Sarah's Faith - Hebrews 11:11-12

Hebrews chapter 11. We're going to read verses

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

1 through 2. And then we're going to jump forward

and read verses 11 through 12. Now faith is the

assurance of things hoped for, the conviction

of things not seen. For by it the men of old

gained approval. And then in verse 11, by faith.

Even Sarah herself received ability to conceive,

even beyond the proper time of life, since she

considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore

there was born even of one man, and him as good

as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars

of heaven in number. and innumerable as the sand

which is by the seashore. Let's go to the Lord

in prayer. Father, we come to you this Lord's

Day. Father, we ask that you would bless the

ministry of your word abundantly. Lord, we ask

that you would accompany it in such a way that

you would work in the hearts and minds of your

people to sanctify them, to build them up and

to grow them, to mature them and to mold them

into the image and likeness of Christ in further

and further degrees. And Father, we ask that

you would accompany the ministry of your word

in such a way that you would prick the heart

of the unbelieving man, woman, or child, and

that you would draw them unto yourself, that

you would grant them faith, and that they would

see that salvation is of... We ask these things

in Christ's name. Amen. You may be seated. We

continue our exposition of Hebrews chapter 11.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

The author is writing to a group of Hebrew Christians,

and specifically Hebrew Christians who are...

the recipients of a great deal of pressure from

the Jewish synagogues, possibly Jewish leaders,

the pagan world around them. And what is that

pressure trying to get the Hebrew Christians

to do? It's trying to persuade the Hebrew Christians

to recant. of their faith in Jesus Christ, to

reject the Lord Jesus Christ as Messiah, to turn

back to the Jewish system of sacrifice and worship,

or to forsake Christ and their confession of

Christ altogether. So the author of Hebrews writes,

in a particular chapter, To show them the true

character and nature of faith. What it looks

like, what it acts like, and what those with

faith ought to expect in this life. In verses

1 -2, the author defines faith. He says, now

faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the

conviction of things not seen. For by it, the

men of old gained approval. So in a very real

way, the author of Hebrews is encouraging the

Hebrew Christians to remember the only way the

men of old have ever gained approval from God.

is by and through faith. And so he goes on and

gives us an abundant list of examples. He walks

through those before the flood, those after the

flood, and then he goes on and he talks about

those during the time of the judges, those who

were alive during the time of the prophets. and

other Old Testament saints. Today, we come to

Sarah and the example of faith that Sarah gives

to us. We're going to consider Sarah's faith

in three parts. We're going to consider the surprising

faith of Sarah, and we'll see this. We see this

in verse 11. where it says, by faith, even Sarah

herself received ability to conceive. Then we'll

consider the impossibility of the situation her

faith was confronted with. There were certain

problems with regards to the fulfillment of the

promise that God had made to Abraham and Sarah.

She was over the age of 90. And Abraham was 100

years old. They weren't supposed to have children

at that age. They weren't supposed to be able

to have children at that age. So there were circumstances

that were in direct contradiction to what God

had promised to them. There were circumstances

and situations which were actually opposing what

God had promised to them. So we'll see the impossibility

of the situation. But then we'll also see and

we'll consider what Sarah's faith was resting

on. We read at the end of verse 11. since she

considered him faithful who had promised. Her

faith was resting on God himself. Her faith was

resting, we see, at first it seems like the promise

and the fulfillment of the promise. But then

we see that her mind moved beyond the promise

and the fulfillment of the promise to the character

and the being of God himself and his own power

and his own ability to fulfill the promise that

he had made in spite of contradicting circumstances

to the promise. Now, notice in verse 12 that

we also see the fulfillment of the promise. God

brought about what he promised. He made good

on his word. And what Sarah believed came to

pass in the birth of the son of promise, Isaac.

And ultimately in the Lord Jesus Christ further

down the road. So beginning with the surprising

faith. Now, when we think about this idea of

Sarah's faith being surprising, why is it surprising

or unlikely that the author of Hebrews would

include Sarah as an example of faith for New

Covenant believers? Was there any circumstances

in Sarah's life? Was there a scenario which would

actually make you think that she's not a good

example of what faith looks like in a life of

a believer? Well, it's surprising that she's

included in some ways, but it's really not in

other ways. We see the text says, Sarah herself.

There's something emphatic about this, and it's

meant to imply something. We wouldn't think that

Sarah would be included, but she is. And here's

why. Because of her clear unbelief and dismissive

attitude with regards to what God had promised

to her and Abraham. You recall the circumstances

in Genesis chapter 18? The angel of the Lord

Genesis 18 · chapter mention

appears to Abraham. Three men. They show up.

Abraham hosts them. He feeds them. They sit and

they talk. And they reiterate the promise to

Abraham. And Sarah hears the promise. And what

is her response to the promise upon hearing it?

We read this in Genesis chapter 18, starting

Genesis 18 · chapter mention

in verse 11. Now, Abraham and Sarah were old,

advanced in age. Sarah was past childbearing.

Sarah laughed to herself. Saying, after I have

become old, shall I have pleasure? My Lord being

old also. Meaning, shall she enjoy the lifting

of shame upon her from that culture and that

society by bearing a child in her old age? She

laughs introspectively in unbelief. She dismisses

the possibility of the promise of God coming

to pass in her life. Clearly, she has a bout

of unbelief and doubt in her life. And not a

little one. A severe one. So much so that the

Bible records it. The angel of the Lord rebukes

her for this unbelief. So it's one thing for

us to recognize the reality that we struggle

with something. It's another thing to encourage

and say it's good and open and honest to wrestle

and doubt and struggle with God and whether He

will fulfill His promises. There's never any

good reason. that is godly and holy, that is

of the Lord, to doubt God and His Word for one

single second. Never. There's never any good

reason, brothers and sisters. Is God ever able

to contradict Himself? Is God ever not? Faithful

to his word. Is God ever a liar? Never, brothers

and sisters. Now, we do see the reality of her

renewed faith. And the fact that she does exercise

her faith. So, the author knows that she has

this bout of unbelief. And it wasn't just there.

It was periodic. I believe, throughout her life

and her walk with the Lord. But she does renew

it. And all of this in spite of the fact that

God had clearly promised to her that she would

have a child. In Genesis chapter 21, we see a

Genesis 21 · chapter mention

new kind of laughter in the experience and life

of Sarah. In Genesis 21, we read this, Then the

Lord took note of Sarah as he had said, and the

Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. So Sarah

conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old

age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken

to him. Abraham called the name of his son who

was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him. Then

Isaac circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight

days old as God had commanded him. Now Abraham

was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born

to him. Sarah said, God has made my laughter

for me. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.

And she said, Who would have said to Abraham

that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have born

him. a son in his old age. It's a new kind of

laughter this time, isn't it? It's one of joy

and faith. Gratitude and thanksgiving to the

Lord because he is faithful to his promise in

her life. So she went from... Doubting and unbelief

and dismissing God's word to renewing her faith

and trusting in the Lord and believing His promise

and rejoicing in the reality that God was in

fact faithful to His word. She renewed it. Praise

God. This is why she's included in Hebrews, brothers

and sisters. Because we can all relate to her

to such a high degree. Now, Her faith played

a significant role in her life. Her faith was

the means of Sarah's participation in the promise

itself. And we could say this, in one way, she

didn't get a pass simply because her husband

was Abraham. The father of faith. If she personally.

Wanted to enjoy. The blessing of God. If she

personally. Wanted to participate. In the covenant

promise of God. She had to believe. Personal

faith. was necessary for her participation in

redemption which God had promised to her. True

believers, brothers and sisters, may have severe

bouts with unbelief and doubt. We live in a fallen

world. We have a remnant of sin that remains

within us. To some degree, our faith is always

mixed, brothers and sisters. And we have the

principle of faith that is habitating in us,

that resides within us, but that doesn't mean

that we're always exercising our faith. Unbelief

can be a prevalent part of a believer's life.

It's just the reality of it. And higher degrees

or lesser degrees. But here's what we find. True

faith always wins the day. True faith will always

be renewed and exercised again in the life of

a true believer. True faith will be exercised

in the life of God's people, though they will

struggle in their lives at times. And the remarkable

thing is, God will receive that faith. God will

recognize that faith if it is true, sincere,

saving. justifying faith that a person exercises.

This kind of faith was not just required of Sarah

for her participation in redemption. True faith

is always required of those who would enjoy and

experience and participate And the grand and

glorious blessings that God has given to us in

the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nobody in this room,

not a single soul, gets a pass. Because my mom

or my dad or my brother or my sister or my pastor

or my friend, they believe, or I was raised in

church, you don't get passes. You personally,

individually must believe upon the name of the

Lord Jesus Christ. Every single individual that

will ever set foot or will ever appear before

the throne of God in His holy presence, every

individual that will walk the new heavens and

the new earth, every individual that has their

sins forgiven, they will believe upon the name

of the Lord Jesus. And that faith will be effective

and operative in their life like it was Sarah's.

That faith will be effective and operative in

their life like it was Noah. Like it was all

of the old covenant saints. You must believe.

You must turn from your sin. You must look upon

Christ by faith and with repentance. You must

see your sin and grieve over your sin and forsake

your sin. You must give yourself to the Lord

Jesus Christ. You must become a new creature

in Christ. You must have a new ruling principle

within you where you are transformed from the

inside out. If you are to receive the divine

promised blessings of the gospel. Nobody else's

faith will do it for you. It must be yours. And

yours alone. Now, we see the surprising faith

of Sarah clearly in this text. But what about

the impossibility? of the situation which her

faith was confronted with. This is the second

thing. We've already mentioned how there were

circumstances that were in direct contradiction

to what God had promised. And if you think about

it, brothers and sisters, that is always going

to be the case. with regards to the promises

of God in this world. As long as there is sin

in this world, there will be enmity and hostility

towards the gospel. To some degree, people will

always be broken and dysfunctional because of

the fall. It's just the reality of it until the

Lord Jesus returns. circumstances and situations

will always contradict and oppose the realities

which God has promised in the Gospel. But does

that mean that those promises won't come to pass?

Does that mean that that which God has promised

concerning Jesus Christ will not be fulfilled?

Does that mean that God won't be good to His

Word? So what were the impossibilities in the

circumstances for Sarah? Well, we see in the

text, we read this in verse 11. By faith, even

Sarah herself received ability to conceive even

beyond the proper time of life. Then we read

in verse 12, listen to this. The author had to

mention Abraham and his deficiencies. Therefore,

there was born even of one man, and him as good

as dead at that. Meaning, their powers of procreation

were non -existent. The Bible makes no qualms

about calling them as good as dead in this capacity.

In this way, if we were to look at Romans chapter

Romans 4 · chapter mention

4, listen to what Paul says about Sarah's womb.

Romans chapter 4, verses 18 through 19, we read

Romans 4:18–19

this. And hope against hope, he believed, speaking

of Abraham. He believed. So that he might become

a father of many nations. According to that which

had been spoken, so shall your descendants be.

Without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated

his own body. Speaking of Abraham. Now, as good

as dead. Since he was about 100 years old. And

listen to what it says about Sarah's womb. And

the deadness of Sarah's womb. The deadness of

Sarah's womb. There was no life, power, ability,

vitality, or strength for her to physically and

naturally produce or bear Yet, God promised that

she would bear a child. Do you see the conflict?

Do you see the opposing voices? Do you see the

difficulty? Do you see the impossibility, humanly

speaking, for Sarah? And Abraham. And the world

they were living in. God has said this will be

true of us. Yet. We are incapable of it. It is

literally. Physically. Naturally. Humanly impossible.

For this to come. To pass. Yet. We find. Divine.

Aid. We find divine and supernatural intervention

by the living God who promised. What do we read

in verse 11? By faith, even Sarah herself received

ability to conceive. And we know the same is

true of Father Abraham. She received the ability,

the strength, the power, the vitality to bear

a child. The question comes, where in the world

did this come from? What happened? How is this

possible? What does it mean that she received?

ability to conceive. Well, let me read a quote

from John Owen. He says this, quote, This was

not a mere miraculous generation. Meaning, it's

not miraculous conception. It wasn't a miracle.

In the sense that God interjects and contradicts

and works opposed to the means that he has appointed

in this world. No, he works through the means.

And we'll see. Listen to what else Owen says.

This was not a mere miraculous generation, but

she received a general restoration of her nature

for the production of a child. This was also

true of Abraham. The sovereign power of God restored

her nature and her ability to bring about the

promise that God had made. She learned that God

specializes in providing that which we are deficient

in. God specializes, brothers and sisters, in

giving and providing that which we don't possess.

God specializes, brothers and sisters, in providing

and giving what even our very natures cannot

do. Don't we see this in the Gospel? That God

provides everything that is necessary for the

salvation of sinners in the person and the work

of the Lord Jesus Christ. He provides atonement.

He provides righteousness. He provides the Lamb.

He provides the propitiation. He provides everything

in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus

Christ. The same is true of Abraham. God gave

him a general restoration. Sarah's been barren

all her life. And God renews her nature, supernaturally

and divinely. Abraham is 100 years old. And do

you know, he goes on to have many more children

with Keturah following Sarah's death. was the

recipient of the exact same power of God. God

intervened to bring about his purposes. This

is why it must be of faith. There is a necessity

of faith in such circumstances. Because there

is no other way of explaining How it's possible

that she had children in her old age when she

was barren. And as the Bible says, her womb was

dead. It had to be explained by faith. Listen

to another quote by a commentator. It says this.

The apostle does not state the authority for

his assertion. that the strength or the ability

to conceive of Sarah, the strength of Sarah,

was derived from her faith. So the commentator

is saying this. The author of Hebrews is not

saying that his authority for this statement

is that her strength and ability to conceive

a child was derived or came from her faith. That's

not what the author of Hebrews is saying. Listen

to what he goes on to say. The argument is that

here was a case where all human probability was

against what was promised and where, therefore,

there must have been simple trust in God. Nothing

but faith could have led her to believe that

in her old age, She could have come to bear a

son. Only faith, brothers and sisters. That was

the only explanation. The same is true for you

and I when we look at the gospel and we look

at redemption and what God has promised with

regards to the gospel and redemption. Faith is

the only explanation for the realities of the

gospel and for the accomplishment of those realities.

Only faith, brothers and sisters, can explain

how a person is made new. Only faith can explain

How the Spirit of God works in the hearts and

minds of men. Only faith can explain why the

world is the way that it is. Only faith can explain

what is taking place. Do you know why? Because

only the Word of God tells us. We have natural

law. We have reason. We have logic. But hear

me out. It only tells you so much. We need special,

particular revelation. And that is in the Word

of God. It alone explains why things are the

way that they are. It alone explains what is

going to take place in the future with regards

to the return of Jesus Christ. and the salvation

of sinners in this world throughout this age.

Faith alone is our eyes with regards to the gospel

and the promises of the gospel. The only way

to see and understand what God is doing in and

through the gospel of Jesus Christ in your own

life, in the life of others, It's through the

lens of faith. That's it. You can't view it through

a carnal lens, a worldly lens. You can't view

it through the arm of the flesh or human ability.

You cannot explain it. Only by faith can you

see. and understand these realities. This is

why so many in the unbelieving world are so confused

about what it means to be a Christian. This is

why the unbelieving world thinks that the Christian

church is backwards for believing the things

of the Bible. Because they're looking through

a lens of what? Carnality and nature, not faith.

But this is also why the Christian will always

be distinct in this world. If you are a professing

believer in Jesus Christ, you do see things differently

than the unbelieving world around you. You do.

Because you are indwelt by the Spirit of God.

You have been given a new ruling nature. You

are not the same as you used to be. You are very

literally a new person, brothers and sisters.

You can't help but see things differently. And

God, in His grace, has given you faith as a divine

gift. Not something you generated or worked up,

but it is a gracious gift of God. And you can't

get rid of it. You wake up with the graces of

God in your soul. You wake up with the Spirit

of God dwelling within you. You can't shake it.

You will view the world differently than the

unbelieving world around you. And this will always

be the case. Inevitably, we also have to consider

a last thing. And that is what Sarah's faith

was resting on. We read in verse 11, Since she

considered him faithful who had promised. Her

faith was resting on the promise and its fulfillment.

And further, the character and the being of God

himself. Notice something in the text that is

making a distinction between the promise and

the one who has made the promise. We read in

verse 11, Since she considered him faithful who

had promised. there's a distinction taking place

between the promise itself and the promiser,

the one that would perform it and carry it out

and bring it to pass. At first, it seems that

her faith was resting simply on the fulfillment

of the promise in her life. The fact that she

would bear a child. And we saw the result of

this when we read from Genesis chapter 18, didn't

Genesis 18 · chapter mention

we? It led her down a rabbit trail of unbelief.

It led her down a rabbit trail of dismay and

doubt in her life. But eventually we see. That

her mind moved beyond the circumstances and the

impossibilities and the blessing in a sense itself

to the being and character of God. And this is

when her faith prevails. This is when her faith

conquers her fears. This is when her faith comes

to conquer her doubts. This is when her faith

comes to conquer the unbelief and the dismay

that is in her heart when her faith squarely

rests upon the good and sovereign and powerful

character of the living God. Once she does this,

all the difficulties and the circumstances are

reconciled and overcome. And she gains. And she

enjoys an assurance and a confidence with regards

and an expectation with regards to the fulfillment

of that which God has promised. Because she had

duly or rightly apprehended the character and

nature of God. This led to her eager expectation

and reception of the promise itself in spite

of contradictory circumstances. Why is this?

Because when a person gives themselves, when

they consider God and who He really truly is,

as He is revealed in the Word of God, you start

to see that if there's difficulties, if there's

obstacles, if there's obstructions, that he is

powerful to remove or to do away with that which

is contradicting to what he has promised. She

realizes. That God is sovereign and almighty

and powerful. That there is nothing that can

keep his hand from his ordained purposes. She

realizes that he is God. He can do as he pleases.

If he has made a promise. He will perform that

which He has promised in His Word. He will accomplish

it because He is faithful. Throughout Scripture,

don't we see time and time again, brothers and

sisters, that God brings about His purposes in

and through circumstances where human ability,

human reasoning, human probability, and human

power are... Don't we see that over and over

and over throughout the history of redemption?

Wasn't it when the people were walled up at the

Red Sea and Pharaoh and his chariots and his

army are coming for them that God, through one

man, parts the sea? It was seemingly impossible.

Doesn't it seem improbable that one man, Moses,

would deliver an entire nation speaking on behalf

of God? That God would provide for millions of

people in a desert? Food and water. Not in normal

means, but from the sky and from a rock. Brothers

and sisters, don't we see this time and time

again? Where God works in and through seemingly

impossible situations to bring about his redemptive

purposes, we do. It's not accidental. Why in

the world would this be the case? Why does God

choose to work through that and to bring about

His purposes in such a way that it's in the midst

of contradicting circumstances to what He's promised?

To prove and to demonstrate and to manifest His

character, glory, and power, and to teach that

salvation is of the Lord, not of men. He is able

and he is powerful. It's to prove and test and

to display his glorious character and power and

to show the salvation is of God and not of men.

Because of the remnant of sin in you and I. we

have a tendency to lean and trust in the wrong

things. Every single person in this room. If

you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have

a tendency to trust in the nature of men and

that which is of this world, that which is carnal.

That which is fleshly. And it brings all kinds

of heart troubles in our lives. So many of the

maladies in our hearts, the troubles and sorrows

and difficulties in our hearts, are because we're

believing the wrong things in our hearts. We're

trusting the wrong things. We have too much respect

in our hearts, and we're clinging too tightly

with our hearts to the wrong things. It brings

turmoil into our hearts and our minds. We could

read Isaiah 22 or Isaiah chapter 31, where the

Isaiah 31 · chapter mention

prophet speaks and says, don't trust in horses

and chariots, but in the Lord. And then he goes

on and says, the Egyptians are men. and not God.

And then it goes on and says, their horses are

flesh and not spirit. Brothers and sisters, the

Lord and His character and His person and His

promises are the only fit object for your faith

that increases and strengthens the assurance

in your heart that He will bring about His purposes.

Rest your faith upon Him. Rightly understanding

God leads to all kinds of happiness of heart.

If you will rest your faith and lean upon Him,

brothers and sisters, you will grow in grace,

in holiness, in godliness. And you will experience

true happiness in your hearts and in your lives.

Because happiness is not circumstantial. Happiness

has to do with holiness and trusting in the Lord.

Trust the right things. Look to the right things.

And let that increase and strengthen the assurance

and confidence in your heart with regards to

God and the performance of His Word. The wrong

question for us to ask with regards to the Gospel

is, is this possible? That's the wrong question,

brothers and sisters. The wrong question. Is

to look at an unbelieving friend or neighbor

and say. Is it possible for them to be saved?

To look to the future of the world. And the return

of Christ in the air. And the renewal of all

things. The wrong question is to say and to ask.

Is it possible? The right question. Is this.

Is God. Yes, he is abundantly faithful to accomplish

every single one of his purposes.