Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRO

Image this with me for a moment...

There you are sitting in a local restaurant.

As the waitress spins around to put in your order you see the door open and in he comes.

He just came in off the road and you can tell he has been out there for some time because his camouflage jacket, flannel shirt and cream colored long underwear are ripped and his blue jeans are faded.

As he shrugs his backpack off his shoulder and falls down into a chair the smell of B.O. hits you like a slap in the face.

He takes off his hat running one rough weather beaten hand through his matted greasy hair as the other scratches at the stubble on his chin with thick yellowing fingernails that are in desperate need of a good trimming.

As he replaces his hat he takes a slow look around the room and meets eyes with you.

His piercing blue eyes bore right into yours as his thin lips stretch back to reveal a wide gangly toothed grin.

Hey friend he says.

What are you thinking right now?

Here we go another charity case, I bet he is going to ask me for money?

Who is this guy and why is he talking to me?

I bet he is homeless?

I wish I had some hand sanitizer?

Please God let him go away?

What do you do?

Immediately avert your eyes and pretend he does not exist?

Answer back a friendly hello and then ignore him?

Pick up your stuff and leave immediately?

You weren't really in the mood for a hamburger anyway.

Nod and smile as you reach to make sure your side arm is still there?

How do you think Jesus might think?

What might He do?

Do we desire to be like that?

Do we desire to...

TITLE & TEXT

Serve Like Jesus

Genesis 18.1-8

Biblical concept often used with the terms “guest,” “stranger,” and “sojourner.”

It is useful to limit the meaning of “hospitality” to benevolence done to those outside one’s normal circle of friends, as is implied in the literal meaning of the Greek word (“love of strangers”).

THEME

Abraham's three steps for showing hospitality like Jesus.

ISRAEL

Culturally Assumed

Divinely Commanded

US

Culturally Odd

Divinely Commanded

PRAY

TEXT EXPOSITION

This chapter begins in the same way as the previous stating that the LORD comes in the flesh called a theophany.

This is the final Theophany in Abrahams life but not the final interaction with the LORD.

This one in particular is especially interesting because it involves three individuals this time and this is the only place in scripture where such a heavenly trio is mentioned in such a way.

The LORD and two angels, the magnitude of the events to follow then are evident.

This reference to Mamre is a throw back to the first interesting exchange that Abraham and Lot had years earlier when Abraham went to war for him in chapter 14.

Chapter 18 as we go through it over the next couple of weeks is a kind of hinge for chapters 17 & 19.

It does not say if Abraham recognized him immediately or not, we should try not to read our perspective into the text, but at some point he catches on.

Abraham was just going about his own normal day at this time he was taking a break because it was hot out.

Perhaps he was resting because he was just recently circumcised, all the more reason to be focused on ones self rather then others.

When we are tired and ornery it is most likely that we be self focused and miss opportunities to serve others.

Notice what the text says, he was obviously not really paying attention to anything in particular for in those days surely you would have noticed three men approaching.

"when he saw them" is interesting these men were standing right in front of him but he had not really seen them yet.

How often are we like this? how often do we miss opportunities to serve the Lord because we are not looking for them.

How often do we miss opportunities when they are right there in our face.

I guess we wouldn't know would we, it is a question no-one can answer, how many opportunities have I missed because I have not been looking, I don't know!

I would venture to say there are some for all of us.

I know there must have had to have been some because I am a sinner and therefore I am sure I have not perfectly kept God's will in this area.

When I am hot and tired and on a break the last thing I am thinking is 'how can I serve someone else today' but what is my excuse for when I am not hot, tired, hurt, and ornery and still I do not look and watch and see the opportunities God has given me to be His servant.

Beloved we must keep our eyes open, and be on the lookout to bless others!

This brings us to our first point this morning...

Open Your Eyes

When he saw them what was his response?

He stayed right there and watched them go by?

He sat still and tried to avoid eye contact?

He waved them away and then tried to look busy?

He turned and went inside his tent and then pretended not to be home?

Did he chase them away?

No, he ran from where he was to them, the word here for ran is more like sprinted to them, which is all the more impressive since we know that he is 99 years old.

the word means to move at such a pace as to not have more then one foot on the ground at a time and I cannot picture Abraham as much of a skipper.

He ran to meet them where they were, he came to them not the other way around.

When he reached them he placed himself in a position of humility before them.

Look back at the text, I have every reason to believe that to Abraham they were mere men to him and nothing more.

Not only does he place himself physically in a position of humility before them but his speech matches his posture.

Have you ever talked to someone who was saying the right words but the tone was off?

Just think of how children apologize to one another when they are told to do so.

"Sorry".

Abraham is not seeking to pretend to be humble here he is seeking to communicate true humility he refers to them as Lord or master and himself as servant.

He asks them to stay and eat if he has found favor in their eyes.

Who is the one doing the blessing and who is the one being blessed here?

Who should be the one who is thankful and humble?

Who is the one who should be the master and the servant?

Humility... is the corrective lens necessary to see people the way Christ did.

Luke 7.36-50

Pharisee & Sinful Woman

John 13.1-20

Jesus Washes Feet

Before we move on we can tease out our second point from the text.

Meet Real Needs

Jesus Feeds 5,000

Mark 6

Look at verse 5. What do you think of when you hear the word morsel?

I would imagine you do not think of a full loaf would you?

The Hebrew here has been translated other places as (bit, fragment, piece, and even crumb).

Is a morsel of bread going to be enough for three grown man who are on a journey on foot?

Are you kidding?

We go through almost a whole loaf of bread with our four kids and all they do is run back and forth inside our house.

Abraham is telling them in essence, "let me bring you a little something to eat before you go".

His intention is simply to bless them as they are passing through, he is seeking to be as hospitable as he can be in the time that he has.

Notice what he promises them and what he delivers!