I Thank God For A Father Who Can Genesis 18:1-33

To every man in this room, you wear several different hats. For some you wear the hat of a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a friend, and a man among many other things. Each of these hats requires you to react in a different mode, different style and a different manner.

As a man you stand on a firm foundation

As a friend you stick to the end.

As brother you stand side by side.

As a son you are obedient to the voice.

But as a father you are the Priest, the Provider, and the Protector.

As a father you are a leading example to your children on how to serve the Lord, how to work to make ends meet and how to be the defender of your families. And mothers we know that you love the children, and we know that you care for the children, but there is a lion within the man that is stirred when someone messes with a father’s family.

This passage, this text exposes three sides of the life of this man named Abraham. In this scriptural section of the bible, this ancient Holy writ, this passage, he has a visit from the Lord. In this visit we are allowed to see three sides of this man's life.

As this scripture unfolds, we see some very valuable characteristics in his life that need to be seen in every man in this room need.

For a few minutes, I want to look into this personal encounter between the Abraham and the Lord.

On this particular day Abraham had some visitors. One of these beings was the Lord Jesus Himself. The other two were angels. It seems that Abraham recognized the heavenly origin of his guests, because we see that he spranged into action to serve them when they appeared. That reaction sets a good example for us because you never know when the Lord will show up at your house. We know not the day nor the time when the Lord shall appear, this is why we must always be ready like he’s coming today. We don’t know when he’s coming, but whenever he shows up, He is looking for the same servant heart He found in Abraham.

Notice three aspects of that servant's heart.

In verses 1-6 Abraham springs into action speedily trying to supply every need of his heavenly visitors. He may be a 100 years old, but there is no hesitation as he goes from one task to the next, until all of them are completed.

Notice that he is a man who recognized his duty, and fixed on doing them as quickly as he can. Men may I suggest to you that the Lord deserves our very best.

When we are serving Him, regardless of how tedious the task, we should do our best to recognize who we are serving and we should seek to do the best possible job for the glory of the Lord, and if it’s worth doing for the Lord, it is worth doing right.

Even in the Word of God we are given instruction on how to treat our families, as husbands Ephesians 5:25 it says “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” And if we go over just one chapter in chapter 6 and verse 4 it tells us fathers “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Not only was Abraham swift in his service to the Lord, but he was also sacrificial in his service to the Lord. This means that there was the quality of His ministry. When he provided for those that were visiting, he didn’t get the worse that he had he went got the best. The Bible says that He went to his flock and personally selected, killed and prepared a calf for their meal.

And here’s a secret, we haven't really become a servant until our service costs us personally. Being willing to sacrifice for your master, and being willing to sacrifice for our children is a sign that you are possessed of a servant's heart.

Whether the service is time, tithe or talents, it is the willingly rendered at the request of the Master and for His glory. The greatest sacrifice you can offer, of course, is yourself. It alright to work and to bring home the bacon, it alright to do some overtime, but the true sacrifice is when we give of ourselves to those who look up to us as their father, as we look up to the Lord as our father.

In verse 8 we see the quietness of His Ministry - While his visitors were eating their meal, Abraham stood quietly by to serve them in any way they might need.