As we rejoin Abraham and Sarah’s story, we find them still waiting for God to fulfill His promise of a son. Abraham is about one hundred years old, and Sarah is about ninety.

The Lord Appears

“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 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! 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” (vv. 1-8 ESV).

When three visitors appear before him, Abraham is eager to serve and please them. The text makes clear that one of the visitors is the Lord. This is a physical appearance of God (a “theophany”) in the Old Testament. In Genesis 19:1 the other two visitors are identified as angels. We aren’t told what the Lord looked like or whether Abraham knew immediately that this was not merely a man. Although this manifestation is amazing and raises a lot of questions, it’s not the main point of the passage.

Sarah Laughs

“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?’” (vv. 9-12).

God once again reaffirms His promise of a son, and once again we’re reminded that Abraham and Sarah are old. This emphasizes the fact that this will be a miraculous event. It is entirely dependent on God to make it happen. God’s promises and fulfillment are meant to draw our attention and our praise to Him.

Sarah, like Abraham before her, laughs at the Lord’s proclamation. This time God directly addresses the doubts she expresses.

Nothing Is Too Hard for God

“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’” (vv. 13-15).

He doesn’t condemn her for it, but reminds both of them that nothing is too hard for Him. God makes and keeps seemingly impossible promises to His people. God did this throughout Scripture. One notable example is the virgin Mary who conceived and bore Jesus Christ. Every miraculous event is meant to point us to God’s power, presence, and provision, so that He alone gets the glory for doing the impossible.

Believe and Act

The lesson for us is to humbly and even desperately wait on Him. Believe and act on what God has promised. What might that look like for us as a church? We are living in the midst of the divine narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. The world is fallen and broken because of sin, but Jesus Christ came to bring salvation. Those who belong to Him are learning to live as new creations as we await His return. Jesus proclaimed,

“I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).

We are part of God’s eternal, universal Church, the Body of Christ, so we know that we are on the winning side. Individual churches may close their doors, but the Church of God will endure forever.

With that truth undergirding us, what might Dulin’s Grove look like in 10, 20, or 50 years if Christ does not return before then? As we faithfully depend on Him, God is fully capable of making our church a beacon in the darkness, filling our pews to overflowing, bringing children and teens to deep and abiding faith, training up generations of new leaders, connecting believers in deep fellowship, and so much more. We cannot make these things happen in our own power, but we need to participate in what God wants to do in and through our church. We need to start by prayerfully studying the Bible to see what God has promised and what He has commanded, and then respond by believing and acting on what we’ve learned. It’s not about doing more and trying harder, but trusting the Lord. Our goal is not to make Dulin’s Grove look good, but to glorify God as He accomplishes His will through us.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21).

Application

1) What do you hope our church will look like in 20 years? What do you see as your role in that church?

2) What obstacles do you see in your own life or in the life of our church? What supernatural things can only God do, so that He will get the glory?

3) What promises of God apply to the church (the people of God) and what does He want the church to look like? The book of Ephesians is a good place to start. Look for phrases like “so that” and “in order that” to see how we glorify God together.