Sarah - The Mother Of Faith Series

The following is a continuation of the sermon series: Living by Faith.

Hebrews 11: 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. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. – NKJV

Sermon Title: The Faith of Sarah

The bible addressed Abraham as the father of faith, and Sarah as it’s mother!

Isaiah 51 (NKJV)

1“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness,

You who seek the Lord:

Look to the rock from which you were hewn,

And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.

2 Look to Abraham your father,

And to Sarah who bore you;

For I called him alone,

And blessed him and increased him.”

Galatians 4:26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, (that is an indirect reference to Sarah which I will explain and the messages end) and she is our mother.

Yet the faith she displayed was at times fluctuating, floundering, (sometimes) fickle, (yet ultimately) fruitful!

PERHAPS OUR looks more like Sarah’s than perhaps anyone we’ve considered together on his journey.

And let us consider it together to see why it was ultimately commended by God!

I. The DESCRIPTION of Sarah:

IMPORTANT BEGINNING POINT: BY THAT I mean, how is she…

Introduced? To us in the bible, remember this? Listen to this…

Genesis 11: 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.- NKJV

Right up front the bible brings up her..

A) Barrenness

1. This is perhaps the biggest insult that could be levied against a woman in jewish antiquity!

2. Seen at the very least as a woman living under God’s disfavor, but more distinctly seen a someone living under a curse in the Old Testament:

a) God said through Moses that when you enter the promised land..

Deuteronomy 7:14 You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock.-NKJV

b) When Michal scorned David for dancing before the Lord:

2 Samuel 6:23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. -NIV

B) Blessedness is equated with bearing children

Psalm 127:3 -5 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

C) Biblical blue-print for woman is:

1 Timothy 2:15 But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.-NIV

D) Basic role of a woman!

Genesis 3:20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

II. The DEVOTION of Sarah

She was willing to sacrifice herself and her dignity for her husband!

Genesis 12:12 (Abraham said) When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” 14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace.

A) Point?

1. She went along with it! She agreed!

2. She put herself, her virtue, her sanctity, her life, on the line for her husband!

a) TWICE!

Genesis 20:1 Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.

B) Picture of? (Imperfect in a sense, but never the less a picture of )

1. Marital devotion!

C) Portrait painted by her relationship with Abram:

1. Sarah

a) Her beauty was more than skin deep!

1 Peter 3: 1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.