The Three Sides Of Abram's Life Series

Theme: The Three Sides of Abraham’s Life

Text: Genesis 18

Introduction

A. Greetings.

B. Each one of us carries various responsibilities and many different sides of personality. Like for example, I am a husband, a father, a son, a pastor, a friend, and many other things. Yet wonderfully, God has made us able to discharge our different responsibilities. Praise the Lord! Indeed our sufficiency is in Him.

C. Now, we shall look at the three sides of Abraham’s life revealed in our passage this morning. This has something to do with his relationship with God. As we go along with our study, let us see what characteristics Abraham had displayed as he personally encountered God. Let us see how he composed himself before the Presence of the Lord. We notice here that the Lord had personally visited Abraham.

But please take note: What we have today is not a visitation, but a constantly abiding Presence of God. Wherever we are, God’s presence is with us. We therefore have to live confident and holy lives.

The three sides of Abraham’s life are:

I. A SERVANT OF GOD (v.1-8).

1. The opening verse tells us that the “Lord appeared to Abraham” in human form. Three men appeared to Abraham and one of them was the Lord. Of course the Lord who appeared to him was the Second Person of the Trinity, or the Word. In our theology, we call it “Christophanies” or “Physical Manifestations of Christ before His Incarnation.”

2. The important and notable part of this incident that we are going to look at this morning is the reaction of Abraham when the Lord visited him. His reaction tells us two things about his character and heart being a true servant of God.

a. Abraham recognized God even in the form of man. Though God appeared to Abraham several times, but this was the first time that God appeared to him in human form. But still Abraham was able to recognize God. You know why, because his heart knows God, and his eyes were constantly gazing and waiting at his Lord through faith. There was no veil of doubt or sin that keep him from seeing the Glory of God.

Someone asked a christian saying, “I’d like to see God.” The christian answered; “Look around you. Look at the trees, the birds, the flowers, the people, the church, etc.” The truth is, the glory of God is all around us, but only the eyes of God’s true servants who constantly gaze at and wait upon Him by faith will recognize it.

b. Abraham served God with utter readiness. From verse 2 down to verse 8, the nature and the quality of Abraham’s service and ministry for the Lord were described.

First, Abraham was probably 87 years old this time, but look at that, he ran to serve his heavenly guests. Despite his age, he had such great vitality and excitement in serving God. I’d like to pose here for a moment and ask you: Knowing that God is our Lord and Master, are you serving Him with all your heart?

Second, Abraham took the fattened calf. It’s the best kind among his herd. Abraham did not give God a second hand or a left over; he gave God the best. The true servant of God realizes the truth that God deserves the best of everything he has, either of his time, talent, or treasure.

Third, Abraham encouraged others to join him in the ministry of the Lord. He gave the animal to a young man who hastened to prepare it. God’s servant knows how to encourage and let others share in the work of God. He does not do all the work; he shares it with others.

Lastly, Abraham has modeled himself for active and humble service to God. He had many servants, but Abraham personally served his guests. While his guests were enjoying the meal he himself and the other young man prepared, there Abraham just stood by their side waiting quietly what his guests need.

3. Do we have that kind of servant heart like Abraham’s?

II. A SAINT OF GOD (v.9-21).

1. After the sumptuous meal, the Lord spoke to Abraham about two things: the child to be born through Sarah, and what the Lord was going to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. Verse 17 tells us why the Lord was doing it. It says, “And the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since he shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?’”

2. God knew what caliber of man Abraham was. He knew that Abraham would stand the test and be all that God wanted him to be. So here, God Himself clearly considered and pictured Abraham as His saint, someone who is in the position of being close to God.