Some time ago, a newspaper in Tacoma, Washington, carried the story of Tattoo, the basset hound. Tattoo didn't intend to go for an evening run, but when his owner shut his leash in the car door and took off with Tattoo still outside the vehicle, he had no choice.
A motorcycle officer named Terry Filbert noticed a passing vehicle with something that appeared to be dragging behind it. As he passed the vehicle, he saw the object was a basset hound on a leash.
“He was picking them up and putting them down as fast as he could,” said Filbert. He chased the car to a stop, and Tattoo was rescued, but not before the dog reached a speed of twenty to twenty-five miles per hour, and rolled over several times.
The dog was fine but asked not to go out for an evening walk for a long time. (John Ortberg, Leadership, Vol. 17, no. 4; www. PreachingToday.com)
Tattoo reminds me of a lot of people I know. They’re picking them up and putting them down as fast as they can, rolling over several times, as they’re being dragged at a break-neck speed through life. As a result, they miss out on so much, especially if they’re believers.
Jesus said to His followers, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Jesus wants to reveal some wonderful, divine secrets to us, because we’re His friends, but sometimes we’re too busy to listen. You see, we as believers in Christ have the privilege of intimate fellowship with an incredible God; but we don’t always enjoy that privilege, because we’re too busy.
So how do we learn to slow down enough to enjoy our relationship with God? How do we learn to relish the fellowship we can have with our Lord as people of faith, so that we have the pleasure of hearing from Him? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Genesis 18, Genesis 18, where Abraham finds a way to enjoy that privilege.
Genesis 18:1-2 And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth… (ESV)
At this point, Abraham doesn’t know it’s the Lord coming to talk to Him with two of his angels. All he knows is three strangers have arrived in the heat of the day, needing refreshment. So Abraham welcomes them. In typical mid-eastern fashion, he bows low before them and he offers them something to eat.
Genesis 18:3-8 …and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! [that’s 20 quarts!] Knead it, and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. (ESV)
Abraham gives three total strangers a great meal: fresh roasted veal, cheese, milk, and more bread than they could ever want. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” That’s exactly what Abraham is doing here. He’s entertaining angels, and the Lord Himself, without even knowing it! (yet). God shows up, personally, in the form of three strangers, needing rest and refreshment, and Abraham, by taking the time to provide for their needs, ends up enjoying intimate fellowship with his incredible Lord.
Isn’t that what you really want – intimate fellowship with our incredible God? Then like Abraham, slow down enough to embrace the outsider, to show hospitality to those who need it, to…
WELCOME STRANGERS.
I like the way Max Lucado puts it in his book, Outlive Your Life:
Long before the church had pulpits and baptisteries, she had kitchens and dinner tables. Even a casual reading of the New Testament unveils the house as the primary tool of the church. The primary gathering place of the church was the home. Consider the genius of God's plan. The first generation of Christians was a tinderbox of contrasting cultures and backgrounds. At least fifteen different nationalities heard Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Jews stood next to Gentiles. Men worshiped with women. Slaves and masters alike sought after Christ. Can people of such varied backgrounds and cultures get along with each other?
We wonder the same thing today. Can Hispanics live in peace with Anglos? Can Democrats find common ground with Republicans? Can a Christian family carry on a civil friendship with the Muslim couple down the street? [I might add, in light of the recent turmoil, can Black Lives Matter supporters get along with those who support the police?] Can divergent people get along?
The early church did—without the aid of sanctuaries, church buildings, clergy, or seminaries. They did so through the clearest of messages (the Cross) and the simplest of tools (the home).
Not everyone can serve in a foreign land, lead a relief effort, or volunteer at the downtown soup kitchen. But who can't be hospitable? Do you have a front door? A table? Chairs? Bread and meat for sandwiches? Congratulations! You just qualified to serve in the most ancient of ministries: hospitality.
Something holy happens around a dinner table that will never happen in a sanctuary. In a church auditorium you see the backs of heads. Around the table you see the expressions on faces. In the auditorium one person speaks; around the table everyone has a voice. Church services are on the clock. Around the table there is time to talk.
Hospitality opens the door to uncommon community. It's no accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, for they both lead to the same result: healing. When you open your door to someone, you are sending this message: “You matter to me and to God.” You may think you are saying, “Come over for a visit.” But what your guest hears is, “I'm worth the effort.” (Max Lucado, Outlive Your Life, Nelson, 2010, p. 55; www.PreachingToday.com)
And that breaks down barriers and creates community faster than anything I know. Think of the healing we, as a church, could bring to our communities and to our nation if we use this simple tool of hospitality. It will not only bring us closer to one another; it will bring us closer to God Himself.
Jesus said, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it for me” (Matthew 25:40). Do you want to embrace the Lord? Then embrace the poor.
In an old Jewish tale, in a small Russian town, there is a rabbi who disappears every Friday morning for several hours. His students say that during those hours their rabbi goes up to heaven and talks to God.
A stranger moves into town, and he's skeptical about all this, so he decides to check things out. He hides and watches as the rabbi gets up in the morning, says his prayers, and dresses in peasant clothes. The rabbi then grabs an axe, goes off into the woods, and cuts some firewood, which he then hauls to a shack on the outskirts of town. There an old woman and her sick son live. He leaves them the wood, enough for a week, and then sneaks back home.
Having observed the rabbi's actions, the stranger decides to stay in the village and become one of his disciples. And whenever he hears one of the villagers say, “On Friday morning our rabbi ascends all the way to heaven,” the newcomer quietly adds, “If not higher.” (Jim McGuiggan, Jesus, Hero of Thy Soul, Howard Publishing, 1998, p.15)
Do you want to touch heaven? Then touch those in need. Whatever you do, don’t miss meeting with God, because you don’t take the time to reach out to those in need. If you want intimate fellowship with your incredible Lord, then like Abraham welcome the strangers in your midst. Then 2nd, like Abraham…
STAND NEAR THE LORD.
Spend time in his presence. Linger long in his company. Did you notice that last sentence in verse 8? “HE STOOD BY THEM under the tree while they ate.” While his guests were there, Abraham didn’t run around, trying to get a lot of his other chores done. No. He took time to enjoy their presence.
He stayed near, and that’s what we must do if we’re going to enjoy fellowship with God. We must stand near in the shade of His presence.
When Mary and Martha had Jesus over for dinner, Martha busied herself with all of the preparations. She fussed and fumed over all the details of creating a perfect meal for such a wonderful guest.
Mary, on the other hand, chose to enjoy the pleasure of His company. She just sat there listening to all He had to say.
Martha was incensed, but Jesus told her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41).
Among all the things that we could do, only “one thing is necessary”. Do you hear that all my multi-tasking, busy friends? Jesus said, “ONE thing is necessary”, and that’s to linger in His presence and listen to Him. If you want to enjoy intimate fellowship with your incredible Lord, then you must stop what you’re doing every once in a while and just spend time in His presence.
Stuart Sacks from Villanova, Pennsylvania, talks about the time he served as a missionary in Paraguay. At that time, a Maka Indian named Rafael came to sit on his porch. Stuart was eating and went out to see what Rafael wanted, to which Rafael said, He responded, “Ham, henek met.” Stuart asked him again what he could do for him and Rafael’s answer was the same. Stuart could translate Rafael’s words, “I have just come near,” but he did not understand their significance.
So Stuart shared the incident with a local veteran missionary, and the missionary explained that it was Rafael's way of honoring him. Rafael didn't really want anything; he just wanted to sit on Stuart’s porch, because he found satisfaction and pleasure just being near. (Stuart Sacks, Villanova, Pennsylvania; www.PreachingToday.com)
In the same way, we honor our Lord just by being near, just by spending some time in His presence. It’s the ONE thing Jesus told us is necessary, because it’s the ONE thing He truly desires from us.
Haddon Robinson tells the story of a mother and her son in Chicago, whose father died when he was very young. As a result, the mother and son had a very unique relationship. Now, this was in the days before television, and folks would spend evenings listening to the radio or reading to one another. They both enjoyed listening to good music. Theirs was a special relationship.
In his early twenties, he met a young woman at the church, fell in love with her, and they decided to be married. Back then, during World War II, housing in the large cities was very difficult to get. The mother, knowing they wanted to be married, said, “We have a two-story house. I can make an apartment for myself in the second story. You and your bride can live in the first story. The only thing I ask is that we get a chance to spend some time together because I'm going to miss the reading and the music.”
Her son said, “Mother, you can be sure of that. It's too important to me.”
The couple married. And for a while, life continued with the son stopping by a couple of times a week to spend some time with his mother. He was busy, and eventually days and actually weeks went by with only a call from downstairs or a brief glimpse. The relationship was not what it had been.
On the mother's birthday, the young man bought his mother a lovely dress, brought it to her, and said, “Happy birthday, Mother.”
She opened the package and looked at the dress. “Oh, Son, thank you. I appreciate so much what you've done.”
He said, “Mother, you don't like it.”
She said, “Oh, yes, I do. It's my color. Thank you.”
He said, “Mother, I have the sales slip. They tell me I can take it back.”
She said, “No, it is a lovely dress.”
He said, “Mother, you don't fool me. We've been together too long. What's wrong?”
The woman turned and opened her closet. She said, “Son, I have enough dresses there to last me for the rest of my life. I guess all I want to say is that I don't want your dress. I want you.” (Haddon Robinson, “Don't Just Do Something, Sit There,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 138; www.PreachingToday.com)
I think that’s what God says to each one of us: I don’t want your stuff; I want you!” I don’t want your busy activity. I don’t want your money. I don’t want your gifts as much as I want YOU! God delights in us. He enjoys our presence and wants to spend time with us. But if we’re too busy to spend time with Him, then there is no way we can enjoy the delight of His company.
If you want intimate fellowship with your incredible Lord, then like Abraham you must welcome the strangers in our midst; you must stand near Him; and finally, you must…
BELIEVE HIM.
Take him at his word and trust what he says. Depend on him to do the impossible even in your situation.
Abraham is in the Lord’s presence, and he doesn’t know it yet, but he’s about to get a clue.
Genesis 18:9-12 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” (ESV)
Now, Sarah is thinking all this in her head. She didn’t say any of this out loud. Even so…
Genesis 18:13-15 The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” (ESV)
God knew what Sarah was thinking, and Abraham knew that this was no ordinary stranger. Only God can read our thoughts, and only God can open the womb of a 90-year-old woman.
All Abraham had to do was believe it, and that’s all we need to do as well. There is NOTHING too hard for the Lord to do. He can meet any need. He can overcome any problem. He can heal any hurt.
All we need to do is trust Him. Take Him at His word, and let Him do for you the impossible, wonderful things He wants to do. Let Him create new life in you and change you from the inside out.
I like the man who prayed, “Dear God, so far today, I've done all right. I haven't gossiped. I haven't lost my temper. I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or over indulgent. I'm very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed; and from then on, I'm going to need a lot more help. Amen.”
Truth be known, we ALL need a lot of help, but NONE of us are beyond God’s help. Just trust God to do whatever it is you need Him to do for you, because nothing is too hard for Him, even given the constraints of your situation.
The architect Frank Gehry, well-known for designing the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, believes that constraints are the building blocks of great work. The strict standards for acoustics at Disney Hall led to a unique design of the interior space. And that, in turn, led to the soaring, graceful steel exterior that surrounds it.
Gehry spoke of how lost he once felt when he was asked to design a house with zero constraints. “I had a horrible time with it,” he said. “I had to look in the mirror a lot. Who am I? Why am I doing this? What is this all about?” “It's better to have some problem to work on”, Gehry explained. “I think we turn those constraints into action.”
David Sturt, in his book Great Work, puts it this way. He says, “Constraints actually give us some building blocks to work with, a starting point. And without that, nothing happens. If you're ever tempted to feel limited by the constraints of your life, remember how few elements it takes to make something great. Every color in nature comes from just red, yellow, and blue together in millions of combinations. Every pop song, symphony, jingle, ditty, and aria in the Western World started with just twelve notes in the chromatic scale. Everything on the planet, including us, is made up of just 118 known chemical elements. And six regular eight-stud Lego bricks can be put together in more than 900,000,000 different ways. How's that for possibilities? (David Sturt, Great Work, McGraw Hill, 2014, pp. 20-21; www.PreachingToday.com)
Think about it. If constraints unleash our own potential, how much more does it unleash God’s power in our lives. God can create unimaginable possibilities out of our limitations just like He did for Abraham and Sarah. All we need to do is believe Him! All we need to do is trust Him to keep His Word.
If you want to enjoy intimate fellowship with your incredible Lord, then take the time to welcome strangers, and stand near him. Then believe Him when He tells you He wants to do the impossible, to create new life in you.
Don’t laugh like Sarah; just listen and enjoy His company.
