All You Can Eat Buffet

Title: The All You Can Eat Buffet

Text: Genesis 18:1-3

Introduction

1. We love to eat out!

A. It makes it easier for Kay, because there is less mess and clean up.

B. It doesn’t require preparation.

C. Everyone can order what they want,

D. we don’t all have to have the same thing.

2. Of course, on the down side,

A. it is more expensive.

B. And you don’t really know the care they take in their food preparation.

C. I’ve gotten food poisoning on occasion in a restaurant;

D. but I can’t remember ever getting food poisoning from home-cooked meal.

3. One of our favorite places to eat at is an all-u-can-eat buffet.

A. On a buffet, not only does everyone get what they want to eat

B. But they can go back and eat as much as they want!

4. I can assure you that I am aware of the healthy eating habits.

A. I know about those things called “vegetables”.

i. Most weight loss diets will tell you that you can have as many green vegetables that you want to eat;

ii. because they are so healthy.

B. I am also aware that at most buffets,

i. they serve salads and vegetables.

ii. (At least that’s what I’ve been told)

C. But when I get to the buffet line,

i. I usually don’t get near the salad and vegetables.

ii. I head straight to the good stuff

iii. BBQ Ribs

iv. French fries

v. Corn pudding (isn’t that considered a vegetable?)

vi. Hamburgers

vii. Pizza, with lots of cheese, sausage, and pepperoni.

D. And if I do get near any vegetables,

i. they are usually breaded

ii. and deep-fried,

iii. and dipped in sauce.

iv. Don’t even get me started on the dessert bar!

E. I better stop before everyone runs out the door to their favorite restaurant!

5. Many people live their Christianity like a buffet line!

A. They pick a some of this

B. And a some of that.

C. just picking the stuff they want.

6. Someone called me recently and asked me about our worship style.

A. And how it compares with other denominations.

B. I answered his questions…

C. But after we hung up, I got the feeling he wouldn’t be coming to our church.

D. He didn’t want to know if the people were friendly.

E. He didn’t want to know if I preached Biblically based sermons.

F. He didn’t even care what we believed.

i. What our doctrine was.

G. I got the feeling he was looking for a church that was entertaining.

i. Where he could sit back and get blessed

ii. And leave without getting involved

H. He was going through the Christian buffet line

i. Taking a little of this

ii. Some of that

iii. And probably never really got to the vegetables.

a. the stuff that is so important to our bodies and our health.

7. Most people think worship is like a buffet line....

A. where you go and gorge yourself on things that satisfy your appetite...

i. your taste buds...

B. without ever realizing that they are missing the point of what worship really is.

8. This month, our focus is on worship...

A. what it is...

B. how we worship...

C. who we worship...

D. when we worship...

E. and where we worship...

9. That doesn’t mean that after November is over....

A. our focus on worship ends...

B. It is my hope that after this month is over...

C. we become true worshippers...

D. people who worship God every day...

E. in the right way...

F. and with the right attitude.

10. Read Text: Genesis 18:1-3

11. Worship appears throughout Scripture...

A. You can find it from the earliest pages of Scripture...

i. God was pleased by Abel’s worship...

ii. But Cain’s worship was displeasing to God...

a. And Cain grew jealous and killed his brother...

b. the first recorded death in Scripture.

iii. Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly why God accepted Abel’s sacrifice,

a. and rejected Cain’s.

iv. Much is made of the fact that Abel brought a blood sacrifice...

a. and Cain brought a sacrifice that didn’t require blood to be spilled.

v. And that may be...

a. but in my mind...it all goes to our attitude...

vi. Hebrews 11:4 says, "By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.

vii. Jewish tradition says that Abel brought the best of his flock for sacrifice...

viii. while Cain brought a few scrawney ears of corn...

a. keeping the best for himself. (Barclay’s Study Bible)

B. We find worship when Moses came into the presence of God in the burning bush.

C. Worship is very prevalent in the Psalms...which we will be studying in Sunday Evenings.