Heroes of the faith 3
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Well good morning! I am so ready for this message today. I actually just couldn’t wait to get here this morning because I was thinking about last week and the incredible time we had with the Lord. I was expecting the same and greater today. I honestly believe that last week was a turning point for this church in that God is awakening some things within us toward him. It is all toward Him. It is all a draw to a deeper relationship with Him. I am just blessed to be a part whatever small part it may be. Amen
Let’s pray and remain standing for the reading of the word.
11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
We are continuing in week 3 of our series. Heroes of the faith. The next one our list is actually one of only 2 females on the list. Her name is Sarah. The other female is Rahab. So these two are the heroins of the faith. Two totally different stories but heroins non the less.
Sarah has a very interesting story. She is the wife of Abraham. Her original name is Sarai. Which means she that strives. She was Abraham’s half brother. I know. I’ll answer those questions after service. In all of Genesis, we learn some things about her. She is beautiful. So beautiful that Abraham lies twice about her being his wife so that the people will not kill him for her. One of these was at the age of 100. I mean she had to be a looker. But the very first thing we learn about her is found in
30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Anyone in here want to be introduced by your default? I mean here is Chris. He can’t play the drums. Here is Chris he is overweight. I mean I don’t know about yall but that isn’t the intro that I am wanting to hear. If you are going to introduce me, use my accomplishments right. Don’t use my weaknesses. But God, through Moses who has his own deficiencies, intro’s this woman as Sarai who was barren. She had no child.
That doesn’t mean as much to us today because we meet people all the time without kids but to this culture it was a disgrace. But to this culture it was everything. Children meant your lineage would continue. It meant your name would not be forgotten. It meant your land would not vanish. For women, I am just going to be honest, not having children made you invaluable. It was a reason for divorce. For a woman to not have kids she was scorned, mocked, and thought to be a burden than an asset and more often than not they would be left alone.
And this is the introduction of this woman. This is the first thing we learn.
So we see already in her life that she feels rejected. She feels second class. All the other women are having babies and giving their husbands a lineage but Sarai isn’t. She cannot for she is barren.
So the Lord comes in chapter 12 and makes Abraham this awesome promise of you will be a great nation. But first you have to leave your land and your family.
He has to come and tell his wife that. But the promise here has nothing to do with her. She wasn’t told that her name would be great. She wasn’t told that she would be a great nation. Just Abraham. So she has to give up everything and is going to watch her husband blessed. You ever had to pray and pray and trust just to watch someone else get the blessing. There is no instruction here. No mention of her name. Just Abrahams.
Then we go to chapter 15 and God is giving a little bit more detail look what he says in
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
Now remember he has to go back and tell his wife that. At this point in their life he is easily into his 80’s and his wife is 10 years younger. So look at the promise again? Where is Sarah? She isn’t mentioned. Just that it would come from Abraham. We know looking back that it was meant for both of them but does God give all of that instruction yet? Nope.
Seemingly it is she that is getting left out of the whole thing.
The promise has a problem.
Her womb was producing nothing. No eggs. She couldn’t produce one offspring much les the stars in the sky. With every promise came more pain. Pain that she wasn’t going to get to participate because of her deficiency. Pain that her husband would move on without her. Pain that God was avoiding her. Pain that God had forgotten her.
Not that any of that is true, but let’s talk about human reality for a sec. We all feel that way. When we see others getting blessed we get mad or sad because it isn’t us.
I mean let’s take this story for instance.
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’
21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’
23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Some of yall in this room, would have been mad from the start. Why he got 5 lord and I only got one. I can’t handle 5 lord give some to him cuz he ain’t working enough. But each person was given to their ability to handle the blessing.
And can i let you in on a little bit here. This parable has nothing to do with money or talents or gifts. BUt has everything to do with relationship. Look at what the third servant says.
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
There were three servants here and this one is the only one that said that. Why? Because he is the only one that had that type of relationship to the master. Ok hold on to your seats I am about to take you some where.
Three servants who in their simple obedience have been blessed with extra resources by the master for the master. Right. But he comes to them having recognized their obedience and says here is a part of my money. Then he bounces. Here is the gold. Peace.
Hello abrahm you will be a great nation. Eat the barbecue. I am is out. No instrcution on how that is to be. No next step. No plan. Just I am going to do it.
Here is the money. He doesn’t say invest it. He doesn’t say save it. He doesn’t say hide it and don’t lose it. He just says here ya go.
So the first two operate out of their closeness to the master and just did with the money what they knew he would do with it. We don’t have any details but we know they went out and did something. Which is what the master would do.
The other has a relationship solely built on fear so he hides it. That is difference. He says i knew you to be hard man not a loving father. I knew you to take stuff that didn’t belong to you. What he is really saying is I didn’t know you at all. I had no realtionship with you to know you.
The other two spent time and knew what the master would do so they did that. How powerful would it be to move as one with the master and not have to wait on him to tell us what to do. Jesus says that is so.
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
But you cannot operate in this style of life out of fear. If you want to know the master’s plan you have to move from servant to partner. The only way that happens is through gettting to know Him.
Sarai was still moving out of fear even in verse 16. But we can’t fault her for that. I despise looking back on scripture as though we wouldn’t be in the same boat doing the same thing as the disciples. Truth. WE ARE DOING THE SAME THING!! I operate out of fear sometimes.
We talk about what she does here in 16 about how wrong it is and it wasn’t the right move but you know what her name is Sarai. It means to strive. It gets changed and we will get there but think about that. Her whole life has been striving. Striving to get it right. Striving to be right. Striving to say the right thing. DO the right thing. Striving. And it is producing nothing.
So she strives one more time and tells Abram to sleep with her maid to produce the kid since
2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.
You know what she is doing? She is striving. She is trying to produce something to fulfill the promise that God had made to her husband. Some of yall in this room right here and spent all week striving to produce something. Striving to get the feeling of Sunday back. Striving to make sure you read the bible. Striving to make sure you are a good mom or a good father. Striving to make it right between you and the Lord. She in here mind said well if it doesn’t include me, I can make it happen. So you just keep striving.
You are trying to do something in the flesh that must be done in the Spirit.
That is what she was trying to do. She reverted back to the flesh way of doing things. Paul tells us in
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,
24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—
You are striivng to get it right and that is of the flesh. We want to get the right job, go to the right school, spend the right amount of time at church and fmaily and life....stop.
Look at me. Everyone lock eyes right here. It’s ok. God isn’t mad because you have been striving. God didn’t repremand her for this. Maybe Abram should have had a talk with thie lord before he agreed right. But God isn’t mad at her. He isn’t mad at you either.
You are in the promise by virtue of your relationship with Him.
Sarai just becuase she was related to Abram was in the promise. So was Lot. In fact the very first part of the blessing back in 11 was whoever blesses Abram will be blessed. That means whoever has a good relatinship with him will be blessed.
Stop striving so much. He is a good good father. Come on worhsip team.
LIsten to me. She messed up right. BUt what does God do with that child? Blesses him. Saves his life. Again I know he wasn’t the promised child but because he is the masters he is a blessed child.
You are striving so much seeking so much asking so much. That you have wore yourself out. Becuase you are trying to work in the flesh.
Oh thank you Holy Spirit. Listen
I should really do something with the parables of Jesus. Maybe on a wednesday night. After Genesis.
We are talking about relatinship right. That is the key. So the disciples ask Jesus to pray. He gives them the Lord’s prayer in Luke 11 then he goes into this
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;
6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’
7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’
8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
You know with every parable when you see mater or Father that is referring to The Father right. Ok So Jesus is giving this guys how to pray and he tells them you pray like this and he uses our father which no one at that time prayed that way. Then he goes into this parable. So let’s look at it again.
Who is on the inside? The Father right. Becuase he say my children are in bed with me. Wait what? Who is in bed with him? Who is in his presence? If they are in bed and the stranger or neighbor is coming asking for provisions what does that mean the father already has. If he already has provisions and the kids are asleep in the bed, what have they already been given?
YOU ARE THE CHILDREN!!!!
And Jesus goes on to say how much more will he the father give you the holy spirit if you ask. GIVE ME MORE FATHER!!!!
I want more. Last week was not enough. I want more. I want to knkow more. I want to see more. I want to experience more. I want to touch more. I want more of you!!!!
Come on don’t wait on me to invite if you want more lets go.
Conclusion because I want you to hear this.
In Genesis 18:10
10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)
Look at this. What is her name right here? You know what that means. Princess. She moved form striving to one of royalty. She finally gets included in the promise because every single step of her obedience and heart God never left her. He never abandoned her. He never moved away. The father was always there. He has always been with you. Even when you were striving. He was right there. Blessing every single step. Holding all things for you. Keeping you in his hand. That is the security to the believer. You are a child of the free woman not the bondservant.
Come on and worhsip in that relatinship. Let him know how good He is.