Merritt Song: Gospel Hymnal #82 Supper Time Title: Princess of God
Scripture: Genesis 18: 14, Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.
A pastor would observe Sam Campbell and his wife Sara holding hands. And they held hands all through church service! It made him happy to see two such loving old folks. Greeting them at the door, Pastor said to Sam and Sara, "It sure does my heart good to see two loving people holding hands, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell. It's an inspiration!"
Sara grinned, "That ain't love, Pastor. It's the only way I can keep my husband from cracking his knuckles in church.”
In the Bible, a woman named Sara or Sarai is a reminder God does not promise your life will be perfect. Her journey began when she left all she knew. God prophesied a child. Weeks turned into months; months turned into years. For over 10 years, Sarai waited for the promise of motherhood. But she was barren. Her promised child would be key to blessing people of the world. More than anything, she wanted a baby.
Have you gone through a stage where you craved a baby? Years passed for Sarai; still no baby, no heir for her husband. Genesis 15:2, Abram replied, "O Sovereign Lord, what good are all Your blessings when I don't even have a son? Since You've given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, my servant will inherit all my wealth."
The shame and bitterness of barrenness began to drown Sarai. She blamed God in her heart! Genesis 16: 2, Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children.” We know she said it in her heart, because she said it to her husband! Sarai blamed God for not keeping His promise at the time she wanted it. So she took prophecy into her own hands.
Fearing God's plan was flawed, Sarai told her husband, "Go sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” Okay, it would have to be desperate for a wife to do this! A wife at the end of her rope! A woman far from perfect. Notice Sarai says, "Perhaps I can have children." Her concern was not God's plan, but motherhood. If she realized this child was lineage to birth Savior of the world, she would have put her own desires aside. Or maybe not! But surely, her husband understood after 10 years of walking with God! Surely Abram told her to hold her tongue and wait on God. Every woman is wrong until she cries, and then she is right.
Abram agreed with Sarai, but he could never have done it if he didn’t want to in HIS heart. This was not God's plan. This was Sarai's plan and it quickly backfired! Once Hagar became pregnant, she resented Sarai. Hagar's son Ishmael was not the son of promise. God said Sarai would STILL bear a son. God changed Sarai’s name meaning Noble Woman to Sarah which means Princess. Despite Sarah's imperfections, God took her as daughter of King of Kings.
SONG: EL SHADDAI
More time passed; God returned to visit. Though Sarah knew Who was there, she didn't go out to welcome her Guest! Visitors inquired where she was, but she stayed in the tent. If you put yourself in her shoes, would you have gone out there? To hear more unanswered promises? To have hopes raised again then dashed? Poor, sad, disappointed, unfulfilled, depressed Sarah.
In the news a woman was about to jump off a 44 story building in New York City. Witnesses said she was very well dressed. All tries made by the police failed. An officer asked if he could call his pastor to help. As pastor neared the ledge, the woman screamed, "Don't come any closer or I'll jump!" Pastor took a step back and said, "I’m sorry you believe no one loves you." This got the woman's attention and it got attention of the police. You don't say that to a suicidal person! She said, "My grandchildren and children love me! I have 8 wonderful grandchildren!"
Pastor said, "Well then, you must be very poor, so you want to end your life."
The woman said, "Do I look like I go without any meals? We live in a very expensive apartment. I'm not poor!"
"Then why do you want to kill yourself?"
The woman thought then said, "I don't remember why." NOW this woman volunteers on suicide hotline. She learned that thankful people love life.
Sarah overheard God, "I will return about this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!" Sarah laughed to herself. Woman can say more in a sigh than a minister in a sermon. Genesis 18:12, "How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy pleasure, especially when my husband is also old?" As God's plan tarried, time marched on. Sarah had menopause and believed her body could no longer conceive. Genesis 18:11, "It ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.” So she laughed, I would think to keep from crying! Her laugh was silent, but there was One who heard.
Imagine Sarah's shock when God asked why she laughed! Genesis 18:13-14, Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah say, 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?' Is anything too hard for the Lord?" God Himself asked, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Today, no matter WHAT you are facing, ask yourself, “Is ANY thing too hard for God?”
SONG: MOTHER’S PRAYER
Sarah feared, so she denied, "I-I-I didn't laugh." But the Lord said, "No, you DID laugh." Oh oh! Sarah didn't just laugh at God, she LIED to God. She was not having a "Virtuous Woman" day. Why did she lie? Would you be afraid of Someone who could hear whatever you think? Would you be afraid if you laughed at God? Can Faith be born of tears and fears? Sarah’s faith was. Now we could judge Sarah, but are we SO different? Is there anything God promised you that as time passed, faith has begun to pass with it?
Proverbs 13:12, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of LIFE. Do you need a tree of life in your heart today? Sarah develops faith. You see, in order to bring seed that would lead to Messiah, God didn’t just change Abraham. He had to change Sarah. The fact Sarah lied to His face, did God hold that against her? Did God say, “You don’t deserve to have prayers answered. You’re not faithful enough!” Do God’s answers depend on OUR goodness? If that was so, where would any of us be? Sarah was a very old woman when she had Isaac. After the visit from God, she realized she was walking in unbelief. She had to receive spiritual strength from God in order to believe, let alone conceive!
Sarah made her mistakes, but God saw her through. Hebrews 11:11, "Because of faith, Sarah received physical power to conceive a child, even when she was long past the age for it, because she considered God Who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word.” Who gave her the promise? Sarah shows God's desire to mold women into our destiny. We cannot hide behind our femininity or hide behind our husband and assume that we do not have a place in God's plan.
Women's eyes have pierced more hearts than ever did bullets of war. You’ve probably heard about Deborah, Ruth, Esther, Elisabeth, and Mary. They had influence when used by God. Man's love is of man's life a thing apart, tis a woman's whole existence. A woman’s life is a history of affection. There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles, beams and blazes in dark hour of trouble. Let men tremble to win the hand of a woman, unless they win the love of her heart! Like Sarah, we GROW into our destiny.
Song: THANK YOU MOTHER
In the end, Sarah learned to have faith which won her honor of being the ONLY woman among top 5 examples God gave of faith in Hebrews 11. We are considered Sarah's daughter when we learn faith. 1Peter 3:6, Just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord, you have become her daughters by doing good and by not letting anything terrify you. A modern translation says, “Let nothing terrify you, not giving way to hysterical fears or letting anxieties unnerve you.” When we look fear in the eye and say, "I choose to believe God," we have learned like Sarah.
“For I cannot think God Almighty ever made women so delicate, so glorious creatures, furnished them with charms so agreeable, so delightful, with souls capable of same accomplishments as men: and all to be only Stewards of our houses, Cooks and Maids,” wrote Daniel Defoe. “Women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their minds, and a field for their efforts as much as brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, from stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in fellows to say women ought to make pudding, knit stockings, play piano and embroider.”
Apostle Paul’s first missionary journey to Philippi, he came across a group of Jewish women attending prayer service on Sabbath by a river. Lydia was the first person in Philippi to believe in Jesus. Lydia sold the color purple, dyes and garments. Purple in those days was worn by rich and powerful, so she had wealthy clients. She was baptized; persuaded Paul and friends to stay at her house while they ministered. Lydia was a founding member of Philippi church which contributed to Paul’s ministry and poor saints in Jerusalem. Romans 16:1-2, Phebe also worked in ministry as a deaconess. Even when women are not recognized when used by God, they are an essential part of God’s plan.
Sarah's faith had to withstand mistakes her husband made and continue to walk in love towards him. Sarah had a normal husband. He did silly things; he did mean things by allowing other men to take her. She didn't try to sidestep his authority when he told her to say she was ONLY his sister. She gave submission, even if it meant going to live in another man’s house because her husband didn’t have faith to protect her!
Women always worry about things men forget; men always worry about things women remember! Woman should soften but not weaken a man. To get to a woman’s heart, a man must first use his own heart. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor touched, but felt in the heart. Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light. Helen Keller was born deaf and blind, yet she didn’t give up trying to make her world a better place. It is only when we truly know and understand we have a limited time on earth, we have no way of knowing when our time is up, that we live each day to the fullest, as if it’s the only one we had, said Elizabeth Kubler Ross.
Don’t wait for the perfect woman. She doesn’t exist though the woman of Proverbs 31 comes close. Be to woman’s virtues very kind. Be to her faults very blind. No, Sarah wasn’t perfect but the Savior was born in her line.
We sometimes think poverty is only being hungry or homeless. Poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy poverty of love. To love even when people do foolish things, BIG mistakes; even when the daughter of a king would laugh behind His back and lie to His face, God STILL loves and God is STILL good.
Love is doing small things with great love. It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving. This Mother’s Day we honor ALL women who choose to love and follow God. Each woman here is a Princess of God just like Sarah.
SONG: I’M JUST A WOMAN