Sermon Nuggets Mon June 25
Verses: Gen 18: 1-15
Heavenly Visitors
I know full
well that church is a place of quietness, respect, soberness and seriousness
when we talk of eternal matters and the word of God. However, I also am aware
that God loves humor, just look at some of the people around you he made.
I have
pastor friends who say that you should never be funny in a pulpit. We are not
here to entertain. We are taking attention of the most Holy of Gods before whom
we need to fall on our faces in repentance and awe and wonder. So I too believe
when we have a meeting with God it is a sense of fearfulness.
Now, I also
know there are times when you know something is serious, but something strikes
you funny. You can’t hardly stop laughing in church. The fact that you are
trying not to laugh makes it all the more funny. You know that if you look at
someone who knows what is going on you will lose it.
Now how bad
it is when a preacher finds something funny and can’t keep from laughing in
church? That happened to me last summer when I was at the Billy Graham School
of Evangelism. I had been sitting for days in these seminars. I was tired.
There was one more speaker before lunch. I was ready for a break. But they
decided to use this time to introduce the afternoon seminar leaders. This was
serious matter folks on saving souls. Being it was closer to the lunch break I
should add I was interested in visiting the facility at dismissal.
Then they
introduced a lady who was leading one of the seminars. Her name was Nita
Outhouse. I laughed and no one else did. They didn’t see the humor in it. So I
looked to see if the name was right. All these preachers were all sitting there
sober taking notes, desirous of advancing the Kingdom of God and I’ll admit I
need a outhouse, or something like it. Which made it all the more funny and
nobody was laughing but me.
The more I
thought about her name the funnier it was. I tried to stifle my laugh, pretend
I was coughing, and keep my composure. All I could think of was Nita outhouse.
I tried biting my cheeks, ever done that? I was thinking to myself, “why did
she marry a man with that name. It surely was love. Why didn’t she at least use
her full name instead of a nick name.” When I looked at her first full name. It
wasn’t any better. Anita Oouthouse. And I needed a outhouse to be sure. I lost
it. I had to excuse myself and leave the auditorium. I went to the necessary
room and burst out laughing. Now there were others in the room as well. I didn’t
know them. It was too late. I laughed out. I turned to one of the gentlemen and
told him what I was laughing at. He smiled awkwardly and took his notebook and
walked out. Now maybe that was inappropriate laughter.
I think I
could relate to Sarai in this story. It is funny, but it is also serious. It is
a mixture of divine and human, of ordinary and miraculous, of weariness and
exuberance all at the same time. But is also has implications.
When I preached this sermon in 2000 it was in preparation
for a Communion Service. Even though it is a daily devotional you might want to
think about communion this week as well.
The communion with the Lord reminds
us of important Implications
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues June 26
Verses Gen 3:18:1-8
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. 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.
3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do
not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all
wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 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.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he
said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”
7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf
and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some
curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.
While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.
God Initiates Fellowship
This story begins with a meeting with
God. It says in verse 1 the Lord appeared to Abraham. It is interesting that
the Lord came in three persons. Vs. 2. Now you might think it was the Father
Son and Holy Spirit, but when you read later in chp 18:v 33 and 19:1 you see
something very unusual. When the Lord had finished speaking he left, then it
say the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening. And uses vs. 1 small case
“my lords” in the plural form.
Throughout
this story we are looking at today and the next story which we will look at
later the phrase keeps popping up, The Lord said, the Lord said, the Lord said
even those there were the men sitting there. The Lord was in the midst of the
two and three of them, but when we read on we see there were at least two
angels.
I think the
three most common answers are these. First the Lord was with the men as they
speak the men are messengers of God which is a literal translation of angels,
but you have the problem of one disappearing or leaving from the time they
leave Abraham and go to visit Lot.
Secondly you have the interpretation that they
were all angels, spiritual beings and the Lord was speaking through them, as
might be translated when the Lord talked to Zachariah in the temple before John
the Baptist was born, to Mary by the form of Gabriel and Joseph in a dream when
they knew it was the Lord’s talking through the angelic beings.
Or the third interpretation that
there were two angels and the third being was actually a revelation of the pre
incarnate Christ. Jesus was coming to in a human form in the Old Testament
before he came in the form of a baby in the New Testament. There are other
indications of Jesus pre-incarnate appearances like in the fire with Shaddrach
Meshach and Obendego.
But God in
his special and unique relationship with Abraham and his wife has communion
with them. God is the one who initiates fellowship. He does that in many ways.
He did that sending Christ to earth to save us and have fellowship with the
Father. He calls us to intimacy and even in celebrating communion there is the
desire for fellowship with Him first, and one another secondly.
In the
Bible days fellowship and togetherness
was symbolically portrayed though meal times. To have a meal with the people
was more than having a guest over. It was protection and camaraderie. That is
why the Pharisee got upset when Mary Magdalene showed up uninvited at his
party. He did not want that implication that he was in fellowship with a woman
of evil reputation. That is why Jesus was criticized when he went to eat with
the publicans and sinners. That implied fellowship and agreement with them.
They were to disassociate themselves from each other. They didn’t want eating
times to be the times of fellowship and sharing.
But the design of fellowship in the
church is that people of all backgrounds and differences have one thing in
common. We have fellowship with God through the works of Christ and our faith
in Him. We are forgiven of our past and have promise for the future.
Today are
you out of fellowship with the Lord? He comes to you and to me to offer a seat
in his Kingdom, or come back if we have strayed away from his fellowship.
Abraham saw
these visitors and hurried to bow down to the ground recognizing their
specialness. He said, “Let me wash your feel and provide rest and offer you
something eat and drink.” And they took bread and baked it and the choice of
the calf and killed it and curds and milk for drink and they fellowshipped in
supper and communion which is more than eating and drinking.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds June 22
Gen 18:9-10 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
“There,
in the tent, ” he said.
10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about
this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”
The next thing we look at is the
promise. They were hoping and anticipating the birth of their son for decades
now but nothing was happening. They had given up on the idea. Faith is a tough
thing when you hope and wait and wait and nothing happens.
The promise
is more than wish fulfillment in the life of Abraham. It is confidence in a
promise that is specifically given by the Lord Himself. There is something
different when there is a direct revelation from God in the Old Testament and
direct promises of God in the New Testament and in the Bible for God keeps his
word. That is something the Bible confirms - He keeps his word, but not always
on our time table.
But there
are things I firmly believe because they are in the Bible. However there have been desires and dreams I
believed strongly that they were of God that have not come about. There have
been people who have come to me “in the name of the Lord” telling me a prophecy
that has not come about. Some of those things had a time element to them, just
like Abraham’s promise. It would be within a year when they would be parents.
They had 12 months preparation time, not 9 months.
When desires,
prayers and dreams do not come about some conclude there must not be a God, or
he doesn’t love me, or he doesn’t keep his promises. Are those the only
alternative?. Or could there be other options like maybe I don’t understand
promises, or revelation, or reading of the Scriptures properly, or I haven’t
waited long enough, or not mature in my faith walk to understand what greater
lessons God has for me?
There are
some things I have learned about the nature of God during the years since my
salvation. Most commonly I have interpreted the promises I like and want them
to be for me. The ones I don’t like I ignore. Most commonly I look at the Bible
and read it from an ego centric viewpoint as if the whole Bible were written
for me and my situation.
The problem
with many Christians is they are still on the throne with Jesus in their lives.
They think everything God does is for our blessing and happiness and must take
awhile to realize our blessing and happiness comes when Jesus is on the throne
and we serve Him, not the other way around. We want to ask what has God done
for me lately and not ask what have we done for God.
Salvation does not come by anything
we have done, but only what God done for us. But discipleship is the walk of
faith that turns over the control and authority to Him. Let it be, Lord,
according to your will.
The promise
to Abe and Sarah was unique because Isaac was part of a major plan of God.
Isaac was a miracle child unlike any other child in the Bible. Elizabeth and
Zarachah gave birth to a miracle child in their childlessness in old age, but
he too held unique and special function in God’s greater plan for the
redemption of the world. Isaac became an example of the Messiah who was to come
as the child of the promise, unlike Ishmael the child of the flesh. He held an
important part in God’s object lessons to the nations of the world and to us
today.
When Jesus
says he will come into our lives, to all who repent of their sins and come to
him by faith, we have fellowship. To all who have fellowship and are saved
there are promises that Satan cannot take away from us. God holds us in His
hand. We have the confidence of heaven, of living forever, of being freed from
the power of Satan and sin, of resurrection, of seeing Jesus, of never fearing
hell, of living forever in the presence of the Lord.
Those are promise we can count on, Praise the Lord,
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs June 28
Verses Gen 18:12 Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to
the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and
Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she
thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this
pleasure?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and
say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard
for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah
will have a son.”
15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”
But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
God Initiates the Impossible
Sarah as listening to this promise of
a son and knew that she as 90 Abraham was to be 100 and they were long past
baby bearing age. When Sarah heard the message now at 90 years of age she knew
it was impossible. She responded in laughter. Not so much the humor of the
situation but the idea of how ridiculous
it was from a human perspective. She laughed. The idea of having a baby I am
sure brought a mixture of emotions. Laughter over the fact that we heard that
over and over again and here it comes again. I can cry or I can laugh about it.
Laughter in the disappointment over the years as a scoffing of the words that
can easily imply disbelieve and mockery over the statement.
When Jesus
was crucified and standing before the people they laughed. Not because it was
funny, but out of unbelief, ridicule and mockery.
When Judi
and I were not able to get pregnant and getting older many people reminded us
of the story of Abraham and Sarai in whom God brought about the promise in
their old age. I did what Sarai did. I laughed. I laughed not so much out of
the humor, but out of mixed emotions. I thought of the well meaning people and
how kind they were trying to be, but missing the whole point that it was false
hope and I laughed sort of out of ridicule over their insensitivity to the
personal and unspoken hurts of infertility. There was a knowing glance with
others who were unable to have children that made is one with them. Women who
cannot have children know the longing of wanting to give birth but unable, and
know that others don’t understand that empty yearning.
They have
had many blessings and so do we. One can find meaning and purpose without
husbands, without wives, without family. Especially in the fellowship of
Christian family there can be a unity and fulfillment. We were blessed later
and know the joy, but also faith is to know the disappointment of others who
are not able to have children come into their home.
Sarah
perhaps tried to stifle her laughter when it wasn’t impropriate. It was the
snicker to herself. It says that. She wasn’t heard but the thought was clear. The
Lord knew that Sarah is not laughing because she is delighted, but is laughing
because she believed it was impossible. And God's response to Sarah is this:
"Sarah, your God is too small." He asks her a rhetorical question:
"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" The expected answer is
"No". The God who created the universe with a word is not limited by
the world He created. What seemed impossible to Sarah was not impossible to God
at all.
But then
comes the question we should all think about. “Is anything too hard for the
Lord?” You have placed the wrong person on the throne Sarai. I want to show
what I can do and I have decided to use you to demonstration for all eternity
this special ability of mine. Nothing is impossible for God:. Virgin Birth like
Jesus. Opening a closed womb like with Hannah, Taking a prostitute like Rahab
and given her status, taking a sinner like Saul and bringing into his life the
greatest of missionaries. Of taking you and me and at his will and at his power
bringing about whatever he wants. Whatever he wants, whatever he wants. That is
the picture God wants us to get. He is able to meet your needs. The problem may
seem beyond you but friend, do you think it is too hard for the Lord?
When you are tempted to despair,
repeat those words. When you feel like you can't handle life anymore . . .
repeat those words. When you face an impossible situation, remember the truth
of those words. The next time you feel like laughing at God's promise . . .
remember who it is who is making the promise. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
Abraham and Sarah were reminded
that the God who spoke to them is the Omnipotent God. He is the one who is
all-powerful. He takes those who are dead and makes them live. He takes the
sick and heals them. He takes broken relationships and lives and puts them back
together. Whatever circumstance you face remember it is not too hard for the
Lord.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri June 29
Verses: Gen 18:16- 30
16 When the men got up to leave, they
looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on
their way. 17 Then the Lord said, “Shall
I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham
will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth
will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen
him , so that he will direct his children and his household after him
to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so
that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
20 Then the Lord said, “The
outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so
grievous21 that I will go down and see if what they
have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”
22 The men turned away and went
toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.23 Then
Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the
wicked?24 What if there are fifty righteous people in
the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the
sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be
it from you to do such a thing —to kill the righteous with the wicked,
treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will
not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
God Initiates Intercession
Before the heavenly visitors left the Lord told Abraham the
angels were leaving to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah due to their
unusual and blatant sin. There is an interesting response by Abraham. He prays
or intercedes for people of the cities. We know that he has relatives and friends
there. Lot, his nephew, and Lot’s family and his servants and material goods
are there. Perhaps Abraham might have a special compassion for the cities since
he saved many of the people from bondage when they were captured if you
remember by the kings of the North some years before. ‘
But Abraham spent time with the Lord pleading for safety for
these cities. But the Lord lays out the charge against Sodom. Was it the armies
of Heaven calling for God to execute justice against such vile people? Was it
those who had been victimized by the barbarity of the people? Perhaps it was
those who had been raped, abused killed as a result of the self indulgent
lifestyle of these citizen. We just don’t know. What we do know is that God was
listening.
Abraham wanted good to prevail. Abraham perhaps knew that
Sodom and Gomorrah deserved the judgment they were about to receive. But at the
same time Abraham knew those towns were filled with real people. Abraham felt
that horror of what was going to happen. In order to be intercessors we must
see people lost in need of salvation. Our hearts must be burdened for people,
Like Abrahams. We must see that every lost person faces hell. We must remember
that every sinner is in the same state we were in before we knew grace. We just
see that every hurting person is somebody’s family member, somebody’s friend.
We must see beyond ourselves.
Abraham asks an honest question. “Will you sweep away the
righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city?
Will you really sweep it away and not spar the place for the sake of fifty righteous
people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing to kill the righteous with the
wicked treating the righteous and wicked alike. Far be it from you? Will not
the judge of all earth do right? (22-25)
Before finishing the question Abraham answers it. He know
that God will do what is right. However, I appreciate the honesty of the question
If we are not honest in our praying. Our prayers are superficial and meaningless.
If we don’t ask our honest question we will never grow in our faith. ‘
If you don’t understand why certain events occur, tell Him.
If you feel something is out of control, say so. If you think something is
happening that seems unfair, ask “why me?”. Be honest.
But i the questions be ready to listen for an answer. Repeat
the promises of Scripture to yourself. Stand on His word we don’t’ ask out of arrogance,
we ask out of honesty. At times we don’t understand why thing happen the way
they do. We can be honest about our attitude.
There are times I have to honestly say, “Lord, I don’t know
how to pray.” Other times I will confess. “Lord it is hard for me to see beyond
the seemingly injustice of this situation. Help me.” God welcomes our honesty.
But not only do we see an intercessor burdened and honest,
his prayers are specific. Abraham does not speak in generalities. He wants to
know “If there are 50 people..will you spare the city? God tells He will. But
Abraham does not stop there. He continues to push the issue. Mabye even 45? 40?
30? 20? 10? Each time God says if there are that may righteous people the city
will be spared. Abraham is not asking arrogantly (demanding God do things ) but
he is asking specifically. There is a difference. It has always bothered me to make
demands of the Lord. I trust his wisdom over my shortsightedness. I trust his
love over my feelings. But I also am grateful I can have a prayer time that is
real, open, honest.
If you are asking for physical healing, say so. If you want
someone to be brought to faith, make your specific request by name. If you need
a certain amount of money, name it. We will not see dramatic answers to prayer
unless we can recognize the answers when they come.
Sure God can say no. Certainly there will be times when God
will answer differently than we anticipate; but many times God will answer our
request as we have prayed. But we will never see this until we are specific.
But also notice God would spare the city if there were 10 people
who were righteous. I wonder why God has put up with America? I think it is because
of the believers in the land. As long as the faithful remain faithful to
Christ, I believe we are providing a measure of protection for our land. But if
Christians begin losing their righteousness our land is in trouble.
God does not always answer as we might expect. Abraham
expected that the righteous could be saved if the city was saved. God chose instead
to remove his nephew from the city. God answered Abraham regarding his
immediate family even though it was in an unexpected way. We will talk more
about that next week
The prayers are intercessions of burdens, concerns, and specific
to God. That is a good example of the communication that God desires and a privilege
we have with the creator of the world.
Pastor Dale
