When God Comes to Visit

When God Comes to Visit

19 October, 2025

Thesis: God calls his friends to a life of ministry directed first to Him, then to their families, and finally to the lost.

Summary: The sermon, titled "When God Comes to Visit," examined Genesis 18, focusing on Abraham's encounter with divine visitors. The preacher presented Abraham as the "friend of God," illustrating his life as a model of ministry directed first to the Lord, then to family, and implicitly to the lost. The initial segment detailed Abraham's readiness through immediate hospitality, zealous service, and humble reverence towards his unexpected guests, one of whom he recognized as the Lord. The subsequent section discussed the promise of a son to Sarah, her initial laughter at the seemingly impossible, and God's question, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" The preacher underscored God's limitless power and affirmed Sarah's eventual faith. The discourse concluded by connecting this biblical narrative to Christ as the ultimate divine visitor who came to dwell and serve humanity.

Sermon

All right. Good morning, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. Looking forward to diving into God’s Word once again. We will be in the book of Genesis, chapter 18. Good to see a good number of kids, too. I don’t mind kids being loud in church. You know what the sound of kids in church means? It means it’s a growing, healthy church. So praise God for that.

Genesis, chapter 18. Thank you for all the visitors being here. It’s good to see some old friends. We went to church together, I guess, what, 15 years ago, something longer? Yeah, that’s amazing. It’s great to have you here this morning as we consider how God calls us to serve Him first.

Genesis, chapter 18. The title of my sermon this morning is When God Comes to Visit. Let’s begin reading Genesis 18, beginning in verse 1. The Bible says, Then the Lord appeared to him, that is, Abraham, by the terebinth trees of memory, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him. And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, his heart pounding with awe, and bowed himself to the ground and said, My Lord, if I have now found favor in your sight, do not pass on by your servant. May that be the cry of our heart this morning.

Abraham says, Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree, and I will bring a morsel of bread that you may refresh your hearts. And then you can leave. So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal. Knead it and make cakes. Abraham ran to the herd, and he took a tender and good calf and gave it to the young man and hastened to prepare it. He took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree as they ate. We will stop right there for this morning.

Let’s go to the Lord in prayer.

Father, we thank you so much for your word. Lord, it is inspired. It is inerrant. It is eternally relevant. As we read of how you visited Abraham this morning, Lord, I pray you would impress upon our hearts what you desire to see in our church, in our homes, in our personal lives—specifically, the call to hospitality and ministry that Abraham exemplified. I pray that your name would be glorified. We pray if anyone here today is lost, Lord, that you would draw them to yourself and grant them repentance for their sins. And Lord, grant them saving faith that they may believe in Christ and be saved this morning. May you feel at home in our hearts, Lord. May you feel welcome and at home here in your church, just as you welcomed Abraham under the tree. And may we, like Abraham, give you the glory and the honor and the respect that you deserve, extending the same grace and hospitality to others as you have shown us. We pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

So how many of you have ever had a surprise visit? Anybody ever just show up unannounced at your house? Clay’s raising his hand. Nobody ever comes to visit us? I’m just kidding. They do. Maybe it was a friend who dropped by unannounced. Maybe it was a neighbor who showed up and knocked at your door. Or even better, maybe your in-laws came to stay for a few days. I’m just kidding. Just in case they’re listening, I have some great in-laws. I praise God for them. Okay?

But maybe you don’t. I don’t know. Maybe they’ve come to your house and wanted to stay a while. Somebody shows up unexpectedly and you’re not prepared. Has that ever happened to anybody? Maybe you’re in the middle of doing something and the kids are running around crazy in the house. It looks like a tornado swept through there. And then you hear a knock at the door. And you’re like, great. Fantastic.

So at that moment, what do you do? You do what any good Christian would do. You panic. Oh my goodness, what am I going to do? You start shoving things into the closet and kicking items under the couch. You light a candle and pray for a miracle. Dishes haven’t been scrubbed. Kids don’t have any clothes on. Only God knows why.

No, none of us really mind having guests as long as we have time to prepare. I know at my house, Allison prepares two weeks in advance, okay? We clean everything. Everything has to be spotless. I mean, it’s like we’re going into a white-glove inspection. Everything smells good. It looks like the house of a magazine. However, if you were to drop by today, I can promise you, you wouldn’t find that.

Here in Genesis 18, Abraham receives a surprise visit. Not from neighbors or from relatives, but he receives a surprise visit from God Himself. And the Lord appears at his tent door in the heat of the day. Abraham wasn’t expecting Him, but Abraham was ready for Him. When God came to visit, Abraham was ready.

In Scripture, Abraham is called the friend of God. This title is found in 2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, and James 2:23—three distinct references. Notably, he is the only person in the Bible to hold this title. He is truly unique, isn’t he?

And in Genesis 18, Abraham is going to show us what friendship with God looks like in action. What does friendship with God entail? Well, friendship with God involves ministry—ministry first to the Lord, then to your family, and finally to the lost. Now, I hope to get through two of these points this morning. So, the main point of my sermon today is that God calls His friends to a life of ministry—first to Him, then to our families, and finally to the lost. You can think of it this way: ministry flows from worship to family, and then to missions.

Main division number one. Abraham ministers to the Lord. Now, remember in chapter 12—several weeks ago—God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans. How did He do that? With His voice, right? Later on, God appears to him in a vision in chapter 15 and pronounces him righteous by faith. Then in chapter 17, everyone enjoy that chapter last week? He gave him the covenant sign of circumcision. Now, here’s something even more profound. God doesn’t just speak to Abraham from heaven. Here in chapter 18, He shows up to Abraham’s tent. This time, God makes a house call. Think about this: here’s the eternal God stepping into time and space. He comes down to earth, walks the dusty path to Abraham’s tent, enduring the scorching heat of the noonday sun until He arrives under the shade of the oaks of memory.

Now, what is Abraham doing? He is taking his afternoon siesta, right? He’s napping it off. He’s been working here in the morning. He’s sitting in the tent door during the hottest part of the day. And suddenly, he looks up and here are three strangers approaching. Now, this is unusual because few people would travel at this time of day. And so, this piques Abraham’s curiosity.

I can imagine he shades his eyes, squinting as the sun glints off the sand. He’s struck by the sight of three figures approaching in the hottest part of the day—three strangers cutting through the desert heat, their forms wavering in the distance. And with each step, they draw nearer.

Now, nothing about their appearance makes him think they’re from heaven. They look like ordinary men. They’re weary from the journey. And instead of being annoyed by their interruption, what does Abraham do? He runs to meet them. And not only does he run to meet them, but he bows to the earth in the sign of reverence. Now, in ancient times, hospitality was the first law of the east. And it would be shameful to turn a traveler away. So, a good host would invite a stranger in. He would wash the dust from their feet, offer water to refresh them, prepare a meal. And then he said, “You can rest. Rest here under the tree or come into my tent and take a nap.” And that’s exactly what Abraham does. He runs, he serves, he honors. His heart is eager to minister to his guest.

But soon, Abraham realizes these are no ordinary visitors. There is something unique, something special about these visitors. Two of them are angels, as we’ll find out. One of them is the Lord Himself. Imagine that. God has come to visit His friend. The same God who called Abraham out of earth, the same God who gave him promises under the stars of heaven, now stands before Abraham face to face in the door of his own tent. And Abraham is ready to meet and greet this stranger and minister to Him.

So, we need to remember, ministry always begins with the Lord. You know that? Before we can be effective in any other part of our lives, in our homes or our churches or our work, we must first minister to the Lord. What does minister mean? That’s a term we often associate with the church, isn’t it? Minister simply means to serve. So, my question to you this morning: are you ministering to the Lord? Is He number one? Not just first on the checklist, but is He the priority of your life? The Bible says in Colossians 3:23 and 24, in everything you do, do it with all of your heart as to who? As to the Lord, not unto men, knowing that from the Lord, you will receive the inheritance of the reward. Why? Because we serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as Abraham demonstrated in his encounter with the Lord, our own ministry begins with a heart that is first and foremost devoted to serving Him. Before you are anything, you are a Christian. Before you are an American, before you are a husband or a wife or a mother or a father, before you are a pastor or Sunday school teacher or a deacon, you are a Christian. Your allegiance is to Christ, first and foremost.

Now, when God comes to visit His friend, I’m going to give you these points. He’s welcomed with hospitality. He’s served with haste. He’s worshiped with honor, and He’s reverenced with humility. Let’s look at this first one. Abraham welcomes the Lord with hospitality. He lifts his eyes, he looks, he sees these men coming close, and he runs. Now, think about this. Abraham could have remained seated. He could have been annoyed that someone was messing up his nap. They disturbed my siesta. Anybody? Y’all hateful? When you wake up from a nap. What are they waking me up for? But what does he do? He looks up, he sees three travelers, and he’s ready. Also notice, he’s an old man. How old is Abraham at this point? Remember we learned last week. He’s 99 years old. And he takes off running. He runs to meet them. His first instinct is not his own convenience, but to make sure his guests feel welcome and comfortable. This teaches us that when we show hospitality, we’re not just being kind—we’re serving God Himself. There’s an application for us today to God and to each other. Because we need to understand that hospitality is not just being polite. It’s an act of worship. It’s an expression of our heart toward God Himself.

Hebrews 13:2 echoes this same event. He says, Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so, some have entertained angels unaware. How many times have we entertained angels? We don’t know. That’s the reason why you always open the doors of your home. You always give to those who are in need. You always practice biblical hospitality. Jesus mentions in Matthew 25 that when we feed the hungry and clothe the naked and visit the sick and the prisoner, He takes it personally because He says, Inasmuch as you did it to the least of these, you did it unto me. So we as believers, we serve God. But how do we serve God? We serve God by serving His people, by serving His church. We help propagate the gospel by assisting ministries and ministers and missionaries. As 1 Timothy 3:2 reminds us, generosity is a key qualification for church leadership. In other words, a man should not be a pastor if he is not hospitable. Amen. That’s my role here—I’m called to be the foremost servant. That doesn’t mean that I’m number one on top of everything. That means I’m first in line at serving. That means I lead the charge in ministry and in missions and in service.

What’s our application? When God comes to visit, His people are called to open the door, to make room, and serve. But how often do we treat His presence as an interruption rather than an invitation? What does that look like? Indeed, maybe the Holy Spirit is prompting you to pray and you say, well, I’m busy right now. Are there moments when our schedules are empty? Maybe the Lord convicts you to read His word in the morning and you’re like, I don’t have much time. We make time for everything else, don’t we? We make time for what we prioritize. When a brother or sister in Christ needs help moving or needs a meal or needs someone to listen to, do you run toward them? Is it an invitation or is it just an interruption for you? So this week I want you to identify one way you’ve been treating God’s presence as an interruption. Maybe, and I think we’re guilty of this, hitting snooze instead of waking up early to pray. Maybe scrolling social media instead of spending time in the scriptures. Maybe it’s failing to share the gospel with that person that the Lord has laid upon your heart. Maybe it’s failing to give to the work of the ministry.

Friends, God desires those with a heart that runs toward Him—unstoppable, unrelenting, a heart ablaze with compassion, a heart that overflows with generosity, a heart that opens its doors and its arms to others, unafraid of the messiness of discipleship. It’s a heart that dares to step into the lives of others, not with casual curiosity like we do in the South when we ask, “How are you doing?” but with genuine, soul-deep inquiry: “How are you really doing? How can I help you? How can I invest in your journey? How can I pray with you? How can I walk with you in the depths of your faith? How can I serve others in the name of Christ, not as a distant observer but as a hands-on disciple?” This is the heart God seeks—bold, sacrificial, and unashamedly committed to His work.

Notice also, Abraham served the Lord with haste. Notice the verbs that Moses uses as he’s writing Genesis. Verse 2, he ran. Verse 6, quickly. Verse 7, he hurried. At 99 years old, Abraham was sprinting with unwavering urgency. This is not merely movement—it is a testament to his devotion. He’s making sure that his visitors are comfortable. And only after they are fed and their needs are met does he stand at attention in verse 8. What is he doing? Abraham’s actions as a waiter—refilling cups, attending to every need—symbolize the humility and eagerness with which he served the Lord, setting an example for all who seek to honor God through selfless service. They need a refill? He refills their cup. Need something else on their plate? I’m your man. I’m here. He is standing at attention. He is presenting himself as the servant of the Lord.

Notice also, he didn’t say, Come on, guys. Let me finish my nap. You can sit right here. I’ve got better things to do. This just ain’t a good time. It’s not convenient. He didn’t wait till it cooled off. He didn’t wait till he finished resting. He didn’t wait for a more convenient time. When the Lord showed up, he served. When he was given the opportunity, he acted. When God called, he answered. Notice what he says. He says to Sarah, Quickly prepare three measures of fine flour. He runs to the herd and he chooses a tender calf. The best he had because nothing but the best will be given to the Lord. And then he gives it to a young man, one of his servants. And what does he say? He says, Hurry to prepare it. Every step is filled with eagerness. There’s no delay. No excuses. No half-hearted effort on his part. His worship is swift because he’s beginning to know who had come to visit him.

So friends, when God draws near, reverence demands a response. When the Lord calls, obedience should run. It shouldn’t crawl. It shouldn’t say till another time. We shouldn’t say until it’s easier or when it’s more convenient. So here’s the application question for us. How long does it take you to obey God? When the Holy Spirit convicts you about unforgiveness, do you deal with it immediately or do you nurse a grudge for weeks? When God prompts you to share the gospel with your friends or your neighbor or your co-worker, do you say, well, I’ll do it later. I’m going to be honest. I’ve been guilty of doing that. And you know what? I’ve missed out on the blessing because God will send somebody else who will. When God calls you to reconcile a broken relationship, maybe you say, I just don’t want it to be awkward. I’ll do it later when it’s a little more convenient. See, the problem is too many of us approach obedience as an item on our to-do list. It’s a checklist and we’ll get to it eventually. But friends, obedience to God is immediate. He calls us to serve Him right now without delay, without excuse. So I want you to ask yourself, why is God asking me to do that? I’ve been delayed. What is an area of ministry that God’s calling me into and I haven’t obeyed Him? What’s a sin that I need to repent of, stop holding on to, and I need to cut ties with it today?

Maybe you’re lost this morning and the Holy Spirit has been dealing with your heart and you have not surrendered your life to Him. Friends, that’s why the Bible says today is the day of salvation, not tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the acceptable time. Do not delay obedience. Friends, we are not promised another chance. Serve Him with immediacy and urgency.

Thirdly, Abraham worshiped the Lord with honor. Notice what he does after he runs to God. What does he do? He bows before God. Now, remember, Abraham is a wealthy sheep. He is a man of status, power, and influence. He has over 300 trained servants in his own household. He could have easily delegated this task to one of his servants, but he chose not to. Why? Because he wanted to personally minister to the Lord. He refused to let anyone take the privilege of serving his God. God has come to me, and I will serve Him. Joshua echoes this. He says, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Now, Abraham, he’s aged. He’s worthy of respect. He’s used to getting and receiving respect and honor. But this time, he’s the one bowing low. He’s the one giving himself as a servant. Now, the bow is more than etiquette. It’s a posture of worship. He’s saying, Lord, you are great and I am small. You are the master. You are Lord. And I am your servant. Notice what Abraham does. Even though he is the friend of God, right? He has this intimate relationship with God. Yet he never treats this friendship lightly. He doesn’t abuse it, take advantage of it, or let familiarity lead to irreverence. The closer he walked with God, the lower he bowed. That’s true today, isn’t it? Those believers who love God the most, who are closest to Him, will be the most humble, the most meek people. They don’t need a platform. They don’t need a stage. They don’t need a pat on the back. They are here as servants. And they say, as long as Christ increases, let me decrease. I am your servant.

But friends, we live in a culture that’s lost reverence for God, haven’t we? You hear God’s name taken as a swear word on TV. You hear people say, oh my God. He’s not your God. Cut that out. He’s not your God. Even church people are so casual in the presence of the Almighty. How so? Because we rush into prayer without thinking about who it is we’re addressing. And we give God this laundry list of complaints and needs and God, you better meet my needs or I’m going to lose faith in you. Who do we think we are? We are dust and ash before the presence of the Almighty Creator. Then we come to church and we treat church attendance like it’s a check on our checklist. We’ve fulfilled our religious obligation for the week. Don’t I deserve a sticker or something for that? And then we sing our songs and we honor Him with our lips. But what are we doing? In our minds we’re thinking, what’s for lunch? What am I going to do this afternoon? Is God not worthy of our best? Is God not worthy of our attention? Can we not spend one hour with Him in His presence? And bow our hearts low and say, God, You are great and I am small. I am Your slave. Even though You have called me friend, yet here I am in service to You. Take me and use me.

Friends, we need to restore the reverence of God in our services. The reverence of God in our own lives, because we live our lives before the face of God. May we walk before Him and be pleasing to Him. So this week, how can we do that? Before you pray, take a minute and pause to understand who it is you’re talking to. You’re coming before the almighty Creator of the universe. You’re coming before the infinitely holy One—the One before whom the angels themselves shield their eyes and won’t even gaze upon His glory. When you open your Bible, don’t just scan it for information or look for a verse to affirm what you’ve already planned. Instead, submit to its authority in your life. When you come to Sunday worship, and I’m not beating up on anyone, okay? If this feels uncomfortable, if it steps on your toes like it does mine, just submit to God’s word, okay? Don’t stroll in casually. Come prepared. Pray about the service as you go through the week. Prepare your heart to worship. Prepare your mind to receive. Prepare your ears to hear. Because He is worthy of reverence. Engage with your heart. Sing with your lips. And lift your hands and lift your heart to the God who is worthy of our praise. Come willing to obey His word.

Notice also, Abraham reverenced the Lord with humility. Three different times in this narrative, Abraham refers to himself as your servant. I am your servant. Even though he is the covenant bearer, even though he will be the father of kings and mighty nations, yet he places himself at the feet of the Lord. Friends, humble faith produces holy action. You want God’s presence here in this church? I sure do. What must we do? Bow low in reverence. Obey His commands. Recognize it’s His church. He is in charge. He calls the shots. We follow His plan—not my plan, not a deacon’s plan, but Jesus’ plan. Amen. We bow ourselves in humble obedience to the Lord. We are His servants. We don’t get to use God for our purposes, friends. Instead, He gets to use us for His. Notice Abraham’s willingness to recognize his own lowliness. In verse 27, he says, “I am but a man of dust and ashes.” You are the Creator of the universe. You are the master. I am the servant.

We notice also Abraham’s humility even in his generosity. Here is a lavish meal. Abraham must have been a Baptist, right? Because he knew. He knew how to cook and he knew how to eat. But in verse 5, even though he has this lavish spread, he says, this is but a morsel of bread. He said, Lord, who am I that my God should come and visit my lowly tent and eat but a morsel, just a crumb, just scraps. He understands that God is worthy of His best and even the best that he can give, God is worthy of infinitely more. Luke 17:10 says that we as believers, when we serve Him, we are to say, I am an unprofitable servant. I have only done my duty. Friends, many of us think that doing the bare minimum is doing God a favor, don’t we? We do. We think, well, you know what? God ought to appreciate the fact that I have carved out an hour out of my busy week to come to church. Not realizing that every second of every day, every breath belongs to God. As a believer, you own nothing. You know how much I own? Absolutely nothing, not even myself. My soul, my body, my time, talent, treasure, it all belongs to Him. That’s what it means to be redeemed. It means we’re bought. He owns everything. He’s worthy, therefore, of the best, of the first. He’s worthy of the fine flour. He’s worthy of the choice and good calf. Not the leftovers. Not the goulash you make from the stuff in the fridge all week. He’s worthy of a fresh meal, friends. Are you giving Him your first and your best?

This week, I challenge us all to take an audit of your life. What does your spending reveal about what you treasure? How do your priorities communicate who is Lord? Look at your calendar. How do you spend your time? Who do you spend your time serving? That will reveal who is truly Lord. If we can characterize Abraham’s worship, if we can do it in three words, it was swift, it was sacrificial, and it was selfless. So let’s ask ourselves a question. If God came to our house this afternoon, how would He be treated? What would He find? Would He find humility and honor and reverence and worship? Or would we treat Him as an inconvenience? Or I’ll get to you later. Would He be welcomed with joy? Or would He be met with hesitation? Would He be waited upon hand and foot? Or would He find that we neglect Him because He’s convenient to have around when we need something from Him? But we’re unwilling to serve Him just because He’s worthy. Would we even recognize His presence? Would He find us distracted? If God was to come to this church this morning, let’s ask ourselves that. Would He find us going through the motions? Or would He find people whose heart is ablaze with a passion for His glory?

Because the truth is, those who are born again, His Spirit already dwells with you. He’s already here. He already sees. He already knows how we treat Him. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the heart of those who are believers. Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? So if you’re lost this morning, God wants to make your heart His home. He wants you to open up the door and say, come on in, Lord. I’m yours. He wants you to bow low and say, Lord, I recognize that You’re my Creator and You want to be my Savior. I recognize You don’t want to just stop by on Sundays for an hour of visitation. You want to come to live in my heart. You want to have a relationship with me. And friends, He wants to dwell on the inside. See, in every heart there’s a throne. And He deserves to occupy the throne. He doesn’t want a back room in the corner that we’ll let you stay here and we’ll pull you out when we need something. No. Here’s the throne of my heart. It’s yours. Come and dwell. He comes not for a visit but for a relationship. And I pray that as a church, He would feel welcome here. He would feel reverenced here. And I love this church. And I think we’re a very healthy church. But as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, I want you to abound in these good things that you’re doing more and more. I want us to always be progressing, always going to the next level. Because God calls us closer and deeper.

I don’t know about you. I don’t want to settle for an hour on Sunday, an hour on Wednesday. Not yet. If that’s all Christianity is, you can have it. You want no part of it. I want to be consumed by God. I want Him not to be part of my life. I want Him to be my life. And everything I say and do is leverage for His kingdom and His glory and to propagate His gospel. And I pray that is the prayer of your heart as well.

We’re going to get to point number two, guys. Let’s look very quickly. Verse 9. After all this has happened, they’re finished with their meal. And God asked, He said, Where is Sarah, your wife? And He says, Here in the tent. And He said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life. And behold, Sarah, your wife, shall have a son. And Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age, and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the Lord said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh? Saying, Surely I shall bear a child since I am old. Listen to this. Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you according to the time of life. And Sarah shall have a son. Sarah, she denies it. “I didn’t laugh,” she said. God said, “No, you did laugh.”

Abraham, after briefly ministering to the Lord, turns his attention to his family, particularly his wife. Do you know that our ministry to the Lord is always followed by and accompanied by our service to our family? In fact, the Bible says in 1 Timothy 3 verse 4 and 5, “If a man will not lead his family and rule his house well, he is unfit for ministry.” 1 Timothy 5 verse 8 says, “If a man will not provide for his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” We cannot claim to love God while neglecting our family. I cannot stand up here and say, “Yes, I’m a man of God, a pastor,” and yet not love my wife as Christ loved the church or fail to raise my children. We are called to minister to the Lord, and subsequently, to minister to our families.

Now, let’s talk about Sarah. By the way, she is a model of godly femininity. She’s 89 years old. Genesis 20 tells us she is still very beautiful, even desirable. And Abraham loves his wife. Remember what Sarah’s name means? By the way, God gave her this name. It means princess, right? And Abraham treats her as the princess she is. All of God’s men say, “I will go home and do likewise.” Right? Amen, there we go. But not only is she beautiful on the outside, she’s beautiful on the inside. She has, as Peter says, this imperishable beauty that actually gets greater with age. She’s a woman of faith. Now, even though she doesn’t always have a perfect faith as we see in this narrative, yet she is a woman of faith. And she is every bit as much a part of the blessings to the nations as Abraham is. Why? Because it takes two to make a baby, right? She’s going to be the mother of Isaac, the promised son. She herself will be a blessing to the nations. Friends, listen, when godly men lead godly families, the whole family is a blessing to the church and to their community. When godly men lead godly families, the whole family becomes a blessing.

So let me ask you men directly, how are you treating your wife? Do you serve her like Abraham served Sarah? Do you treat her like an interruption, a burden, somebody secondary to your needs and comfort? By the way, men, your wife is watching how you lead and how you pray and how you worship God. You set the spiritual climate for your home. How can I be a better servant to you? How can I better lead our family spiritually?

Now, for women, the Bible says that Sarah called Abraham Lord. I know that sounds a bit strange or outdated to some people, but that’s what Peter says. That doesn’t mean she’s a doormat. However, it does mean that she recognizes his role of headship, recognizes that he’s protector, he’s provider. And by the way, if a man is a godly man, he never commands respect from his wife. She gives it willingly because he deserves it. He’s the kind of man who will be faithful to her, who will love her, protect her, provide for her, lead her spiritually. Just as God called Abraham to lead and serve, He also calls husbands to lead with love and humility, and wives to honor and support their husbands in that calling. So what’s a specific way you can show honor and respect to your husband? Because you are called to reverence him as Christ reverences the church.

Now, just imagine this. Here’s Sarah. She’s preparing bread, right? She’s kneading it out. Then she’s eavesdropping, right? The tent doors are thin. Surely I’ll return to you this time next year and you’ll have a son. She doesn’t do it out loud, but she laughs, the Bible says, within herself. And she thinks, first off, he’s 99. I’m 89. And by the way, there’s this little problem called barrenness. I’ve been through menopause. The biological clock is not ticking. It’s destroyed, right? I’m done. We done closed up shop down there, right? Ain’t nothing happening. This is humanly impossible. This is medically impossible. This is biologically impossible. So what does she do? She laughs. Kind of a chuckle. Going to have a son. I’ve heard this promise for 25 years now. Well, we gave you a son. Remember how that worked out. The Hagar and Ishmael thing. The Lord says, why did you laugh? And then God asks this question. Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Man, is anything too hard for the Lord? Let’s ask ourselves this morning. Is anything too hard for your God to handle? Absolutely not. It’s like God is saying, Sarah, don’t you remember who I am? The El Shaddai, the Almighty God? I spoke universes into existence. I spun planets into orbit. I control the waves of the sea. I call every star by name. Don’t you know I can bring life into your dead, barren womb? Is anything too hard for me? The One who spoke everything out of nothing, I can put a child in your womb. He’s the giver of life.

Friends, as an application this morning, we must remember who it is we’re praying to. Many times we Christians act like we have a small, weak God, and we must help Him out, attempt to do His work in our own power. Or we must inform Him of what He needs to do, and only after much convincing will He answer our prayers. Friends, nothing can be further from the truth. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond whatever we could ask or imagine. So what is your impossible situation this morning? Maybe it’s a broken marriage. Maybe it’s a prodigal child who’s walked away. Maybe it’s a financial crisis. Maybe it’s a terminal diagnosis. Friends, nothing is too hard for God. Will you trust Him? Will you trust Him that He is who He promises to be? This same God who will give this 90-year-old woman a baby, He can handle your situation. He can accomplish His work when nothing else will.

And by the way, knowing that nothing is too hard for the Lord—nothing is even difficult for Him. That will change the way we pray, won’t it? When we recognize that God can do all things, we will pray with boldness. We will take any and every request before the throne of God, knowing He is able. This transforms how we approach evangelism, because God can save the staunchest sinner, the most wicked and vile person. It reshapes what we ask and believe God for. I’m believing God to do mighty things in this church—most of you know my plans for the coming months. I’m believing God for a mighty work. And if you’ve got a problem with it, then you’re saying, “No, we can’t do that.” Let me ask you: is anything too hard for the Lord? Absolutely not. It changes how we function as a church, because we will attempt great, even seemingly impossible things for God. Nothing is too hard for Him.

Let’s give Sarah some credit, shall we? We’ve gently teased her a bit. She chuckles privately at the idea of having a child in her old age. It’s a soft laugh, almost imperceptible, but God hears it nonetheless. Why did Sarah laugh? Well, she might have thought, “Who am I to bear a child at this stage?” But remember, God knows our thoughts and words even before we speak them. There’s no hiding from Him. Yet, despite her laughter, Sarah is a woman of faith. Abraham too is a man of faith, known for his unwavering belief in God’s promises, even when faced with the reality of their own bodies’ weakness and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He didn’t doubt or waver at God’s promises. Romans 4 tells us this.

What about Sarah? Did you know that Sarah’s faith is a powerful example of trusting God’s promises and His faithfulness? The book of Hebrews, chapter 11 through 12, says this: By faith, Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed and bore a child when she was past the age. Why? Because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude. What happened? Sarah trusted God. She understood that He was faithful to keep all of His good promises. What God promises, He performs. You know what happened next? Sarah’s laughter of “I don’t think it’s going to happen” became the laughter of joy as she held that baby, named Isaac—named laughter—in her arms. Her dream became a reality. Her faith became sight. Why? Because she knew He is faithful who has promised. Has God not given us exceeding precious promises? Should they not elicit joy in our own hearts? Is God not faithful to keep His word? Is He not still the Almighty? Yes, He is. And nothing is too hard for Him. So, when we face impossible circumstances, let’s remember Sarah’s journey—her initial doubt, her eventual joy, and the reality that God’s timing is perfect.

So maybe you’re like Sarah and you’ve heard God’s promise. And you’re like, Lord, your promises seem impossible. I’m tired of waiting. Doubt creeps in. But take your doubts to the Lord. Don’t let it turn into unbelief. Remember, God has been faithful to keep all of His promises before. He will keep all of His promises when? At the appointed time. Remember it says, at the appointed time I will return. See, there is a time for everything. And you may be waiting on God for something. Trust in God’s appointed time. Trust His wisdom. Each step of the way, trust His plan. Trust His perfect timing. Trust His love and His care for you. He loves you more than you can ever imagine. And He has far greater plans than you can ever come up with yourself.

As they come and give us a hymn of invitation, I want to close by looking at Christ. Because the Scriptures speak of Him. You know, Christ is the greater visitor come down from heaven. Abraham’s encounter with the Lord simply foreshadows the coming of Christ. And at the incarnation, Christ did not just come down for a quick visit. He came to dwell with us. The Bible says in John 1:14, that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He didn’t just come to say, yeah, hey, how y’all doing? You got problems? You got sin? Well, hope you figure it out. No, He came and became one of us. He entered into the human experience. He lived the perfect life that we should have lived but couldn’t. He died on the cross in our place. He was buried and three days later He rose from the dead, friends. Jesus Christ is the ultimate God to come to visit us. His name is Emmanuel, God with us. Because in Jesus, deity was robed in sinless humanity. The eternal Creator stepped into His creation and God became man.

So this morning, He wants to not just visit you. He desires to establish a permanent residence in our hearts by faith. Like I said earlier, He wants to make your heart His home. He wants to come and dwell in you permanently through His Holy Spirit. So the question is, does He fill your heart this morning? Does He fill your heart this morning? Remember Abraham in this visit ran to meet God. But in Christ, God came running to meet us. In Genesis 18, Abraham served God. But when Jesus came, He came and served us and gave Himself as a ransom for many. In Genesis 18, Abraham gave the Lord bread. Jesus gives His own body. He gives His own body as bread broken for us. He’s the living bread that comes from heaven. And He’s the greater son of promise. How would Abraham and Sarah know that all of the promises of God would come true? Because they would have a son next year. Isaac would be the proof that God will keep all of His promises.

Friends, we have a greater son of the promise. We have the Lord Jesus Christ. And if God has given us His own Son, He who withheld not His own Son, will He not with Him freely give us all things? If He has given us the greatest gift that heaven could offer, will He not take care of our earthly needs? Yes, He will.

So, I’m going to open the steps here for a time of reflection, for a time of prayer. If you’re lost this morning and God is working in your heart, He has done everything that you need to be saved. You receive salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. Will you repent of your sins? Then say, Lord, I open up my heart. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and I will dine with him. Just as God dined with Abraham as a sign of trust and friendship and intimacy, He wants to dine with you in your heart this morning. He wants you to enter into this relationship of love and intimacy and trust. And maybe you’re a believer and you just want to come and pray. Say, Lord, I want You to remove the clutter, idols, and junk from the temple, and fill it full in my heart. This altar is open.