

Now, that's not always the way I respond

when my doorbell goes,

especially if I'm sitting down

treating myself to some me time.

For goodness sake,

will you go and ring somebody else's house?

Leave me alone.

No, the assumed heart attitude of God's people

should be one of humility.

At your service,

how can I be of help?

So that's his attitude.

But now look at his action.

Verse 3.

He said,

If I have found favour in your eyes, my Lord,

do not pass your servant by.

Let a little water be bought

and then you may all wash your feet

and rest under this tree.

Let me get you something to eat

so you can be fresh

and then go on your way

now that you have come to your servant.

All of a sudden,

there's a flurry of activity.

There's no Lidl's bakery,

no chicken van to go to.

Sarah, quick!

There's people for dinner.

Get the fire stoked up.

Get the bread on.

I'll go and get the steaks.

A couple of hours later,

our three friends are smiling, aren't they?

What a meal!

Verse 8.

He then brought them some curds,

that's some cheese and milk,

and a calf that had been prepared,

and set these before them.

And while they ate,

he stood near them under a tree.

You see,

the attitude of humility

leads to an action of service.

Abraham assumes the role of a servant

because when we're waiting for God,

that's what God's people do.

Now, serving isn't particularly glamorous.

It has the habit of interrupting me time

and family schedules

and weekend plans.

But yet, this is what God's people do.

We get on with serving.

That's our daily diet.

Of course, humble hospitality

may only be one way to serve,

but it's a great way to serve.

God has given you a home.

It's not yours, by the way,

and neither is mine.

It's a gift from God,

and he has filled your house,

no doubt,

with frying pans and pots

and all sorts of cooking utensils.

So start using them.

Open up our homes

for the sake of the kingdom

to serve those around us

who need encouragement and support.

When you say,

I'm not a very good baker.

Well, I get that.

But that doesn't hinder

what we can do.

Turn with me, please,

to 1 Peter chapter 4

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

in the New Testament.

1 Peter chapter 4.

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

If you've got a page number,

help me out, please.

1, 2, 2, 0.

1, 2, 2, 0.

1 Peter chapter 4.

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

He's actually just spoken about

hospitality.

But then he reminds us,

starting in verse 10,

1 Peter chapter 4,

1 Peter 4:10

verse 10.

Each of you,

doesn't matter who we are,

should use whatever gift

you have received,

we all have gifts,

to serve others

as faithful stewards

of God's grace

in its various forms

or its multicoloured form.

So we become conduits

of grace

to one another

as we serve.

If anyone speaks,

they should do so

as one who speaks

the very words of God.

as we have our tea

and sandwiches later,

what a great opportunity

to speak

words of encouragement

to each other.

If anyone serves,

they should do it

with the strength

God provides,

so that in all things

God may be praised

through Jesus Christ.

To him

be the glory

and the power

forever and ever.

Amen.

Let's go back

to Genesis.

You see,

the ordinary slog

of serving others

mightn't get you

any awards,

but it does lead

to the praise

and glory of God

through our very simple

acts of speaking

and serving.

So God mightn't be

in a hurry

as far as we're concerned,

but he will fulfil

his plan of redemption.

In the meantime,

as we wait for God

to do his work,

we get serving.

It's what God's people

do.

So,

the way in which

God's people serve.

Second,

the ordinary people

that God uses

in his purposes.

The ordinary people

God uses

in his purposes.

Our three friends

may be licking

their lips

after steak

and milk

and cheese,

but it seems

that they're much

more than just

hungry travellers.

They know more

about Abraham

and Sarah

than they first

let on.

Look at verse 9.

Where is your wife

Sarah?

They asked him.

There in the tent,

he said.

Then one of them

said,

I will surely

return to you

about this time

next year

and Sarah,

your wife,

will have a son.

Now,

through our studies

in Genesis,

promises of children

to Abraham and Sarah

are not new.

But it seems

God wants to

remind them again

that his plan

of redemption

is still on track.

In fact,

God is going

to use

a struggling

servant

like Sarah.

first of all,

notice

the weakness

of Sarah.

Notice her weakness.

Look at the rest

of verse 10.

Now,

Sarah was listening

at the entrance

to the tent

which was behind him.

Abraham and Sarah

were already

very old

and Sarah

was past the age

of childbearing.

Sarah's biological

clock,

we could say,

has already

talked.

The promise

seems misplaced.

Surely,

he doesn't

really mean

what he's saying.

Why is it

that God

insists

that old

Sarah

is going

to have

a son?

Well,

because God

wants us

to see

that redemption

comes through

weakness.

Sarah may be

done in

and worn

out,

but she

is going

to have

a son.

You see,

weakness

is not

a barrier

to God.

They're the

kind of people

God uses

in his plans

and in his

purposes.

It's the way

in which

God

works.

But it's

not just

her weakness.

Notice

the doubting

of Sarah.

The doubting

of Sarah,

verse 11.

Abraham

and Sarah

were already

very old

and Sarah

was past

the age

of childbearing.

So Sarah

laughed to

herself as

she thought,

after I'm

worn out

and my

Lord is

old,

will I

now have

this pleasure?

You see,

we wouldn't

describe Sarah

as a woman

of confident

faith.

We wouldn't

invite Sarah

to come and

speak at a

conference on

faith-building

exercises.

Me?

Have a

son?

You've

got to be

joking.

I have

as much

chance of

getting pregnant

as a dead

camel winning

a race.

Me?

It can't

happen.

It possibly

couldn't

happen.

Well,

the year

will pass

and as we'll

see in

chapter 21,

Sarah does

have a

son.

You see,

it seems

that God

is not

restricted

by weak,

doubting

servants.

God never

writes people

off and

neither should

we.

Older women

like Sarah

have a

vital role

in God's

work and

in God's

purposes.

Essel and

Vera were

two old

sisters.

Essel was

never married.

Vera was

married but

she didn't

ever have

children.

They were

both timid.

They were

shy.

They were

quite reserved.

Yet for

25 years

they faithfully

prayed and

supported my

dad while he

was a pastor

in Waterford.

They held

no title

or any

particular

special role

but yet

they attended

every meeting

as they were

able.

They prayed

for his

children.

rags like

me.

Encouraged

my mum

and gave

when there

were needs.

To the

world they

were just

weak and

frail.

They were

nothing and

nobodies.

Yet in the

hands of

God they

were the

backbone you

might say

of a local

church.

You see

the church

always needs

people like

Ethel and

Vera.

He needs

people like

us.

Of course

it's not

just older

women that

God uses.

When it

comes to

God's work

and God's

purposes,

age,

whether you're

young or

old,

gender,

male or

female,

whatever your

ability,

whether you

feel strong

or struggling,

it's not an

issue for

God.

In fact

God uses

the weak

and doubting,

the suffering,

the sinful,

the broken.

Why is it

that God

insists in

doing his

work like

this?

Well to

show us

that his

plan of

redemption

will not

be accomplished

by my

strength or

your strength,

not our

faith but

his faithfulness.

It's like

he delights

in gathering

nobodies and

nothings and

using us so

that we might

wonder,

at God's

amazing grace

that he

would work

through me.

The ordinary

servant of

God may be

nothing in

the eyes of

the world

but yet God

uses weak

servants to

accomplish his

purposes.

So God

might be much

of a hurry

but he will

fulfil his

plan of

redemption.

In the

meantime we

get on

serving and

we marvel at

the fact

that God

by his

grace can

use people

like us.

So the

ordinary ways

in which

God's people

serve,

the ordinary

people God

uses in his

purposes and

then third,

the extraordinary

ways in which

God works.

God

will

be able to

build a

nation and

a people

who in

turn are

going to

be a

blessing to

the world

seems to

be too

big to

be true.

And when we

factor into

all of it

that the

very foundation

of it all

starts with

an old

Abraham and

a worn

out Sarah,

it just

seems utterly

impossible,

doesn't it?

yet look

how God

responds to

our

questioning

doubts.

Verse 13,

Then the

Lord said

to Abraham,

Why did

Sarah laugh

and say,

Will I

really have

a child

now that

I'm old?

Is

anything

too hard

for the

Lord?

Well,

the answer

should be

a resounding

no.

Nothing

is too

hard

for the

Lord.

You see,

we're dealing

here with

God

Almighty,

the one

who spoke

the universe

into existence.

Out of

nothing,

he brought

this world

into being.

And if

God is

that all

powerful

life-giving

source,

then he

can give

life to

all as

he pleases.

End of

verse 14,

I will

return to

you at

the appointed

time next

year,

and Sarah

will have

a son.

Sarah

was afraid,

so she

lied and

said,

no,

I didn't

laugh.

But he

said,

yes,

you did

laugh.

Now,

like Sarah,

we too

might laugh

at the

impossibility

of it

all.

When we

think of

God's

promises

to us,

how could

this ever

happen?

man?

Well,

don't

laugh at

what God

promises to

do.

First,

notice with

me the

plan of

redemption

in this

story,

the plan

of redemption.

God's plan

of redemption

is going to

come through

the family

of Abraham,

and as we

follow the

storyline of

the Bible,

God's promise

is fulfilled

in the

most

extraordinary

of ways.

Go with

me,

please,

to Luke's

Gospel,

chapter 1.

Luke's

Gospel,

chapter 1.

And

verse 31.

An angel

has appeared

to Mary,

a young

teenage girl,

and this

is what the

angel said,

verse 31.

You will

conceive and

give birth to

a son,

and you

are to

call him

Jesus,

the

Saviour,

the

Messiah.

Well,

look at

Mary's

response,

verse 34.

How will

this be?

Mary asked

the angel,

since I

am a

virgin.

That's

impossible.

These

things don't

happen.

Mary understood

her biology.

Virgins

can't be

pregnant.

Verse 35.

The angel

answered,

the Holy

Spirit will

come on

you,

and the

power of

the Most

High will

overshadow

you,

and the

Holy One

born will

be called

the Son

of God.

verse 37.

For no

word from

God

will ever

fail.

Mary,

nothing

is too

hard for

God.

Nothing.

You see,

God takes

and uses

a weak

teenage

virgin

from the

back end

of nowhere,

and says,

you're going

to have a

son,

and by the

way,

the child

that you

bear is

going to

be God's

promised

Messiah,

the one

who is

going to

bring the

blessing of

redemption

to the

world.

Why does

God make

seemingly

impossible

promises

and fulfill

them through

weak,

humble

servants?

Because God

wants us to

see that his

plan of

redemption

is a work

of God.

It's not

something we

do by

ourselves,

it's

something

that God

does,

and it's

not too

hard for

him either.

Verse 37,

for no

word from

God will

ever fail.

What God

says he

will do,

he will

do.

Now this

is how God

continues to

work out his

redemption in

the lives of

people like

you and me.

Jump forward

with me,

please,

to chapter

18 of

Luke's

Gospel,

chapter 18,

and see

here the

possibility

of

redemption.

Luke

Luke 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18.

In this

account,

a wealthy

man comes

to Jesus

wanting to

know what

he has to

do to

earn God's

redemption.

salvation.

And it

soon becomes

very clear

to him that

there is

nothing he

can do

to earn

his salvation.

Look at

what Jesus

says to

this wealthy

man.

Luke 18,

Luke 18:24

verse 24.

Jesus

looked at him

and said,

how hard

it is for

the rich

to enter

the kingdom

of God.

Indeed,

it is easier

for a camel

to go through

the eye of

a needle

than for

someone who

is rich

to enter

the kingdom

of God.

The point

is simple

and clear.

Just as it's

impossible for

a camel

to fit through

the eye of

a needle,

so it's

impossible for

us by our

own efforts

to enter

into the

kingdom of

God.

it can't

happen.

It's just

not possible.

It's like

old women

having children

or virgins

getting pregnant.

That sort

of thing

can't happen.

Verse 26.

Those who

heard this

asked,

well then

who can

be saved?

What can

God do

in the lives

of people

to save

them?

Verse 27.

Jesus

replied,

what is

impossible

with man

is possible

with God.

What is

impossible

with man

is possible

with God.

You see,

we can never

save ourselves

and we can

never save

anybody else.

But what's

impossible for

us is what

God does.

This is what

he delights

sin doing.

How is

it possible?

Because God,

in his

redemption

plan,

sent his

son,

Jesus,

who came

to us

in humility

and weakness,

who bowed

before us

to say,

I am at

your service.

And he

served us

in the most

humbling of

ways,

by giving

his life

for us,

by dying

on a cross,

taking all

our failures

on himself,

so that

he might

secure

our

redemption

forever.

Now you

might be

thinking,

well,

my life

is a

mess.

I've

failed

too many

times.

I've

broken

too many

promises.

There's

no way

that God

can save

me.

Or maybe

you're

thinking,

I've got

a friend,

I've got

a family

member,

maybe

it's

your

mother

or your

father,

your

son,

or your

daughter,

and you're

thinking,

no way,

it's

impossible,

God

can't

save

them.

Well,

don't

laugh at

what God

can do.

Is

anything

too hard

for the

Lord?

What is

impossible

for man

is possible

with God.

redemption

might not

happen

according to

our

timing,

but that

doesn't

mean we

sit back

and do

nothing

and twiddle

our

thumbs.

We get

on with

the

ordinary,

everyday,

humble

acts of

service.

We

faithfully

pray.

We

obediently

share the

gospel.

We open

up our

homes and

invite people

in.

We get

alongside

people who

are struggling.

We use

the gifts

that God

has given

us to

be conduits

of his

amazing

grace.

God's

not in

a hurry,

but that

doesn't mean

nothing is

happening.

Don't

limit

and don't

laugh

at what

God can

do through

humble,

weak

servants

like you

and I.

God is

fulfilling

his purpose

and his

plan.

And God

will do

it.

And he

uses people

like us

as we

step out

in service

for him.

Let's

pray.

Father, we

confess that

we are

such a

rushing,

busy

people,

going from

one thing

to another,

never

slowing

down.

Father,

help us

that we

would slow

down and

see the

ways in

which we

can serve,

the things

that we

can do

to show

your grace

to others.

Father,

thank you

for your

plan of

redemption.

Thank you

for your

son, the

Lord Jesus

Christ.

Thank you

that nothing

when it

comes to

salvation is

impossible for

you, that

you have

accomplished

it all, and

you are

continuing your

work through

people like

us.

Thank you

for that.

So help

us to go

encouraged and

blessed today.

In Jesus'

name.

Amen.

we're going

to sing

together.

I will

glory in

my

Redeemer

as we

think about

the one

who came

to serve

us and

give his

life

for us.

We'll

stand

together

as we

sing.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.