Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?

by Administrator on Jun.05, 2009, under Ministry, Sermonettes

Imagine for a moment. It’s late in the evening and you’ve had another long day. You are tired and simply want to relax for a while. So you find yourself a snack in the fridge and park in your favorite spot on the couch and click on the TV to see what’s happening in the world. Just as you take your first bite of that delectable ham sandwich and settle in, the doorbell rings.

Wouldn’t you know it! Precisely at the moment you got comfortable, someone has to harsh your mellow (to use the current vernacular.) Maybe if you sit there quietly, they will go away. No such luck. The bell rings again insistently. Whoever it is appears to be determined to wait until you answer the door. Another soft ding dong rattles your last nerve. With a great sigh and a harumpff, you set aside your haphazard dinner and make for the door.

You are irritated and angry as you approach. This had better be good you decide, or you are going to give whoever is at the door a piece of you mind! After all, they were just about to show the world’s largest Cinnabon after the commercial break. What could possibly be more important than that?

When you reach the door, you immediately sense there is something different about this thing waiting for you on the other side and you hesitate. When you finally open the front door, you are momentarily blinded by a bright light that seems to envelope the handsome man standing on your step. Then like a dream, the light is gone. “May I come in?” the stranger asks. “Of course,” you reply without really knowing why you are letting a stranger in. Something inside tells you it is okay to do so. He moves into the house as though he is floating on a magic carpet.

“My name in Michael” the man says in silky tones, “and I have been sent here to let you know that God almighty, Yahweh, Creator of heaven and earth, will be stopping by for dinner tomorrow night.”

Simple as that.

Your immediate reaction is to laugh at this lunacy, but the chuckle lodges in your throat like a errant chicken bone. Somehow you know this is not a joke. You believed for a long time in God and your heart tells you that this is genuine. “But why me?” is all that you manage to squeak in reply.

“God does as He will.” Michael says simply and leaves it at that.

You turn around for a second to scratch your head and when you look back, Michael is gone. No closing of the door, no fluttering of the curtains, he is just not there anymore. The room is empty as before, but somehow changed. Your first thought is to drop to your knees, but that would just be silly. Or would it?

You nearly convince yourself after half an hour of arguing with yourself that it didn’t happen. “God does as He will” stills hangs in the air and there is no denying.

So what next?

I would propose to you two scenarios. Bear with me please, it will become apparent later, even if it doesn’t make sense yet.

***

Scenario One:

You immediately drop to your knees and thank God for the honor that He is showing you. As you look around the house, you notice how dirty and cluttered it is. The floors are dirty and, when you think about it, there are a lot of things in your home that you would rather not have there when God arrived. You know they are compromises to your faith but justification for these fails when you believe that God will be in that very place the following day.

You dash to your china cabinet and pull out your very best. You are tired of course but there is work to be done and you have been invigorated by the thought that you are doing it for God. You clean the kitchen and dining room. You are a whirlwind of motion, determined to have your place look its best.

When you get to the fridge, you realize that there is nothing inside fit for God. Without hesitation you grab your wallet and head to the market. You buy only the best of everything you can find and plan a meal that you feel God would appreciate. You put the last of the Groceries away, exhausted, yet somehow filled with excitement.

You arise early, something you never do, and spend a little time reading the bible, something you also rarely do. After all, He might ask a question or two. The Word seems to come alive as it has never done so before, but you have never looked at it like this before, hoping to hear from God.

Off to work and you have to tell all of your friends about God. They think you are nuts. You tell them anyway.

Arriving home, you are renewed as you make a meal for God. You sing as you cook and can’t wait to see Him. You hope everything is right. Cutting the meat, you lay aside the best cut for God. In fact, you give Him the best of everything you have. You hope it’s enough.