God Shows Us The Way To Pray Series

Old Testament Encounters with Christ

Part 10: God Shows Us the Way to Pray

Genesis 18:1-33

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - Jan. 25, 2012

BACKGROUND:

*What would you do if the Lord came to lunch? -- That’s the question we answered last week in the first part of Genesis 18. The chapter opened with 3 men making an unexpected visit to Abraham’s tent. And verse 1 tells us that this was a miraculous visit, because one of these men was Jehovah God, the pre-incarnate Christ, Jesus our Savior and Lord.

*The Lord came to see Abraham, and vs. 1-15 showed us what to do when the Lord comes to us:

[1] First, give your hospitality to the Lord. -- When Abraham set that meal before his guests, he gave the Lord the best he possibly could, as soon as he possibly could.

[2] Also give the Lord your hope. -- Trust the Lord even for the impossible, because nothing is too hard for the Lord!

[3] And give God your honesty. -- Don’t try to deceive the Lord like Sarah did in vs. 15. You can’t fool God!

*This week we will see that the Lord had another special purpose for this visit. He wanted Abraham to know something terrible that was about to happen. And we can read about it in vs. 16-33.

INTRODUCTION:

*In these verses, God shows us 3 steps in the process of prayer:

-God’s revelation.

-Our request.

-And God’s response.

1. God shows us how to pray: First, God makes a revelation to us.

*God reveals Himself to us. Any true conversation we have with the Lord must be based on the revelation of God. God always takes the first step.

*In this story God revealed Himself, not just for Abraham, but for all who will believe. And in these verses we see 4 ways the Lord reveals Himself to us.

[1] First, the Lord reveals Himself to us by His presence. We may not see Him, but the Lord comes to us, as surely as He came to Abraham.

*This look at Christ’s Old Testament appearances is totally relevant to us today. Christ came to Abraham, and this reminds us of the other times our Lord came for us:

-Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins and rise again from the dead.

-The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost.

-Christ’s Spirit comes into our hearts when we receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.

*The Lord sitting down to lunch with Abraham reminds us of what Jesus said in Rev 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

*We can also rejoice because we know that the Lord is coming again! -- But until that day, the Lord also comes to encourage us when odds are against us.

*Remember the Apostle Paul in arrested in Jerusalem. Acts 23:10-11 tells us:

10. And when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

11. But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.''

*Later on, when Paul was in Rome on trial for his life, he said:

16. At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.

17. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. (2 Tim 4:16-17).

*The Lord stood by Paul, and He will surely stand by you.

-He reveals Himself to us by His presence.

[2] But the Lord also reveals Himself through His provision.

*God reveals Himself by providing for His people. He had already provided so much for Abraham & Sarah.

-And now, He was going to provide them a son.

-But much more than a son. God was going to provide them a Savior.

*So in Rom 8:31, Paul asked these great questions: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Then Paul gave the answer in vs. 32: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

*God reveals Himself by providing for His people, so in Phil 4:19, Paul said: “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”