When God Comes Calling

(Focal) Genesis 18:1-14 "And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (verse 2) And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, (verse 3) And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: (verse 4) Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: (verse 5) And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. (verse 6) And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead [it], and make cakes upon the hearth. (verse 7) And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave [it] unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. (verse 8) And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. (verse 9) And they said unto him, Where [is] Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. (verse 10) And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard [it] in the tent door, which [was] behind him. (verse 11) Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] well stricken in age; [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. (verse 12) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? (verse 13) And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? (verse 14) Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."

What would you do if the God of Heaven came to your house this day? If you knew that He was coming, would you do things differently? Would you clean the house better, be better dressed, guard your tongue with greater care - perhaps knock the dust off of your Bible?

What would you do if you knew that Jesus was coming this very day? Would you go through your video collection, your books, your music collection, and perhaps throw out certain things that would seem unbecoming?

Yet, how can we prepare for such a coming, such an event? For Jesus our Lord, the Holy Godhead, never comes in a time expected. Jesus will never come on Sunday morning when we are dressed up in our finest, when our tongues are guarded, when our hypocrisy is at its sharpest. No, our Jesus will always come at an unexpected time, as a "thief in the night",

Matthew 24:42-44 "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. (verse 43)  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. (verse 44)  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

at the time least expected. Thus Jesus came to Abraham, and Abraham was ready for His appearance. Abraham and his household had stopped in their travels that day in the "plains of Mamre", a place owned and named after an Amorite Chief who had befriended the Father of Faith. The sun rose higher, ever higher over this area, and as the day heated up as the dry areas of the Holy Land are wont to do, Abraham and his household retreated to their tents. Better to travel when the day is cooler, rather than task all within the convoy unnecessarily.

Genesis 18:1-2 "And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (verse 2) And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground"

As Abraham sat in his tent, he looked out over the land - flat land - before him, and saw Three who appeared as One coming toward him and the camp. Abraham did not stop to consider the "theological ramifications" of this, nor did he stop to consider how such a thing could be. Though they were Three, Abraham RAN to them, BOWED in worship to them, and addressed them as "My Lord". Abraham knew that the God of Heaven, Jesus Christ our Lord, had come from yonder glory to visit with him. How did he know? Were there certain indications, a certain shekinah glory, an aura about these Three who moved and spoke as One? What matter? Suffice it to say that the children of faith always know the Presense of their Lord. The world laughs at us, asks us for proofs, says, "Show us a miracle, and we will believe", or, when seeing Christ, begins to compare Him with what they believe to be the reality of Christ is. The children of this world ...

Matthew 11:16-19  "But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, (verse 17)  And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. (verse 18)  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. (verse 19)  The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children."

would not see Christ, for they would look for One who would not offend them, One who would justify their every action. The children of this world look for God in the fast, in the bright spots, in the things that are well trodden of men. Yet God will never be there. Just as Jesus warned us that His pathway is narrow and straight:

Matthew 7:13-15 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (verse 14)  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (verse 15)  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

The places where Christ walks are straight and narrow, places not normally sought by men as "beautiful". The children of Faith look for Christ in the different places, in the less trod places - and these places are the same ones where our Lord walks. The children of faith know Him when they see Him. It is then no wonder that Abraham looked out over the dusty plains, in the heat of the day, and seeing Three moving as One instinctively knew "This is Him, My Lord!" This was the pre-incarnate Christ, walking amongst His subjects as kings of old used to walk amongst their people. This was the Creator, walking in the heat of the day with Abraham just as He used to walk with Adam in the cool of the evening:

Proverbs 8:30-31 "Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; (verse 31)  Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men."

walking amongst His creation, willing to fellowship with Abraham. Royal Power stepped from the Throne and came to fellowship with the undeserving. Abraham was able to see this Divine Visitor, to interact with Him in His pre-incarnate glory, because for that time - and who knows if this was the norm with Abraham, or with anyone who assumes the title "human" - Abraham ceased his labors, ceased his seeking of self gratification, ceased that selfishness that is so common to us who are of mortal flesh, and LOOKED for God. He spent time SEEKING Christ, LOOKING for the answer of the Promise, FOCUSING on He who is pure above all else. And thus, when He was least expected, Christ came. The Lord rejoices to walk with His children, especially when His children rejoice to walk with Him.

Genesis 18:3-5 "... My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: (verse 4) Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: (verse 5) And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said."

What causes God to walk among man, to leave the splendor of Heaven to visit us? Is it our ability to create great structures for Him which we call, in arrogance, "God's House" or "Sanctuary" or "Temple" or "Church"? No, no this cannot be it. Why would God deem to come down and worship in a feeble house that we have built? Can we honestly look at the Heavens, at the wonders of the universe, at the fantastic design of the heavens and the earth, and consider that our efforts would entice God our Savior to come and dwell with us? Our works are as pitiful as the efforts of the child are in comparison to the contractor built skyscraper. When Solomon looked at his Temple, that beautiful structure that he created for Jesus, and compared it's beauty - with all the gold, and rare woods, and fine craftsmanship - with what Jesus had created all around us - then he was driven to say,

1 Kings 8:27  "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?"

"... this house that I have made, is it not inadequate? How can it ever hope to hold all that is You, O Lord?" Solomon's Temple in all it's glory was insufficient to house the glory of Christ. How could Abraham, or anyone, hope to tend to God in such a meager setting as Abraham's tent offered? Yes, Abraham's tent was certainly much less than Solomon's Temple, and though Solomon's Temple was certainly much less than Jesus deserved, Abraham invited God to come and fellowship with him ... and without qualm or excuse, our Creator ACCEPTED this invitation! Though this should not surprise us, it does. We make MUCH of structures, buildings, and rituals. We think that Christ will certainly only present Himself clearly to the seminary trained, so we send our preachers to the finest liberal arts seminarys in the world - and yet, for all their training, insurmountable problems still exist in the Bride of Christ. Divisiveness is rampant, and lovelessness, and racial bigotry and intolerance. Ministers train for years amongst intellectual exercises with the Scripture, yet, like the Pharisees of old, fail to entertain God within their churches.

We would be wise to recognize that neither Peter, whom Christ called Apostle, nor Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, nor Nicodemus the Pharisee, nor even Abraham himself were seminary trained, nor of great wealth or breeding. These were all simple men, men of the earth who were seeking God, and who actively followed Christ when He called. Christ fellowshipped with each of these people, with each person He came in contact with, when they laid aside their hypocrisy, their self deceit, and WITH THEIR OWN HANDS ministered to Christ Himself. This alone is what brought God into fellowship with man. When Jesus told Peter, "Follow Me, and I will make you a fisher of men" (Matthew 4:19), Peter FOLLOWED Christ. When Zacchaeus the tax collector saw Jesus far off,  he put aside his dignity and crawled up in a tree. False human dignity has no place with God, not if you expect to impress Him. No, He wants YOUR willingness to put aside yourself, and to serve Him. Zacchaeus was able to entertain the Creator of Heaven and earth that day, for he put aside his dignity in order to worship the Savior. Nicodemus the Pharisee - embarrassed to be with Jesus - came to see Him at night, and even in such a limited capacity the Savior received him - and changed his life.

What did all these simple men have in common with Abraham? What did they have that would make the Creator of Eternity come in and fellowship with them? They had the understanding that, poor as they were, or uneducated as they were, or unlovely as they were - that they ONE THING they could offer to Christ - THEMSELVES. Christ called Peter from his nets - and Peter went! Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming, and, SACRIFICING HIS DIGNITY, he climbed up in a tree. Nicodemus, though he came to Jesus by night, publicly came forward and prepared Jesus' body for burial after the crucifiction. And Abraham ran to fetch Jesus the accomodations of hospitality that he had - a little water for His feet, a morsel of food and drink, a moment of comfort. The Lord in all His infinity had no need of such meager things, for with a word He could have created banquets and wines and feasts and parties. Yet He stopped in on Abraham because Abraham took the time to serve Him!

Have you taken the time to serve Christ this year, this month, this week, this day? Have you stopped in the midst of your busy day:

Matthew 25:43-46 "I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. (verse 44)  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or  or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? (verse 45)  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (verse 46)  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

and served Christ? Have you stopped being "busy" at Church, at work, or at home, and just concentrated on serving the Master. Though Martha ran around preparing supper for Jesus and the disciples, Mary "Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42). For only by serving Christ from the heart - washing His feet by serving another in need; making Him a bit of food by tending to someone who is hungry; drawing Him a little water from the well by providing loving kindness to a love starved person - this alone is what will draw Christ into your home. Yes, we should study His Word, yes, we must pray to Him. These things are important, and vital, for the believer's way of life. But we must also put our faith in action by doing as He did, being "imitators of Christ".

Are you studying and reading His Word? If so, then Christ asks you, "What's your motive? Why do you do this?" Do you study His Word so that you can be knowledgable when the preacher comes around? Do you attend seminary and Bible class in order to receive "all the right papers"? If so, your effort is in vain. For too long Christianity has suffered theologians and ministers who know great and drafty verbage, but never put their faith into action. For too long Christianity has tolerated inconsistency and hypocrisy from the super-Christian, that strange breed that knows all the right words but never apples them to his life. Are you praying to Father constantly, as Scripture bids us do? If so, then are your prayers the "thee" and "thou" of formalism, or are they the words of a desperate and needy child to a Great and Wonderfully Protective Parent?

Ritual will not entice the Lord into your household, nor will the beauty of your living facilities. Though Europe boasts great cathedrals with beautiful stained glass windows, golden ornaments, carvings that bring to remembrance of the wonders of God's Temple - these cathedrals are not where Jesus can be found. No, they are dry places, deserts, places without the Well that never runs dry. Jesus never enters a place because of its environment, because of its riches, because of its location. No, the Lord went to Abraham in his meager tent at Mamre because Abraham's heart was open to receive the Divine Visitor. The heart must be open to receive God. Your time must be made available for Jesus.

Look how Abraham tended to his Divine Visitor:

Genesis 18:6-8 "And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead [it], and make cakes upon the hearth. (verse 7) And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave [it] unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. (verse 8) And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat."

Look at what Abraham did. First and foremost, Abraham DROPPED all of his plans for that day. He focused on the Divine Visitor, not on the "other things I must do today". Second, we are told that "Abraham hastened [mahar  {pronounced maw-har'}, to be liquid, to run like water] into the tent". When the Divine Visitor came, when Jesus Christ presented Himself, he did not daudle, nor take his time. Abraham RAN to wait on Him! In verse 7 this is further highlighted when we are told "Abraham RAN [ruwts  {pronounced roots}]", or literally RUSHED into the herd. All of our blessed patriarch's demeanor was focused on tending to God as soon as possible, and as efficiently as possible. This is a far cry from what many Christians do. In a Church that I pastored long ago, I remember several in the congregation who looked at their watches when I was preaching and it was close on to "quitting time". Oh, they were obvious about it! One Sunday a lady stood up and walked out of the Church. Later she told me that she "had to get home and get her lunch meal started".

Thank Him that He didn't walk away from us in the Garden Gethsemane, and leave us to pay for our own sins!

In our day and age we are all in a rush to do something when, if we stopped and pondered the truth of it, most of the things we rush toward, into, or away from don't amount to a hill of beans. Abraham rushed, but not AWAY from Jesus, but TOWARD SERVING Him. That's a difference that will make your eternity - are you rushing INTO LIFE and AWAY FROM JESUS, or vice versa? Are you following Israel's pattern of empty ritual without relationship, or are you considering each thing you do for God our Savior - and doing it out of love for Him?

How you respond to Jesus in this life will be the barometer of whether you will spend eternity with Him in the next life. Though I certainly believe in the Eternal Security of the saint, I DO NOT believe that a superficial skin deep salvation experience (that is, one that never translates outward into how you live your life for Jesus) will ever bring you to eternal life. Jesus did NOT allow us the luxury of gnosticism, that is, just cry "Jesus" then do whatever your heart wants. No, Jesus said:

John 14:21-23 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (verse 22)  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? (verse 23)  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

When Jesus comes, do you take the time to love Him? Do you rush to serve Him, or are you too busy? Do you keep His commandments, try to follow that which He has asked you to do, regardless of your own petty desires?

If you hasten to welcome Him into your life, He will come and stay, ever evident, regardless as to your environment. Paul and Silas imprisoned testify of this truth. Peter, crucified upside down for Jesus, testifies of this truth. John, exiled to Patmos, testifies of this truth. Each believer who has ever lived that has made room in their lives to serve Christ can testify to this truth.

Genesis 18:10-14 "And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard [it] in the tent door, which [was] behind him. (verse 11) Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] well stricken in age; [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. (verse 12) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? (verse 13) And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? (verse 14) Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."

Abraham hastened to serve the Lord - he dropped everything and focused on His will and needs - and was greatly rewarded because of it. Up to this point Abraham, good believer that he was, had allowed unbelief to creep into his life. The Lord had already promised him a child to carry on his family name, and had even promised that Abraham would have a GREAT family - but Abraham allowed Sarah to talk him into mating with Hagar, and having the child Ishmael. How sad, yet even the greatest of believers often stumble! We are but dust, and we do make errors in judgment - either deliberately or by accident - that cause us to step outside of God's will.

Yet, even having made these errors, these sins, God still came to fellowship with Abraham. Abraham hastened to receive Jesus - and was AMPLY rewarded for his efforts.

We can never tend to our Lord and not be blessed many times over for our efforts. Peter allowed Jesus to use his Peter's net (Luke 5:5-6), and the Lord filled it with fish till it broke. Jesus asks for six waterpots of stone (John 2:6-7), and changes the water into the finest of wines for a wedding feast.  Jesus is given five barley loaves of bread and two little fishes (John 6:8-9), and the disciples fill twelve baskets with the leftovers.

You cannot serve Jesus and not be blessed. You cannot take time out of your busy day, and not be rewarded a hundredfold. As Jesus said:

Mark 10:29-30 "And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, (verse 30)  But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."

This is a promise given directly from our Redeemer to us, from His own holy and perfect lips to YOU! No one else could make that promise, for no one else was and is God in the flesh. When you serve Jesus and Jesus ALONE, you will be blessed. When you wait on Him with your own hands - not delegate that service out, but do it yourself - you will be blessed beyond measure. There is nothing too hard for our God to do - and He has made the Name of Jesus a "name above every name".

Put aside your busyness, dear Pastor. Put aside your hectic work schedule, dear Deacon. Stop for just a moment, dearest Believer - and serve Him in the way that He wants, nay, MUST be served. Not ritually, not slovenly, but directly, and from your heart.

Abraham was blessed when He served God. You will be, too!

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