Sarah's Faith
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Hebrews 11:11-12
Have you ever felt like something God promised was too far-fetched, too late, or just plain impossible?
Maybe you’re standing at a point in life where what you once hoped for seems out of reach.
You’ve prayed, waited, and maybe even tried to move on—but deep down, that promise, that dream, that longing still lingers.
That’s the kind of moment we meet in Hebrews 11:11–12.
It’s a story of a woman who had every reason to give up, every reason to doubt, and every reason to believe her time had passed.
Sarah had no child.
She was past the age of childbearing.
Her husband, Abraham, was nearing a hundred years old.
Biology, time, and human logic had all closed the book on their story.
But then God stepped in.
He didn’t look at her circumstances.
He looked at her heart—and she believed Him.
Not perfectly, not without questions, and certainly not without delay—but she judged Him faithful who had promised.
That one decision—to trust God’s faithfulness over her frailty—changed the future of nations.
“Faith begins where man’s power ends.”
— George Müller
Let’s be honest: Faith is easy to talk about when things are going well.
It’s easy to say “God is good” when prayers are answered and doors are opened.
But what about when life is silent?
What about when we’re waiting… and waiting… and it seems like God forgot?
What happens when hope gets old—like Sarah?
This passage in Hebrews reminds us that real faith isn’t measured by feelings or circumstances.
It’s measured by what we do with God’s Word when everything else says “It’s too late.”
And here’s the truth I want to drive home today:
God delights in doing the impossible through people who simply trust Him.
This message isn’t just about Sarah.
It’s about us.
It’s about what God can still do in your life, in your home, in your ministry—if you’re willing to believe that He is faithful to His promise, even when everything around you says it’s too late.
Let’s look together at how faith in a faithful God brought life from the barren and fulfilled what seemed unthinkable.
I. Confidence in God’s Power
I. Confidence in God’s Power
11 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.
Sarah’s journey of faith reminds us that trusting God often begins where our strength ends.
A. Trust Despite Physical Impossibility
A. Trust Despite Physical Impossibility
Sarah was about 90 years old when she conceived Isaac.
This wasn’t just unlikely—it was biologically impossible.
Genesis 18:11 tells us that
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
The clock had run out.
The world would have said, “Give it up.”
Even Sarah herself laughed when she heard the promise (Genesis 18:12).
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
But God wasn’t asking her to look at her age or her limitations.
He was asking her to look at Him.
“Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.” — George Müller
What about you?
Is there a situation in your life where everything in you says, “This will never happen”?
A prodigal child?
A broken marriage?
A financial hole you can’t climb out of?
A health diagnosis?
Faith doesn’t ignore reality.
It simply puts a greater weight on God’s Word than on our circumstances.
When God told Ezekiel to preach to the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37), the bones were very dry—completely dead.
But when God moved, those bones lived again.
Faith sees the bones but still believes in the breath of God.
B. Strength Supplied by God
B. Strength Supplied by God
The verse says “Sarah received strength”—that’s key.
She didn’t manufacture it.
She didn’t summon it up from within herself.
It was given to her.
The Greek word translated “received strength” (δύναμις – dunamis) is the same word from which we get “dynamite.”
It speaks of divine power, ability, and enablement.
Sarah couldn’t do it—but God enabled her to do what He had called her to do.
2 Corinthians 12:9 says,
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
God loves to work in impossible situations.
Why?
Because when He does, there’s no doubt about who gets the glory.
Think of the small shepherd boy David.
No one thought he could beat Goliath—least of all Goliath.
But God gave David the strength.
When the stone flew and the giant fell, everyone knew it was the Lord.
C. Shift from Doubt to Belief
C. Shift from Doubt to Belief
Sarah didn’t start off strong in faith.
She laughed when she heard God’s plan (Genesis 18:12).
She even tried to “help” God by giving her handmaid Hagar to Abraham (Genesis 16:1-2).
But by the time we reach Hebrews 11, she is remembered not for her doubts—but for her faith.
God doesn’t define you by your worst moment.
He defines you by what you become when you trust Him.
This tells us something powerful about the nature of God:
He’s patient with our process.
He works with faltering faith.
He honors the heart that chooses to believe—even after doubting.
Have you doubted God before?
Have you laughed at His plan or tried to “help” Him out?
Sarah did too.
But her name still appears in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11.
God isn’t asking you to be perfect.
He’s asking you to believe that He is able.
II. Confidence in God’s Promise
II. Confidence in God’s Promise
11b - “…because she judged him faithful who had promised.”
Sarah’s confidence didn’t come from within herself.
She wasn’t clinging to her physical health, her emotional readiness, or any visible evidence that the promise would be fulfilled.
She was clinging to the character of God.
This single verse gives us a powerful glimpse into what real faith looks like—it’s not a feeling, not wishful thinking, and not spiritual optimism.
It is a settled conviction that God will always do what He says, no matter how impossible it looks.
That’s the heart of biblical faith.
Sarah “judged him faithful”—she evaluated God’s past record and concluded that He could be trusted.
And that’s what gave her the courage to keep believing, even when she didn’t see any reason to.
A. God’s Character is the Basis of Our Confidence
A. God’s Character is the Basis of Our Confidence
Sarah’s faith was not built on her personal strength or confidence in her body’s ability to bear a child at 90 years old.
It was built on her confidence in God’s nature.
She knew He had called her husband out of Ur.
She had watched God protect them in Egypt, provide for them in Canaan, and guide them through every season.
Those memories of God’s faithfulness became the foundation of her hope.
It’s the same for us.
When we are tempted to doubt God’s promises, we need to go back and remember who He is.
He is the God who never changes, who never lies, who never fails.
Hebrews 10:23 says,
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
When circumstances shake us, God’s character steadies us.
Even when His timeline is different from ours, we can still trust His heart.
Think of Job—he lost everything, but he declared, (Job 13:15).
15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: But I will maintain mine own ways before him.
Faith that endures is faith that remembers the nature of God.
B. God’s Promises Are Always Personal and Precise
B. God’s Promises Are Always Personal and Precise
God’s promise to Sarah wasn’t general—it was detailed and direct.
In Genesis 17:19, the Lord said to Abraham,
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
It wasn’t a vague hope.
It was a specific declaration with a specific person in mind.
When we’re holding onto something God has promised in His Word, we’re not clinging to a dream—we’re anchoring ourselves to truth.
Romans 4:20–21 describes how Abraham responded:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Sarah came to share that same persuasion.
In a world full of broken promises, God’s promises stand.
When you open your Bible and find that God promises never to leave you, that’s for you.
When He says He will provide for your needs, give you wisdom, forgive your sins, and give you peace that passes understanding—those are promises you can claim with confidence.
Sometimes we struggle because we want God to promise us something He never did—like a certain job, relationship, or outcome.
But when we ground our faith in what God actually has promised, we will never be disappointed.
God never over-promises and never under-delivers.
C. The Focus of Faith is the Faithfulness of God
C. The Focus of Faith is the Faithfulness of God
Sarah’s breakthrough came when she shifted her focus.
She stopped looking at herself and started looking at the One who made the promise.
She could have stayed stuck in self-pity, regret, or cynicism.
But she chose instead to rest in the reliability of God.
And when she did, faith was born—and so was Isaac.
This is the same move every believer has to make at some point: taking our eyes off of what we lack and fixing them on the sufficiency of Christ.
That shift will turn fear into faith.
That shift will breathe life into weary hearts.
“It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that saves and sustains you.” – Tim Keller
Sarah’s faith wasn’t flawless—she had laughed, doubted, and even tried to “help” God through Hagar.
But in the end, she made the right judgment: God is faithful.
You may be in a season where you feel like it’s too late, or you’ve messed up too badly.
But God is not limited by your past, your age, or your failures.
He is faithful.
He finishes what He starts.
Philippians 1:6 reminds us,
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Sarah’s story reminds us that faith is not about being perfect.
It’s about knowing whom you have believed—and resting in His faithfulness.
III. Creation from a Barren Source
III. Creation from a Barren Source
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
This verse is a stunning declaration of what God can do with nothing.
It moves the spotlight from Sarah’s faith to the fruit of that faith.
The result of trusting in God’s power and promise was not just a child—it was a nation.
And not just a nation, but a multitude that would bless the entire world.
God used two people whose time had passed—humanly speaking—and through them, He brought forth something eternal.
It’s a reminder that with God, nothing is ever truly barren when faith is present.
A. From Barren to Blessed
A. From Barren to Blessed
Abraham was around 100 years old, and Sarah was 90.
Romans 4:19 says Abraham
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
The language is deliberate—his body was “as good as dead.”
Sarah’s womb was lifeless.
Yet that’s exactly where God chose to bring new life.
This is God’s pattern throughout Scripture—He doesn’t work around human weakness; He works through it.
He delights to bring fruit where we see failure, to bring life where we see loss, and to bring blessing where we see barrenness.
Think of Hannah, crying out in the temple, desperate for a child.
God heard her and gave her Samuel.
Think of Elizabeth, well beyond childbearing age, who gave birth to John the Baptist.
God specializes in taking barren places and turning them into blessings.
Maybe you feel like nothing is growing in your life right now.
Maybe you’ve been faithful, but there’s no fruit—yet.
Keep sowing.
Keep believing.
God is not done.
The same God who opened Sarah’s womb can open doors, heal wounds, and bring life where you thought it was too late.
B. From One to Multitudes
B. From One to Multitudes
The result of this miracle wasn’t just a single child.
It was the beginning of an entire nation—the nation of Israel.
From one man “as good as dead” came descendants “as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.”
God took one act of faith and multiplied it far beyond anything Sarah or Abraham could have imagined.
Genesis 22:17 records God’s promise:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
God keeps His word—abundantly.
20 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,
That’s what He did here.
From a barren woman and a worn-out man came a people too numerous to count.
Faithful obedience in one moment can have generational impact.
Think of Jonathan Edwards, the Puritan preacher whose descendants included missionaries, college presidents, and Christian leaders.
One faithful life, fully given to God, can shape centuries.
Faith doesn’t just change today—it leaves a legacy.
C. God’s Glory in Impossible Outcomes
C. God’s Glory in Impossible Outcomes
Everything about this verse points to God.
He is the One who brought life from the dead.
He is the One who kept His promise.
He is the One who turned barrenness into blessing.
This passage isn’t about how amazing Abraham or Sarah were—it’s about how amazing God is.
Isaiah 42:8 says,
8 I am the Lord: that is my name: And my glory will I not give to another, Neither my praise to graven images.
God worked in such a way that no one could take the credit but Him.
That’s often why He waits until it’s “too late” from our point of view.
He wants it to be unmistakably His work.
When Lazarus had been dead four days, Jesus waited—so that the glory would go to God.
When Gideon’s army was too big, God whittled it down—so the victory would clearly be the Lord’s.
When Sarah’s womb was dead, He waited until everyone had given up—then He moved.
And when God moves in your life, in your situation, in your ministry—He will do it in such a way that He alone gets the glory.
That’s the kind of God we serve.
He brings the impossible to pass.
He multiplies the unlikely.
He magnifies His glory through our weakness.
So if you feel like you’re at the end—maybe you’re right where God is about to begin.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Sarah’s story is more than a footnote in the Bible—it’s a testimony to the faithfulness of God.
It’s a testimony of the power of believing Him when everything around you says it’s too late.
She laughed in disbelief at first, and maybe you’ve done that too.
You’ve heard a promise from God’s Word and thought, “Not me. Not now. Not at this point in my life.”
But the message of Hebrews 11:11–12 is that God is not limited by your limitations.
He isn’t bound by your past, your present struggles, or your age.
He’s only looking for one thing: faith in Him.
Faith doesn’t mean you never doubt—it means that after your questions, you choose to trust.
Faith doesn’t mean you feel strong—it means you trust in God’s strength when you feel weak.
Sarah’s faith wasn’t perfect, but it was real.
She judged God faithful.
She leaned on His character when her circumstances made no sense.
And because of that, God did something so miraculous that the entire world has felt the impact.
Maybe you’re in a place today that feels barren—emotionally, spiritually, or physically.
Maybe you’ve been praying for something for a long time, and hope has started to dry up.
Maybe you’ve been trying to be faithful, but you’re growing weary and wondering if it’s worth it.
Let Sarah remind you that God is not finished with you.
If He has given you a promise, He will keep it.
If He has called you to trust, He will provide the strength.
And if you will place your faith in Him, even in weakness, He will bring fruit where you thought nothing could grow.
Hudson Taylor once said, “All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on Him being with them.”
That’s Sarah.
That can be you.
It’s not about having flawless faith—it’s about trusting a flawless God.
Don’t give up because the situation looks dead.
God brings life from what looks lifeless.
He brings nations from the barren.
He brings glory out of weakness.
Will you trust Him today?
Will you place your confidence not in what you can do, but in what He has promised?
He is faithful.
And faith in Him will never be wasted.
