It seems to happen as soon as you sit down to eat or get involved in a special project. You no sooner get started when “ding-dong” the doorbell rings, or “knock-knock” is heard upon the door. What do you do when that happens? Do you shout, “Who’s there?” Or do you sneak a peak through the curtains to see who might be interrupting your activity? Then what do you do? That depends on who it is, doesn’t it? If it is a friend or family member that you wish to see, you rush over to the door to let him or her in. But if it is a stranger, you may not be so hospitable, at least until you find out what the stranger wants.

Now I ask you, what would you do if God was standing there knocking on your door? How would you receive Him? Would you invite Him in, hide in the house until He went away, or run out the back door to get away?

Well, as we read our Old Testament lesson this morning, we saw that Abraham had that very experience happen to him one day, as he was sitting in the doorway of his tent, lost deep in thought. He may have been contemplating the recent events of his life. He may have been thinking about the move to the new country he and Sarah had made. Or he may have been remembering the promise that God had made regarding children, even though he and Sarah were well past childbearing age. Maybe he was mulling over the new names that God had given him and his wife. He was no longer to be called Abram. He was now “Abraham”, which means “exalted father”. His wife, Sarai, was no longer to be called by that name, but rather, she was to be known as “Sarah”, which means “princess”. These new names from God were to be reminders to them that God would establish a great nation from which the King of Kings would come in order to save the world from its sin.

Because he was so deep in thought, Abraham didn’t notice right away that three men were standing a little way off from his tent. The protocol and custom of that time meant that the strangers would not approach Abraham’s tent until they were invited to do so. So there they are, standing there with the hot, noonday sun beating down on their heads until suddenly, Abraham notices them and he jumps up and hustles over to them to invite them to his tent.

What an awesome surprise Abraham gets when he makes it over to these three strangers! Abraham discovers that these men are no other than the Triune God Himself! “Now pastor,” you ask, “how do you know that Abraham recognizes these men as God?” I know because of what Abraham does and says when he gets over to them. Scripture says that Abraham bowed low to the ground and said, “If I have found favor in your eyes my Lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go your way–now that you have come to your servant.”

So where is the indication that Abraham knew he was talking to a theophany, a physical manifestation of God? It is in the original Hebrew text. The word translated in our text as “my Lord” is in the original Hebrew text, “Adonai”. “Adonai” is a Hebrew proper name used only for God. So what Abraham really said was, “If I have found favor in your eyes Almighty God, do not pass your servant by.”

If you want to see how to be hospitable towards others, just look at what Abraham does next. He provides water for them to wash the dirt and dust off their feet. Then he runs to his wife and tells her to make some unleavened bread cakes from three “seahs” of flour. Now that part may not mean much to someone reading that passage today. I mean, does anyone here know how much “three seahs” of flour is, or how many loaves of flat, foot-long loaves of bread it will make? I’ll tell you. Three seahs of flour will make 128 one foot long loaves of bread!

And fresh-baked bread was not the only thing on the menu either. Abraham picked out a calf to provide the tenderest of meat for his guests. Remember that in those days, meat was only served at the most festive of occasions. To top things off, Abraham gives his guests some cottage cheese to munch on and then, like a waiter at the finest restaurant, Abraham stands a little off to one side ready to see to all of his guests’ needs.

God wants us to serve others just like Abraham served Him. God wants us to serve others exactly like we would serve God Himself. Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you do for Me.” Think about that the next time your spouse asks you to take out the garbage, or your Mom tells you to clean up your room, or your Dad asks you to help wash the car. Remember, God does not just want us to be hospitable toward our family members and friends. God wants us to be hospitable to strangers at the office, the mall, the playground, school, church or wherever we have contact with other people.

God wants us to be ready at all times to serve Him. Not only that, but God also wants us at all times to be ready to listen to Him. God did not pay a visit to Abraham and Sarah just to find out what kind of hosts they were. God stopped by to strengthen their faith by speaking to them. God strengthens our faith by speaking to us, especially through His Bible.

Up to this point, all of God’s speaking concerning the promised son was directed at Abraham. Abraham had shared those words with Sarah, but she had not heard from God Himself about it. God wanted to strengthen Sarah’s faith concerning the promise since, after all, she was about 90 years old and the chances of having a child, humanly speaking, were between “slim” and “none”, and “slim” was out of town.

So knowing that Sarah was hiding behind the tent door listening, God tells Abraham, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah, your wife, will have a son.” Great news! Not only did God repeat His promise that a son would be born to Abraham and Sarah, but He, at last, gave them the time frame in which that would take place! When Abraham had first heard that promise some twenty-plus years earlier, he had laughed with joy. Now it was Sarah’s turn to laugh. But her laughter was different. It was a nervous, unbelieving laugh. After all, was it really possible that a 90 year old woman could have a baby? Nah, this must be a joke. Sarah laughed at God’s promise.

How about us? Do we, like Sarah, find God’s promises laughable? Do we feel that it is naive and old-fashioned to believe that if we put God first in everything, in our worship time, in our prayers, in our offerings, that things in life will fall into place? Do we think, “Well, that may have worked for those in Biblical times, but not for us today.” Listen to what Jesus says, “But seek you first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well.”

Jesus also says, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” If we are guilty of mocking God’s promises, finding those promises laughable or simply refusing to believe them because they seem impossible to us, then hear God’s rebuke given to Sarah. God said, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Well, I ask you, “Is anything too hard for the Lord? Of course not! Otherwise He would not be God and He would not be worth worshipping.

You doubt God’s power? Just listen to the thunder crash and watch the lightning flash in a strong thunderstorm. Just look at the plants and trees and see how such life can spring forth from a small hard seed. Look up into the night sky and see the millions and millions of stars and planets, each in its own special place in the universe. Just watch the sun rise in the morning and feel its life-giving heat.

You doubt God’s love for you? Just gaze at the cross and remember what Christ did on it for you. John said in 1 John 3:16, “This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.” All of us need to repent for those times that we fell, and fall, for Satan’s lies that say that God can’t do what He promises, or that God won’t do what He promised because we are not loveable. We need to be like Abraham and take God at His word. If a promise or a task that God has given us seems to be impossible, we need to remember what the Apostle Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”

At the beginning of this sermon I asked you what you would do if you found God knocking at your door. The fact is, God is at you door. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Here I am. I stand at your door and knock…” Jesus is there at the door to your heart. He won’t barge in. You must open the door to let Him in.

Do that. Let Him in, and He promises, “If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes (the world) I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” God is there knocking on your door. He is a visitor who wants nothing more than to bless you. Don’t turn Him away. Don’t run away yourself. Open your door. Let Him into your life. God promises you that you will have everlasting life in His Kingdom, with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.