June 18 Genesis 18:1-15 Afraid to laugh 2^nd Sunday after Pentecost               

God seems so frightening we can miss the joy of His love!            

Psalter reading Psalm 100:1-5

“1 ¶ «A Psalm of Thanksgiving.» Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” (Psalm 100:1-5 NKJV)

“1 ¶ Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 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, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, "My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 "Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 "And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant." They said, "Do as you have said." 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes." 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So 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. 9 ¶ Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" So he said, "Here, in the tent." 10 And He said, "I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son." (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" 13 And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 "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." 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh!"” (Genesis 18:1-15 NKJV)

When I was a Presbyterian we used to joke that we were the frozen chosen.  Methodists who used to shout and sing in praise of God now look quietly and follow their bulletins.

In Genesis Sarah laughs at what she sees as a foolish promise of God and in true Church fashion denies it.  How silly we are!!!

But the Psalmist calls us not only to joy but to a joyful shout!  Look at what we are called to as part of our worship of God.  We are called to “make a joyful shout”, “serve the Lord with gladness”, “come before His presence with singing”, “know that the Lord He is God”, “enter into His gates with thanksgiving”, “into His courts with praise”, “be thankful to Him and bless His name”. 

Like Abraham we must offer to God our worship and love and wash the feet of the God who washed ours.  We must rejoice and celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness rather than laughing at His plans as we do each time we turn from His call because we do not trust Him!

God never asks anything of us that He hasn’t already given to us and God never asks us to do anything for Him that He hasn’t already done for us.

Are you hiding in the tent behind others who are out working hard to serve God as they are called to? Are you laughing at God and at those who seek to be faithful to the God who has been faithful to them?

YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD, WEAK, BUSY, WEARY OR TOO ANY OF THE EXCUSES YOU USE TO PUT GOD OFF!

 Jesus suffered for you in a way He didn’t deserve to give you a life which you don’t deserve!  Be faithful to your faithful God!  Rejoice and laugh with joy at the redemption and love of God!!!