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When the Lord Comes to Visit

            There’s a story of the absent-minded Seminary professor who was conducting a worship service.  At the conclusion of the service he raised his hands for the blessing, but instead of saying the familiar words, “The Lord bless you and keep you ...,” he spoke the words of the common table prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blessed.”  While those of us who were there recall the incident in fond remembrance of a dearly loved, deeply respected, but somewhat absent-minded professor, I’m not so sure that he was that far off base.  To our shame, we often pray the common table prayer without really thinking about what we are saying.  When we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest,” we are asking the Lord to be with us, and when the words of blessing are spoken at the conclusion of a worship service, the Lord is saying, “I will be with you.”

            Since God wants to be with us as our guest, that raises an important question, “How do we receive him?”  No matter how young or old you are, no matter how long you have been a Christian, no matter whether you can’t remember the last time you missed a worship service or whether you are just finding your way back to the Lord, I believe there is much that all of us can learn when it comes to receiving the Lord as a guest in our life, and Abraham is a ready teacher.  So let’s explore the Bible account before us from Genesis chapter eighteen in order to learn through Abraham’s experience that When the Lord Comes to Visit, we want to welcome him, serve him, listen to him, and trust him.

I.  Welcome Him

            What images come to your mind when you hear the name Abraham?  Do you see in your mind’s eye an elderly man trudging along with wife Sarah and nephew Lot to a new land God had promised?  Do you see an old man gazing at the star-filled heavens because God had promised him descendants as numerous as the stars?  Do you see him with knife raised to slay his son, since God was testing his faith (but God stopped that act and provided a ram as a substitute)?  How about this?  Do you picture a man who was filthy rich?  He was.  The Bible says, “Abram went up from Egypt to the [southern area of Canaan], with his wife and everything he had ... Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold” (Genesis 13:1-2).  A man with that kind of wealth and community standing is not going to have to worry about answering the door.

            But while sitting outside his tent one day, Abraham lifted up his eyes, and look – three visitors!  According to the custom of the day, these guests waited for the host to invite them to come closer.  Abraham followed protocol.  When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of this tent to meet them (Genesis 13:2).  But what is noteworthy is that Abraham didn’t take on an air of superiority, look down his nose, and ask, “What do you want?”  He didn’t give the impression that they should be bowing in the presence of someone so wealthy and famous as he.  No!  He bowed low to the ground (Genesis 13:2).  He humbled himself and offered a most gracious welcome.  It is likely that at this point Abraham did not know exactly who these visitors were, but we get the impression that he recognized they were special.  “Could this be the Lord and two of his angels?”  Abraham couldn’t be sure, but he would take no chances.  His humility toward these guests parallels what he did when God appeared to him earlier.  “Abraham fell facedown” (Genesis 17:2).  When the Lord comes to visit, first welcome him in humble reverence.

            If you want to initiate an interesting discussion, ask people if they think the way we relate to God should be more casual or not.  There are plenty of people today who want God to be their buddy.  They view Jesus as a friend.  It’s true.  He is the Friend of sinners, but if we simply think of the Lord as one of the guys sitting across the picnic table in the backyard, we might lose a healthy sense of reverence.  We might lose the sense of awe, that God is bigger and greater than we are.  We might lose the sense of “Wow!  We’re in the presence of the holy God!”

            When we gather for worship, we definitely are glad to see each other.  It’s exciting to smile and chat and shake hands and revel in the privilege of being here week after week in God’s house.  But let’s also remember whose house this is.  It is a symbol of the holy God.  That is true of any worship site – in a rented facility or a beautifully appointed building like this one.  Our worship is designed to remind us that God has come to us.  It isn’t as though you and I are doing God a favor by believing in him.  He’s doing us a favor by coming to be with us.  When the Lord comes to visit, first welcome him as Abraham did.  As one of the apostle’s said, “Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

II.  Serve Him

            It was common courtesy in Bible times to offer guests who walked along dusty paths both hand and foot washing before mealtime.  Visitors, even strangers, would also be offered a meal.  It wouldn’t have to be elaborate, just enough to say, “Welcome,” and send people on their way.

            When the Lord came to visit, Abraham went above and beyond common courtesy – not reluctantly, not out of a sense of duty, but joyfully and gladly and with his whole heart.  Abraham didn’t snap his fingers and send his servants running to whip up a meal.  The Bible writer tells,“Abraham hurried ... he ran ... he brought [the food] that had been prepared” (Genesis 18:6-8).  And this wasn’t leftovers from the third shelf in the frig.  He did not scrimp.  A bushel of flour makes plenty of bread and a whole calf provides plenty of veal!  We don’t know for sure if Abraham had at this point recognized the visitors as the Lord God and two angels, but his preparation and presentation of this meal indicate his understanding that even if these guests were human, they were a gift from God, and any gift from God elicits a response of thanks and service.  By his hospitality Abraham was saying, “Whoever these people are doesn’t matter.  All that I am and all that I have come from the Lord.  Therefore, I will give to and serve others as if I am giving to and serving God.”

            Some time ago I had a conversation with a woman who told me, “I’m just too busy to serve the Lord.”  Too busy?  Who created time?  Who gave you and me one hundred sixty-eight hours each week?  Who gave us the brains and resources to earn an income?  Who puts opportunities for giving and serving before us?  Of course, church leaders love it when members volunteer for service through the church.  That’s what makes a congregation hum.  But even if you are not in a volunteer role at church, whatever your station or calling in life – husband, wife, parent, child, student, employer, employee – you can make a difference in our world and make an impact by your attitude, your bearing, your conversation with others.  There are people around the world and people next door who aren’t just hungry for bread and veal.  They need the Bread of life and the Lamb of God.  As we give to and serve others, we are giving to and serving the Lord.  Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).  When the Lord comes to visit, serve him.

III.  Listen to Him

            When guests come over for a meal, the assumption is that there will be enjoyable conversation. But every once in a while we find ourselves in the company of someone who does most of the talking, and we don’t mind.  I’m, of course, not talking about the kind of people who simply enjoy the sound of their own voice.  I’m talking about someone who has something extremely important to say, and we recognize it as valuable and worthwhile.  There actually are people like that.

            Then there is God.  Do you think God has something important to say?  Maybe I should put it this way – is there anything more important than what God has to say?  Who alone holds the key to our eternal well-being?  Who alone holds the key to our future?  Who alone has planned and carried out the erasure of all sin from our record?  Abraham may not have realized at first who these visitors were, but when the LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son” (Genesis 18:10), Abraham knew exactly who was speaking.  Just a few weeks earlier, the Lord had appeared and made the same promise.  When the Lord came to visit, Abraham listened.

            The teenager wonders, “Who am I?  What am I worth?”  It’s time to listen to God.  A young woman wonders, “Should I move in with my boyfriend or not?”  It’s time to listen to God.  A troubled Christian wonders, “Are all my sins forgiven, even the ones that hurt the people I love most?”  It’s time to listen to God.  We get so many messages that direct our attention inward, “Look inside of yourself and see your potential,” but when we do, we come up empty.  That’s why we revel in the amazing news that the Lord has come to us.  When the Lord visits, listen to him.  He says, “My daughter, my son, your sins are forgiven!”

IV.  Trust him

            Internet shopping and home shopping networks on cable TV have pretty much eliminated  the guy with a suitcase trying to get his foot in the door to sell a few brushes or a vacuum to a housewife.  Besides, in our world of bolt locks and security systems, whom would you trust?  People who work in sales will tell you that before they sell the product they have to sell themselves.  There needs to be a trust relationship for people buy in.

            When the Lord came to visit, Abraham welcomed him, served him, listened to him all for one reason.  Abraham knew what God was like.  God had said, “I will take you to a new land.”  He kept that promise.  God had said, “I will bless you [and] make your name great” (Genesis 12:2).  He kept that promise.  God had said, “I am your shield (Genesis 15:1) and will protect you.”  He kept that promise.  Now the Lord repeated the promise, “You and your wife will have a son.”  Abraham trusted the Lord because he had come to know God’s track record.  God keeps his promises.  That’s where Sarah had trouble.  It sounds as though her laughter came simply because she didn’t believe that she could physically bear a child in her old age, but the real problem was that she hadn’t taken into account the Lord’s track record.  That’s why the Lord told her and Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14).  In other words, when the Lord visits, you can trust him because what he says he can do, he will do.

            God has said, “I will care for you.”  He has kept that promise.  God has said, “I will protect you.”  He has kept that promise.  God has said, “I will take your sins away.”  He kept that promise.  God has said, “I will take you to heaven.”  We know he will keep that promise.  We can count on it because we know his track record.  He keeps all his promises.  The proof is in the pierced hands and side of his own Son.  The guarantee is a vacant grave plot outside of Jerusalem.  When the Lord comes to visit, trust him.

            Through this account from the life of Abraham we learn how to receive the Lord when he visits.  But I have one concern.  I’m worried that some of you might misunderstand the word “visit,” thinking that the Lord comes to you only occasionally or sporadically.  Listen carefully.  The Lord is not an occasional visitor.  He visits us today, all day, and every day.  Looking at our track record, we have reason to be nervous about that.  But looking at his track record, pondering what he is like and what he has done for us, we rejoice.  Today, all day, and every day welcome him, serve him, listen to him and trust him.  Today, all day, and every day pray, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest.”  Amen.

Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (www.gracedowntown.org) on July 29, 2007

Services

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Mondays 6:30 pm

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church | 1209 North Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202 | (414) 271-3006

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