Oakbrook Evangelical Free Church

Introduction:

I. God Comes to Visit

The LORD appeared – Yahweh

Heat of the day (at times 120-125) – Abraham resting in the shade

Three visitors – One is the LORD, two are angels

No appointment, unexpected company.

Abraham had a prompt and ready response.

“Do not pass your servant by”

Let me bring you some water

Let me bring you a bowl of water so you can wash your feet

Let me get you something to eat

He had time for these visitors.

He didn’t say, “What do you want” “Come back later”

“Sorry, I’ve got to watch the Packer game”

“My afternoon schedule is full with homework, housework, yard

work…people to see, places to go, things to do.”

No, he had room in his life for God’s visit.

And if he didn’t have time he’d have made time for God’s visit.

How others responded

Matthew 20:30-35 “Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” “the crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” “Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed Him.”

John 12:20-21 “Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip…with a request. “Sir, we would like to see Jesus”

Luke 8:43-48 “As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, and no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?”…The women seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people she told why she had touched him and how she’d been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

I lift up my voice the the king of glory.

I hold up my hands to the one who is worthy

I long for your presence

Lord I need your touch.

Come on Lord fill up my life with the light of your presence.

This is my hearts desire. Come and let your Spirit abide.

I long for your presence. This is my hearts desire.

I long to be washed in the wave of your mercy.

I long to be warmed by the fire of your glory.

I long for your presence I long for your healing touch.

Come on Lord fill up my life with the light of your presence.

This is my hearts desire. Come and let your Spirit abide.

I want to feel your presence X4

Lord you’re my desire. Lord you’re my desire.

And what of you and I?

Does your heart long for God to stop by?

Does your heart cry out, “Do not pass me by!”?

Abraham fed 318 trained warriors in his entourage.

He had plenty of servants. But it clear that he personally got involved and enlisted Sarah’s personal attention.

Only the best: Meal: cottage cheese salad, with some figs cup up nicely in it; a tall glass of cool milk; hot veal cutlets; breaded and chicken-fried and tender, fresh hot bread right out of the oven, melted over with country butter; a nice dish of Sarah’s preserves

Graced with intimate fellowship, unhurried hospitality!

Revelation 3:20 A fellowship of the heart! And when he comes into us he doesn’t come merely to give us a good time, to bless us. He comes to fulfill his desire to seek and save that which is lost and then send them out to do the same.

II. God comes bringing news

A. Personal news for Abraham and Sarah

“Where’s your wife Sarah?” More than “Go fetch your wife.”

Only God knew that her named had been changed.

I’ve got news for the two of you.

Sarah is just beyond the dividing curtain in the tent.

Sixth birth announcement to Abraham and Sarah. Setting the date!

In 17:17 Abraham laughed out load: The laugh of unbelief. Hesitant hope. Romans 4:19-21

Here Sarah laughed to herself ! Her laugh seems to be different.

Why was she so quiet to write God off? Hurt, angry, bitter.

Her 90 year old body has since dried up sexually.

She looks in the mirror and sees white hair and wrinkles on her

face and she feels arthritis in her bones.

And inside she laughs with skepticism and cynical unbelief.

After all, she’s heard this before. She’s waited 24 years for God

to fulfill his promise. And she’s beyond disappointment, hurt, disillusionment. In her heart she’s embraced a spirit of unbelief.

Notice that the secret response of her heart is open and known to God. 18:13 There is One who reads hearts like we read a book. And he is the only One who knows our hearts. In fact, he knows our hearts better than we do.

Jeremiah 32:17,27 turn with me.

Sarah denies she laughed in her heart.

God asks her a question: “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”

Our body has 10 to 28 power (1 followed by 28 zeros)

90% turn over every year; 100% every five years.

Lose a trillion atoms every 1/millionth of a sec.

Where do they go? We leak

We turn over a trillion cells a day. Over a lifetime 40 lbs of dead cells sluff off. “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”

Our heart beats 2 and ½ billion times in our lifetime. It pushes blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels. We make 2-10 million RBC every second. “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”

100 perameters in the universe had to be precise for life to exist on earth. “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”

Gideon facing the Midianite army with 30,000 men.

God said he had too many men. 22,000 sent home.

You still have too many. Finally, all but 300 sent home. 100 to 1

And I ask you, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”

God left Sarah with a question and the conversation ends abruptly.

What is “the rest of the story?”

Sarah appears in the heros hall of faith in Hebrews 11:11

“By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.”

After the visitors leave, Sarah continues to think about what she has heard. As Sarah though about the words “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” she had to face the question. And in the end she looked passed the facts of her life

Beyond the contrary feelings of her heart

And said, “Of course, nothing is too hard for the Lord”

Faith looks beyond contrary circumstances to rest upon the character and promises of God.

As faith learns not to rest on its own resources or on other people but on the unfailing resources of God nothing is impossible.

B. Other news, 18:16 – 21

“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”

God talking to Himself. And he lists 3 reasons he should not hide from Abraham what he is about to do.

Call these the rights of friendship!

1. God’s plan for the future impact of Abraham’s life.

We may doubt that God has a plan for us.

We may not have confidence that we have an impact.

But God does.

2. Chosen! Favored position of blessing. Called out of darkness

The news of coming judgment!, 18:20-22

“I will go down and see” = the language of accommodation.

God does not need to go down and visit any city to see what is going on. He is using Abraham’s own language to express truth that reflects his nature.

Every sin of man is like a voice crying out from earth to heaven!

ILL: Story about when my children were in high school.

III. Abraham: The Warrior Intercessor, 18:22-33

Incredible account. News of impending judgment and Abraham’s response.

“Good, they’ve got it coming. I was wondering how long you would put up with this. Personally, I’d done it long ago.

Not a time to be self-righteous.

“Abraham remained standing fore the Lord” Did not let go!

Several interesting things:

1. Abraham recognizes the merciful nature of God.

Abraham bases his appeal on his knowledge of what God is like as a person. Pleads for mercy for the cities based on God’s mercy.

2. Abraham is aware of his own status before God. 18:27

“I am but dust and ashes” Who am I to speak to you?

I haven’t any right to ask this of you.

3. He pleads for the protection of the righteous.

4. One of the best illus in Bible of Christ’s instructions to be persistent!

Principles of Prayer:

1. Prayer makes possible the joy of partnership.

Joy of little boy helping dad!

2. Prayer pushes back on to the character of God.

Philippians 4:6-7 “the peace that surpasses human understanding”

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares about you.”

3. Prayer focuses the power of God on individual places and people.

DAWS! In the hills. With a map.

4. Prayer affects the timing of God

Acts 1:7 “It is not for you to know times or seasons with the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

True, but…

Jonah – you have 40 days to repent!

That repentance lasted 100 years.

Isaiah 38:1 Hezekiah is gravely ill.

Get your house in order.

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall. “Oh God, spare my life”

“God has heard your prayer and added fifteen years to your life.”

Stories:

Prayer doesn’t change God’s purposes but it can affect God’s timing.