Sarah Series

Sarah

Genesis 12:1-4

When I was growing up, there was really only one female superhero and it was Wonderwoman. She had it all: the rope of truth, the indestructible bracelet, a tiara which serves as a projectile, and of course, the invisible plane. I never really understood why you couldn't see the plane when she was flying but you could see her! Wonderwoman was a heroine fighting for justice and peace. Linda Carter starred as Wonderwoman and it was one of the mainstays of shows I watched every week. And I wasn’t alone! Young girls and women watched, were influenced by her and even dressed up like her at Halloween. She was a heroine who was beautiful, strong, and courageous and she fought for what’s right.

But Wonderwoman isn’t the only female Superhero. We have many from our culture and from the Bible. Today, we’re going to look at one of them, Sarah, who laid a foundation for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Her story begins in the infancy of the Jewish faith as God chooses a couple, Abraham and Sarah to be the foundation of the faith. God comes to Abraham and says, “I want you and Sarah to go to a place you’ve never seen in your life.”

There are several things we learn from Sarah about living a story worth telling. First, heroes are called to leave their comfortable existence. Abraham and Sarah lived in the land of the Chaldees, which is today Iraq. Their hometown was Ur which was at the mouth of the Euphrates River on the Persian Gulf. It was a thriving port city and all of the trade and wealth from the Persian Sea came through there. It had a sophisticated pagan culture and worship, an efficient government and impressive buildings. According to one estimate, it was the largest city in the world and at the height of its power, wealth and influence when Sarah and Abraham lived there. Thus, they would have enjoyed all of the modern conveniences and comfort such a city afforded. But then God called Abraham and Sarah to leave Ur for the land of Canaan (today’s Israel), they left a comfortable urban life for one that was difficult and semi-nomadic as they wandered from place to place, searching for grazing land and water for their animals. Abraham must have had to convince Sarah to go because he was asking her to go to a culture not her own and a land that she has never seen and to leave her home, family and friends behind. Can you imagine how the conversation must have started? “Sarai, I don't know how to tell you this, but God came to me and said…” Now I don't know about you, but if my spouse was hearing voices saying pick up and leave everything, she had better double check that it was the voice of God and not the chili from last night. From Sarah and Abraham ‘s experience we learn that when God calls, he calls us beyond ourselves and sometimes even to leave our comfortable existence to move out of our comfort zones and into new places and circumstances.

Second, heroes have the promise of a better life and greater impact. In our Scripture today, we find that there are three promises made to Abraham. First, God will make him into a great nation. Really? They’re one couple which is now homeless and wandering in the wilderness. But this is not just a promise to Abraham. You know the old saying, “It takes two to tango.” This is a promise that of Go for Sarah: “I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Second, God says, “I will make your name great.” In other words, if you say ‘yes,’ I will make your story not only one worth living but one to tell for the ages. That’s what it means to participate in the story of God. His story becomes our story, we join in a larger story and that’s a story that will last forever. Third, God will not only bless Abraham but Sarah will become a blessing to others as well. God has not only made a promise to Abraham, God has made a promise to Sarah. We are blessed to bless others. This is the promise made to Sarah that even when she has to give up everything, she will be blessed but it’s a blessing with a purpose and that’s to bless others. The more we’re blessed by God, the more He expects us to help others and to use our resources of time, talents and treasure for His purposes and to build His kingdom. Jesus put it this way: “Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given” (Luke 12:48 TEV) These promises are not just for Abraham and Sarah, you can have a better life with purpose and meaning and have a greater impact as well.