God’s Promise is not a Punch Line.
Every good joke has a good punch line. A Punch Line brings unknown & unexpected information that surprises us and causes us to laugh.
Sarah, the wife of Abraham once heard God make a promise that was completed unknown & unexpected to her. She heard the promise of God and laughed, but God’s promise is not a punch line.
God does offer us a funny punch line, but it is not what you might think it is. The God of fun offers us a truly unexpected punchline. Get ready to laugh.

God of Fun 3: Punch Line – Redemption Church Plano, Tx from Redemption Church on Vimeo.
 
God of Fun 6 – The Punch Line
Sermon notes by Chris Fluitt
Redemption Church Plano Tx
 
God of Fun
Laughter is great. Cheerfulness is good.
Proverbs 17:22 (NIV2011) A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. 
A crushed spirit will make you dried up like a zombie or a mummy.
 
As humans we enjoy laughing. The God of Fun created us for this.
We love jokes. What makes a good joke?
Punch line
The punch line is the final phrase or sentence of a joke or story, providing the humor. The punch line adds a crucial unknown and unexpected element to the story.
 
Unknown and unexpected info will make you laugh.
 
One day 3 travelers visited Abraham. These were not ordinary travelers. One of the travelers was God and the other 2 were angels.
It is kinda funny that God shows up as a traveler. God doesn’t show up by saying “Hello, it is me, God.” Instead God shows up as a passer-by. It is unknown & unexpected.
Genesis 18:9 (NIV2011) “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said. 
Genesis 18:10 (NIV2011) Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 
Genesis 18:11 (NIV2011) Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 
Genesis 18:12 (NIV2011) So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
 
Sarah laughed (mocked) at the promise… why?
It was unknown & unexpected and she thought it was a punch line.
Sometimes God will speak to you about unknown and unexpected promise and you may think God is joking.
Someone probably laughed when…

* God told Joseph to March around Jericho.
* God gave Noah Ark instructions.
* A burning bush told Moses to go up to the Pharoah and say “let my people go.”
* An angel told Mary that she would have a virgin birth of the Messiah.

When God told you that He was going to use you someone may have laughed, but let me very clear to you.
God’s Promises are not Punch Lines
Sarah thought God’s promise was a punch line. Something to be laughed at.
Have you ever laughed at the wrong part of the joke? Look at how God responds to this perceived punch line.
Genesis 18:13 (NIV2011) Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 
God did not laugh. God doesn’t understand why Sarah is laughing at the improper time.
 
Sarah laughed. Sarah mocked the promise of God. She didn’t mean to insult God, she meant to laugh at herself. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
But God didn’t laugh at this either!
God’s Promises are not Punch Lines
You are not a Punch Line
Sarah was laughing at herself and her situation. She was laughing at your inability given the circumstance. This unknown & unexpected promise when juxtaposed to h...