It is Hard Not to Laugh! - Sermon Notes | Bible Baptist Church of Ballincollig

I. Introduction (Genesis 18:1-15)

Do you really believe God’s promises? Or do you have your limits?
Remember He is God Almighty!
Let’s read Genesis 18:1-15

“And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground” - Genesis 18:1,2

II. A Personal Encounter (Genesis 18:1,2)

A. Three Men Come to Abraham

Abraham is in the plains of Mamre - the most fertile area in all of Canaan
Three men are walking towards Abraham, and he jumps up and runs to greet them
Abraham doesn’t know who these men are - they look and sound just like normal guys

B. Who Are These Three Men?

Two of them are angels (revealed in Genesis 19:1)
The third is Jehovah God appearing as a man
“And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD” - Genesis 18:22
“And there came two angels to Sodom at even” - Genesis 19:1
If you ever meet an angel, you would never know it
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” - Hebrews 13:2
Just be kind to people you don’t know - and especially to the people you do know!

III. Abraham’s Servant’s Attitude (Genesis 18:2-8)

A. Abraham’s Respectful Greeting

Abraham was super wealthy - 318 servants (Genesis 14:14), vast numbers of sheep, cows, and camels
Yet he was super plain living - living in a tent, content where God had placed him
And he was super respectful - he called the lead man “Lord” (Adonai - my superior) and bowed before them

B. Abraham’s Heart of Hospitality

“My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree” - Genesis 18:3,4
He offered to wash their feet - the most luxurious thing for dusty, weary travellers
He told Sarah to make bread quickly
He ran to the herd and fetched the best calf - tender and good - and cooked it himself
He stood by them as they ate, serving like a waiter (Genesis 18:8)
“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord… given to hospitality” - Romans 12:10-13
Abraham set the pace in his home - he commanded his household (Genesis 18:19)

IV. The Reason They Came (Genesis 18:9,10)

A. Two Reasons for Their Visit

To announce the fulfilment of God’s promise - Sarah would have a son within a year
To inform Abraham of the coming judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah (covered in later weeks)

B. The Promise Spoken Aloud

“And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him” - Genesis 18:9,10
Notice he says “Sarah” - her new name - not “Sarai.” This stranger knew her name had been changed!
He speaks loud enough for Sarah to hear the promise herself

V. Sarah Needed to Believe the Promise Herself (Genesis 18:10)

A. Up Until Now, Sarah Had Only Heard from Abraham

Abraham had told her God promised them children - over and over
She trusted her husband enough to leave her home and family (Genesis 12)
But after years of waiting, she gave up and offered Hagar (Genesis 16)

B. Faith Must Be Personal

Faith comes not from your husband, not from your pastor, not from your denomination
“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” - Romans 10:17
She needed to hear the promise from the mouth of the Lord herself
That’s why the prophets always said, “Thus saith the LORD” - not the church, not the religion

C. Four Things a Christian Must Trust

The Promise of God - what He said He will do
The Power of God - His ability to do anything
The Presence of God - “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5)
The Purpose of God - trusting that His will is good

VI. Sarah’s Laugh (Genesis 18:11-15)

A. The Reality of Their Situation

“Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women” - Genesis 18:11
Sarah was past the age of bearing children - there was no way physically
But Sarah’s reality means nothing to God’s ability!
No matter how impossible your situation is, God can do what He promises

B. Sarah Laughed Within Herself

“Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” - Genesis 18:12
She was careful - she knew it would be rude to laugh at dinner guests
She was chuckling to herself, trying to hide it
She laughed in unbelief, just like Abraham had done (Genesis 17:17)
Her sin was unbelief - “Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?”

VII. The Problems With Unbelief

A. Unbelief Keeps People Away from God and Out of Heaven

What sin sends a person to hell? Unbelief
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” - John 20:31
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” - John 3:36
Not believing in hell will not keep you from going there
The only requirement for entering God’s presence is faith and trust in Jesus Christ
“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” - Romans 10:9

B. Unbelief Ruins the Christian’s Walk

Most Christians have no walk with God because they don’t believe much of what God says
When you mock God’s word and reject His promises, it hurts YOU
The reason Hagar was in Sarah’s home, and Ishmael became a thorn in their side, was because of unbelief
Too many Christians lose their joy of expectation of God’s promises

VIII. It’s Funny that Sarah Denies Laughing (Genesis 18:15)

A. Sarah’s Denial

“Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh” - Genesis 18:15
She doubted God’s word - just as Eve did when Satan said “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1)
Then she lied - she lied to God about laughing at God
Fear was controlling her actions - she was afraid of being exposed as an unbeliever

B. The Lord Exposes Her

“Nay; but thou didst laugh” - what a rebuke!
Very humbling, very brief
And then the conversation was over - the men rose up and looked towards Sodom (Genesis 18:16)

IX. God Is Qualified to Brag! (Genesis 18:14)

A. Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

“Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son” - Genesis 18:14
Only God can say, “Is anything too hard for me?”
Whatever He promises, He can do and He will do

B. Things God Cannot Do

He cannot lie (Titus 1:2)
He cannot die - that’s why He became a man as Jesus, so He could die for sinners
He cannot deny anyone who believes in His Son
He cannot save anyone against their will - your loved ones must choose to believe

C. What God Promises, He Is Able to Do

“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised” - Hebrews 11:11
“With God nothing shall be impossible” - Luke 1:37
After Sarah heard the words from the Lord and the rebuke, Sarah never doubts again
She judged Him faithful who had promised

X. Conclusion

Stop laughing at the impossibilities in your life - start believing God again
Be patient - Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for the promise to be fulfilled
Stop trusting your own best efforts - even if they’re good, they may produce an Ishmael
Believe God beyond your imagination
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” - Ephesians 3:20
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” - Ephesians 2:8,9