An Upper-Downer Day, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. That's what that was because nothing is too difficult for God joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world often, and I want God some retail store. Almost always, if it's a restaurant someone we have never met standing by the door will say have a great day. Now I really wonder about their sincerity. But I guess they have been told that that's just good PR but I thought about it from a different perspective as well. I'm thinking what that would be nice but not great days, rare I mean is that why we call them great days. The reason the great days of great days are because great days are like normal days and great days are great. I mean wedding day birth of a child all Christmas morning is a great days with great days are kind of rare kind of calling great days are to mirrorlike updates and just days that you're so happy about everything.

It's like the psalmist writes in Psalm 116 says you make known to me the path of life in your presence there is fullness of joy and at your right hand are pleasures for evermore, and there are great days. There are days, but there also down days, we've all had those heavenly days that are downers, Job, Job 14 man who is born of woman is fewer days and full of trouble. Job may have been the all-time greatest expert on down days. The intensity of his down days, unbelievable but thankfully just as the updates are rare.

So are the down days relatively rare, but the rarest days of all are the upper downer days okay the upper downer day is a day that starts its great and you really excited about the whole thing and then something happens and then it turns into a downer day all of us have faced upper downer days. None of us are excluded from upper downer days. The question is how do we react when we have an upper downer day because even the friend of God had an upper downer day turning your Bibles to Genesis chapter 18 Genesis chapter 18. This will be of no surprise to you but the context for Genesis 18 comes in Genesis 17 and in Genesis 17 we find some things out. 18 is only a few weeks after chapter 17 in chapter 17 God reiterates again over and over he is gone. This the Abraham a covenant telling Abraham that all the people of the earth all the nations of the utterly blessed through you and your seed but a couple other things happen in Genesis 17 he changed Abram's name Abram and exalted father to Abraham which meant father of the multitudes now.

Still, Abraham only has one child that's Ishmael, but he also changed Sarai's name in Genesis 17 to Sarah and he said something in 17 it was extremely important for them to hear. Sarah will bear the child. So now they know that is not only Abraham seed or a proceeding will have to come up with another Hagar and another deal like Ishmael, his wife Sarah is going to bear the child and so they're going for a few weeks and we run into a typical setting in the beginning of 18 Abraham finds himself in the hot of the day probably around noon at the sort of entrance of this tent. There he can get a little bit of breeze and he can also get shade and then all of a sudden a typical day becomes an upper day in verse 18. Now the Lord appeared to him. The Lord appeared to him by the Oaks of memory while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day and when he lifted up his eyes and he looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and he bowed himself to the earth was not a typical day all of a sudden sitting there, and I'm guessing from the lifting of his eyes. He's doing what I do, often on a good hot day. If I have the becoming out there. If Bobby bobbing his head dozing off and all of a sudden lifted up his eyes and their three men standing there, they didn't walk there not likely the public just appeared. We know something about this because Moses tells us that one of them is the Lord and so we know that there is the Lord and will find God as the chapter goes on it and two angels and their standing right in front of them. You see, sometimes the Lord takes the initiative to commune with his people.

Abraham didn't do anything. Lord, you showed up. He took the initiative and Abraham gets his visitors and what you see now is Abraham offers incredible hospitality and even more inversely says my Lord if I know if I'm favoring your site.

Please do not pass your servant. Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree and I will bring a piece of bread.

Note that particular word by the which translated bread is the word Lehman and Lamb can be translated bread or food and he's going to bring a lot more than a piece of bread. This is like a mini give some toast and water and you can go on. This is going to be a feast.

He goes way beyond what hospitality should be is and I will bring a piece of bread and that you may refresh yourselves and then you may go on since you have visited your servant, and they said so do is you've said, except his hospitality go ahead and do what you said.

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah.

Now, in this story.

By the way, Sarah never leaves the tent and that's accustomed if men come to visit the woman of the house is never seen.

And so Sarah stays in the tent. She doesn't come out of the tent and it says Abraham hurried to the tent to Sarah and he said quickly prepare three measures of fine flour needed and make bread, cakes now. Okay, that doesn't mean much to us to make some bread, cakes three measures of fine flour 5 gallons. That's a lot of bread, cakes where there is a big brick and I know which way you want to put it but that's a lot Mrs. lunch.

You see, this is in the middle of the day go head.

I want you to do this. He doesn't stop Abraham also ran to the herd and he took. He says a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it the most expensive rarest meat you can have in their world is veal and the reason for it.

Simple. If you're raising a calf you want to raise it to its full grown because you want as much meat from it. As you can possibly get. But he says kill the calf they understand and meets more tender. Kill the best calf we have so now they're getting 5 gallons of flour made in the bread cakes they're getting the best choice of veal in any said in verse eight in the took Kurds at my cheese almost more like a cottage cheese. He took Kurds and milk and the calf, which he had prepared any place that before them, and then it says and he's was standing by them under the tree as the he doesn't eat with them.

He doesn't need member they're gonna recline on the grind, usually on their side. On one elbow he doesn't meet with them.

He stands with the servant stands whose the meat every one of their needs.

This is kind of interesting in his part, Abraham show something here that's uniquely Abraham.

He recognizes immediately who it is you know someone is said in verse three had raped some commentators and said when he said, my Lord, if I have five favoring your site that that just mean Sir yes it does. If it's the word of Tony.

But this is the word I deny and I deny means Lord.

In fact, in verse one Moses says in the Lord appeared to him you going to see if this goes on is clearly the Lord. My view is it Abraham knew exactly who he was. As soon as he saw and noticed what he does.

He runs to him bows down and worships and then honors him with the best that he has see sometimes the Lord takes the initiative to commune with his people and the question is how do we respond to that receipt of all the kind of days you could have.

This is an upper day.

Just imagine you're in your own lethargic Sunday afternoon situation you always are in the early afternoon trying to keep your eyes awake, semi watching a game or whatever and all of a sudden your doorbell rings and the sword of me you never say that's an upper day. I think maybe maybe for you to be a downer day I clean the house get things away, look out.

I don't.

I should be wearing this type of thing. But the point is, this is a unique experience. He is having a great day and it drives him to praise. It drives him to. Thanks. It drives him to warship it drives him to honor the Lord that's what should happen when we have an upper day when you're having an upper day it should always drive you to praise and thanks you see that's what should happen, and I should say Lord I want to honor you can. I want to thank you for this blessing. You see, the Lord takes the initiative often to commune with his people. Jesus told the disciples I desired to eat the Passover with you in Revelation chapter 3 Jesus speaking says behold I stand at the door and knock it if you would open up. I would come and I will dine with your commune with you. I don't think the Lord does it, that when necessary with me but he says it so often with me, when all of a sudden I started thinking about things and I'll be as honest and candid as I can sometimes maybe your little like this when I start thinking a spiritual things. I start to pray selfish prayers and that is Lord. If you would only align your will with mine perfectly today and everything would happen the way I'd like it to happen and I start with that and immediately I feel the conviction so that I confess that is sent and then I start praying for others and and I start in a sense thanking God. And then I start praising NNI start realizing while he came and visited me. You see, I was even thinking on these terms but he came in he visited me and whenever the Lord visit you. Obviously that's an upper day in your life, or an upper moment in your life and you should drive us to praise it should drive us to worship each and every time that it does. That's a great lesson from this particular text is also something else I had in mind when I looked at the text.

The writer of Hebrews and New Testament Hebrews 13 two says this. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers always speaking in the church, aged people like us do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this. Some have entertained angels without knowing it, and that an interesting thing. Next time you encounter a stranger or something else or to God only stays where he is welcome.

He stays in Vermont and you don't want to welcome God, you wanting to do with them won't stay just move on so you see this great truth here this upper day. It must be the day of all days. The him then it only gets better as a second point is that the Lord expects his people to believe his promises because nothing is too difficult for him.

That's what we see here it says in verse nine and then they said to him, the group where is Sarah your wife now you know something supernatural is going on.

She just got her name changed the last chapter. How would a stranger know her name anyway, but a name for all these years of her life and up till now you know you're talking about an awful lot of years, near 89. She was Osman Sarah now sees Sarah but notice they asked, particularly for her. The question is where is Sarah your wife and he said there in the tent, I would've said how do you know her name but he knows who they are received from his point of view sounds normal and then he said, and now the Lord takes over. I will surely return to you at this time next year, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son. This is the first time a member since they left the Chaldees. This is gone, only 25 years going on and on and on and on and it keeps saying in errors, but none ever comes. Now this promise of God has an expiration date on by next year shall have the child by the way, who could say that God to a 99-year-old man and 89-year-old woman who could say that to a 99-year-old man and an 89-year-old woman and said by next year you'll have the child well then says, and Sarah was listening at the tent door. That's what wives do. I mean, you can't blame her. These are very special people know Moses add something that's obvious to all of us.

Now Abraham and Sarah will advanced in age and Sarah was past childbearing. While that's an understatement. Sarah can't see menopause in her rearview mirror, I mean she is a beyond this, you see, but Moses wants to let us know just how old they were on what's going on and then look at the response. Sarah laughed herself.

Why would you Sarah laughed herself. It was just yourself and that's the way it's written so was in a loud laugh running like that. It was maybe something that just was you would even hear it.

Much of the Lord and she said to herself. After I have become bold show. I have pleasure Lord being old also come on I wanted the pleasure of a child, a son since Abraham and I got married I wanted this decade after decade after decade, and then he said he was the make a promise to us and then we waited 25 more years and now it's going to happen. But as I said, the Lord expects his people to believe his promises.

Notice what happens and then the Lord said to Abraham, but it Sarah live. I don't know ask her. I mean, you know what a bosoms but I don't fingers any humor in this with the Lord of all. Why did why did Sarah laugh saying indeed he so I indeed bury a child when I am so old and then he interjects this, not just for them but for us is anything too difficult for the Lord. You see, from her point of view that seem like absurd. By the way, and that's why he made the promise that absurd you see Abraham could be called either the Chaldees when he was 20 years old.

He and Sarah could had Isaac when he was 25 God and then do that God is going to do it in the way that there's no mistake that it's God's hand. That's why they're waiting is a consequently he expects them to believe the promise and his reason for it is anything too difficult for the Lord at the appointed time is that I will return to you at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son. Sarah denied it. However, in saying I did not laugh, for she was afraid. He said no you do life that wasn't funny to God you doubt me will never do that would be think of the promises to us. Romans 828 as a believer in Jesus Christ all things work together in your life for good the country from God.

I can't tell you how many of you told me there is no way this is good. There's just no way God long about this really is he really he makes promises like that he normally makes promises like that but he makes promises, no matter how lonely and how separated we feel to never leave us or forsake us to always be there.

You won't budge even when the movie won't you promises in the sermon on the Mount to meet our daily needs. Is that I'll meet your needs ongoing wall is not meeting my needs.

This isn't any good either. He also promises us that we will never be tempted beyond what we are able to withstand realize that the promise of God when you're facing the temptation you're facing a very familiar pattern of sin in your life. Don't for a moment say this is too great a temptation for me because it's not God's promise that he would not tempt you beyond what you are able to withstand his promise to keep us forever that we have eternal security. Once you are in my father's handy said no power nurse can take you out, and yet so many of us have such trepidation, I don't know from the to go to heaven. I just don't know what's going to happen to see God expects us to believe his promises. No matter how difficult they seem to us. That's what happened was Sarah because nothing is too difficult for God listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of a smoother message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as well Fellowship in the Word.

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