The Reward of a Ready Heart

Wes Terry

Faith in the Waiting • Sermon • Submitted 3 months ago • Presented 3 months ago

Abraham Believes God’s Promise

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INTRODUCTION:

We’ve been working our way through the life of Abraham, the founding father of the Judeo Christian tradition.

We’ve entitled the series “Faith in the Waiting” because before God accomplishes anything great, there’s usually a season of preparation and waiting to bring it about.

So we’ve learned from this series that just because God is silent doesn’t mean he isn’t working. And when God places us in a season of waiting we can’t waste the wait.

Genesis 18-19 really serve as single story but we’re going to break them into two parts.

The main characters in this story are

Abraham & His Family

Lot & his Family

Jesus & Two Angels

The story really gives us a contrast between two families and how they respond to the Lord when he pays them a visit.

I’d like to break these two chapters into three different sections.

The Ready Heart (Abraham)

The Not Ready Heart (Sodom & Gomorrah)

The Not Sure Heart (Lot & His Family)

We’re going to look at the ready heart this morning in Genesis 18 and the next two next week in Genesis 19.

Read The Text

Let’s pick it up in Gen 18:1-5

Genesis 18:1–5 CSB

1 The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. 2 He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground, 3 and said, “My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not go on past your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 I will bring a bit of bread so that you may strengthen yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. Later, you can continue on.” “Yes,” they replied, “do as you have said.”

THE READY HEART:

Moses frames this encounter with the Lord as a demonstration of hospitality between Abraham and three guests.

In verse 1, Moses lets us in on the secret that this visitation is a divine visitation from the Lord. Verse 3 suggest Abraham doesn’t yet know that to be the case.

We do know this is the 6th time Abraham has had an encounter with God.

Initial Call (Gen 12:1-2, 15:7)

Beside the Oak of Moreh (Gen 12:6-7)

Between Bethel and Ai (Gen 13:3, 14-16)

After rescuing Lot (Gen 14:14-16; 15:9-21)

When Abraham was 99 years old. (Gen 17:1-14)

What makes this visitation so great and unique is that the Lord actually takes on Flesh and appears as a man to visit Abraham face to face. Theologians call this a “theophany.”

Abraham sees these traveling visitors and graciously invites them into his home.

Entertaining Angels

Did Abraham know that there was something unique and special about these guests? I’m not sure. My guess is he knew something was different.

But he was also just practicing genuine hospitality as was the custom in the ANE.

Coming off the heels of Genesis 17 I’m sure Abraham was expecting another visit from the Lord.

Even if he wasn’t, when the opportunity presented itself he took advantage of it and rolled out the red carpet.

I think this is why the author of Hebrews challenges Christian people to “Not neglect showing hospitality. Because some have welcomed angels as guests without even knowing it.” (Heb 13:2)

Regardless of HOW God decides to manifest his presence, we need hearts that are ready and responsive to commune with the Lord.

What did this look like for Abraham? I notice at least four things from this passage.

Intentional: He’s proactive in taking the initiative. (He runs from entrance to meet them)

Humble: He bows down (humility) when in the presence of the Lord.

Inviting/Eager: He pleads with the Lord to come into his tent and stay.

Helpful: He ministers to/serves the Lord in light of what’s going on.

These four things are wonderful reminders of how Christians ought to practice hospitality towards anybody!

When we have guests come into our church services I hope every single person models these four things. Especially if you’re serving on our hospitality team.

Fostering Encounters

But these are also the dispositions that help us foster encounters with the living God!

You need to be intentional and proactive in seeking after the Lord.

Henry Blackaby wrote in his book “Experiencing God” that “God is always working.”

The Lord is constantly giving us open invitations to join him in his work and commune with him in personal relationship. But we’re so distracted and busy that we never have eyes to see or hears to hear God’s gracious invitation.

We must also humble of heart.

Humility is like engine oil to the gears of any relationship, especially our relationship with the Lord.

If you come into the Lord’s presence with a proud or haughty spirit he will resist you, not commune with you.

To be filled with the Spirit you must first empty yourself. The fullness of God only dwells in a vessel that has room to receive that gift.

We need an spirit of eagerness to invite the Lord to come.

The Lord would not have come to visit Abraham if Abraham didn’t first ASK the Lord to do so.

When is the last time you asked the Lord to come into your home and visit with you?

Sometimes we treat our relationship with God like other human relationships. We’re always waiting on them to make the first move.

But that coldness keeps us from seeing the many opportunities we DO have and keeps us from ASKING when the Lord is eager to answer that prayer.

Finally we need to be helpful in that we serve and minister to the Lord.

One of my favorite passages is Romans 12:1 which says to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God which is our true worship.” That word translated worship is really the word “service.”

In the OT the priests would “serve the Lord” by preparing the sacrifices, maintaining the temple, teaching and judging, blessing the people and interceding for them in prayer.

We don’t “serve” or “help” the Lord as though he needed anything. But we serve and help the Lord out of a desire to join him in what he’s set out to do.

These three guests were passing by Abraham’s house on their way to Sodom & Gomorrah to judge it for their immorality.

Abraham’s gesture of hospitality is meeting their physical needs so that the more important work of advancing God’s will can continue.

In a similar way, creating an environment for communion with God requires our willingness and diligence to serve and minister to the Lord so that his redemptive work can continue.

Intimacy with the Infinite

Can there be any greater joy than communion and intimacy with the infinite God of creation?

What else is better in this world?

Even today as we take the Lord’s Supper we are reminded that our God desires to commune with us, to come in and eat with us and us with him.

But to draw near to God requires us to come on his terms. To be proactive and humble, eager and with a mindset of serving him instead of serving ourselves.

Oh that we might consider ourselves friends of God and not just subjects.

That’s a heart that is ready to receive the Lord.

The Very Best

That’s exactly what Abraham does upon the Lord’s arrival. In verses 6-8 we see Abraham’s ready heart give the Lord his very best.

Genesis 18:6–8 CSB

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Knead three measures of fine flour and make bread.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd and got a tender, choice calf. He gave it to a young man, who hurried to prepare it. 8 Then Abraham took curds and milk, as well as the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. He served them as they ate under the tree.

When it says that Abraham had Sarah make “three measures of fine flour” he’s not talking about three cups. It’s a Hebrew word that translated today would’ve been 7-10 quarts. So we’re looking at 21-30 quarts of kneaded flour.

That’s enough flour to fill an entire Panera bread with loaves of bread. Maybe multiple Panera Breads. (40 loaves of bread)

Not only does he gives them more than enough of the very best bread. He also kills the youngest calf so he can provide the very best meat. (tender and choice).

Not only did he give the very best bread and meat, he also give them choice dairy delights like curds and milk. (premium yogurt and milk)

In other words, this meal had a variety of flavors and macro nutrients.

Is God Getting Leftovers?

Not only did it showcase Abraham’s considerable wealth, it also showcased his commitment to communion with God and giving him his best.

A ready heart will give the Lord their very best upon his coming.

In our culture it’s common to trivialize or minimize the holiness of God and the glory of God.

We have so casualized our relationship with God that we’ve lost some of the respect and healthy fear of the Lord that Scripture promotes.

When God comes to visit it’s important we offer our very best.

Not because God will be impressed by it - he won’t - but because he is worthy of the very best we can bring.

To do otherwise shows we don’t really understand the person we’re dealing with.

Abraham is taking the most expensive, cherished and choice elements of his blessed life and giving them back to the Lord as a way of saying, “you’re worthy of it all.”

In other words, for Abraham, God isn’t getting the “left overs.”

But if some of us were being honestly that’s about all we’re willing to give the Lord.

If everything is going great and we think about it then MAYBE God will get

our leftover time.

our leftover attention.

our leftover money in the monthly budget.

our leftover affection after everyone else gets theirs.

The infinite God deserves WAY MORE than your leftovers. It’s an insult and mockery of who God is and what he deserves.

And yet many of us insult him with the leftovers EVERY DAY because we don’t have eyes to see or ears to ear.

THE REWARD OF READINESS

Because Abraham was ready to meet with the Lord. The Lord was ready to REWARD his ready heart.

Not only does a ready heart give what’s best TO God. A ready heart also receives what’s best FROM God.

Genesis 18:9–11 CSB

9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he answered. 10 The Lord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

For those of you new to this story, Sarah is about 90 years old. Abraham even older. They had been trying to have children their entire married life without any success.

Barrenness is a burden for many women. But for women in that culture barrenness was a curse that seemed impossible to bear. Barrenness was a symbol of death and being forsaken by God.

Now Abraham gets a visit from the Lord (and we know it’s the Lord because the word “Yahweh” is used serval times in the discourse) and he says the thing you’ve been waiting for your entire life, the thing you’ve practically given up on - this time next year it’s yours.

And Sarah is listening in on the conversation. She’s post menopausal. She’s an old woman. And she’s listening to a bunch of men pontificate about her birthing a baby. “Oh to be a fly on those walls.” I’m sure it seemed absurd to her.

In fact I know it seemed absurd to her because she laughs to herself. Genesis 18:12-15

Genesis 18:12 CSB

12 So she laughed to herself: “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight?”

Notice in the passage who does Sarah laugh to? She laughs to herself. Right? And where is Sarah? In or out of the room with the guys? Out of the room. And yet, the Lord shows his hand in his next question to Abraham.

Genesis 18:13–15 CSB

13 But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’ 14 Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.” 15 Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid. But he replied, “No, you did laugh.”

Mark this down. Having a ready heart requires us to have bold faith.

Both faith and ready hearts ALWAYS go together.

We don’t know what Sarah’s laugh meant. Whether it was a laugh of unbelief or astonishment.

Whatever it was, the Lord noticed it and responded to it with a confirmation of his promise and reminder of God’s power.

I think this is a helpful reminder for us as well. There are incredible thing that God probably wants to do IN YOUR LIFE and THROUGH YOUR LIFE but you’ll never see them come about because you’re faith isn’t there.

You need to be reminded that God has SPOKEN and that God will DO what he promised to do.

Ready hearts find boldness in the power/ promise of God.

Those are the two things the Lord reminds Abraham of.

“Is anything impossible with God?” “At the appointed time, I’m going to come back and do this.”

The Power & Promise of God

I think this is a prophetic word for us this morning. I believe the Lord is doing something very special in the life of our church.

I believe our church is getting closer and closer to an “appointed time” that the Lord has chosen to bless and grow our church.

But if we’re going to have ready hearts to receive that blessing we need courage and boldness of faith.

Specifically, we need courage and boldness to share our faith in a culture that’s grown hostile to the things of God.

More than ever before our city is full of people that are broken and lost and looking for answers.

More than ever before our neighbors are confused and anxious and looking for hope.

More than ever before the fields of the harvest are ripe and ready for the picking.

Will the Lord find us ready to step out in faith and see him move?

If that question produces a spirit of hesitation in your heart let me remind you of the power and promise of God.

NOTHING is impossible with God!

ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus Christ.

As we go and make disciples of all nations he has promised to be WITH US wherever we go.

As we open up our mouths to speak the hope of Jesus he has promised to give us the words we need.

Ask and I’ll give the nations to you. Oh Lord, that’s the cry of our hearts!

Who have you given up on? What friend or family member - far from the Lord - have you come to accept will never come to know Jesus.

Would you be encouraged by this text to step out in boldness and start praying again? Start trusting again? Start inviting them again. Start sharing Jesus with them again.

For Abraham it was a promised child that eventually got fulfilled in Issac. But Isaac gave way to Jacob and Jacob ultimately gave way to Jesus.

In Jesus we’ve been promised to see people from every tribe tongue and nation gather around the throne singing “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain! To receive glory and honor and power forever and ever amen!”

We’re going to come back to this in future weeks but it’s a reminder that when God pays us a visit it’s an open invitation to demonstrate boldness of faith.

Because Abraham had done the necessary work of preparing his heart (and family) to meet with the Lord - the Lord responded with a promise and a blessing.

CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSE

After blessing Abraham and his family Jesus and these two angels move on to their final destination.

Genesis 18:16–22 CSB

16 The men got up from there and looked out over Sodom, and Abraham was walking with them to see them off. 17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide what I am about to do from Abraham? 18 Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. This is how the Lord will fulfill to Abraham what he promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious. 21 I will go down to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to me. If not, I will find out.” 22 The men turned from there and went toward Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord.

So here the story transitions from the Lord’s visitation to Abraham to a second visitation in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Who lives in Sodom and Gomorrah? Lot and his family.

Honestly, Lot should’ve left Sodom and Gomorrah after Abraham and his 318 mercenaries courageously rescued him from captivity to the Eastern Kings in Genesis 14.

He knew the men of Sodom were wicked. In particular, they sinned against the Lord by deviating from his design for sexuality.

Choose To Use

As a result, Jesus and these angels have been sent to examine first-hand the wickedness of Sodom and unleash God’s judgment as a result of their rebellion and unbelief.

This would’ve been difficult news for Abraham to hear because he loved his nephew Lot.

So why does the Lord reveal this to Abraham? He does so intentionally.

He raises the question in verse 17 “Should I hide what I’m about to do?”

It’s a rhetorical question. He means, “Why would I hide from Abraham what I’m about to do when Abraham is who I’ve chosen to be a mediator of this new covenant relationship.”

In other words, Abraham, because I’ve chosen you to be the mediator of this life of blessing and abundance and right relationship with God. I want you now to see what happens to those who live outside of it.”

Which reminds us of a important principle for the ready heart. Ready hearts are blessed to be a blessing.

God chose Abraham so that he might work THROUGH Abraham. And ready hearts are eager to receive and act on that reality.

God chooses us so that he might use us.

How does God choose to use Abraham in this instance? He becomes an intercessor for the not ready and not sure hearts that were in Sodom & Gomorrah.

Redemptive Intercession

And that’s how I’d like us to close our time together this morning. If you have a ready heart before the Lord, it’s important we stand in the gap and intercede for the not ready and not sure hearts that are under the judgment of God.

Verse 22 ended with Abraham standing before the Lord. In verse 23 he begins to bargain with God.

Genesis 18:23–33 CSB

23 Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away instead of sparing the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people who are in it? 25 You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?” 26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham answered, “Since I have ventured to speak to my lord—even though I am dust and ashes—28 suppose the fifty righteous lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Then he spoke to him again, “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered, “I will not do it on account of forty.” 30 Then he said, “Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 Then he said, “Since I have ventured to speak to my lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it on account of twenty.” 32 Then he said, “Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak one more time. Suppose ten are found there?” He answered, “I will not destroy it on account of ten.” 33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

I wish we had time to fully unpack this conversation between God and Abraham. Since we don’t let me just address a few key points.

Abraham is serving as a type of Christ in this moment as he intercedes for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

When it says “he stepped forward” even though he was already standing before God it doesn’t mean he got a little closer. It’s the idea of a layer going up to a judge to make their case.

One of the things that an Old Testament priest would do is intercede for sinful people on behalf of God.

In a way, Abraham is risking his own life so that God might spare the lives of those in Sodom.

If you’re in Christ you’ve been chosen to serve in a similar fashion. One of the ways we minister to the Lord and show our love for the lost is through redemptive intercession.

Notice in his prayer for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah he appeals to God’s very nature and covenant promise to advocate for salvation and deliverance.

He recognizes God’s justice and the need for the wicked to perish but also appeals to God’s love for the righteous and his inclination to forgive and deliver those in right relationship.

But as he bargains with God the threshold for mercy gets lower and lower.

In fact, it never even resolves. Abraham stops at 10 because he realizes that there isn’t even 10 righteous in the city.

There isn’t even one. Romans 3:10.

How We Can Pray

The reason Abraham couldn’t find one righteous person is because there are none that are righteous, no not one. (Rom 3:10)

The man Abraham was looking for was the Lord Jesus Christ.

He alone is the righteousness that can save and deliver the wicked.

And next week we’ll see how Jesus delivers the wicked when they repent and believe.

For now, let us be reminded that the only hope for our lost and dying world is for them to be reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

We’re going to enter into a time of prayer and preparation as we take the Lord’s Supper and I want to challenge you to pray for the lost along four different lines.

First we’re going to pray that the lost would be saved for the sake of Christ.

When we pray for our lost friends and neighbors it’s easy to pray because we don’t want them to go to hell or because we hope their lives will get better.

But the best way to pray for lost people is to be reminded that Jesus died so that those people might be reconciled to God. Psalm 2:8 says “Ask of Me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance.”

This inheritance of unredeemed people from every tribe, tongue and nation being reconciled to God through Christ is his proper inheritance. It’s also our inheritance because we are in Jesus.

So as we ask God to grow our church by bringing lost people into our building who will hear the Gospel and be saved we are praying that not for their sake or for our sake - we’re praying it for CHRIST’S SAKE.

He died to make men free so Jesus would you bring them back to God.

Second, I don’t just want you to pray for individuals, I want you to pray for the whole city.

Abraham didn’t just pray God would save particular individuals. He asked God to spare the entire city.

Our city is unique in that it has a lot of Churches. But it’s also unique in the spiritual apathy and indifference many people feel for the Lord.

We need a revival in the city of Abilene and God won’t grant it if we never humble ourselves and ask for it.

The third way I want us to pray when it comes to redemptive intercession is to pray bigly.

When I say pray bigly I mean pray remembering that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.

I want to challenge you to pray that God would fill this entire sanctuary on Palm Sunday with unchurched people who will repent and be saved.

I want you to pray that we see people repent of sin and see their lives begin to change.

I want you to pray for dead marriages to come back to life. For barren wombs to bear children. For miracles to happen that show NOTHING is impossible with God.

Finally I want you to pray persistently.

For whatever reason, God has chosen that certain answers to prayer only come after a season of persistence in prayer.

I’m praying for God to fill the room on Palm Sunday and for double digits of people to make a first time decision for Christ between Palm Sunday and Easter.

Guess what? If God doesn’t answer that prayer then I’m not going to stop praying.

Why? Because I KNOW deep down God is eager to do something big. I know he is predisposed to want to heal and deliver and redeem and save.

So I won’t stop praying until I see God answer. And I want to challenge you to do the very same.

So before we take this Lord’s supper and celebrate our own communion with Christ and salvation in him.

Will you come and stand before the Lord - draw near to the throne of grace and intercede for our city and the lost people who are in it?