Hebrews chapter 11. We're going to read verses
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.
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
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
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
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
4, listen to what Paul says about Sarah's womb.
Romans chapter 4, verses 18 through 19, we read
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
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
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.