good morning my friends I'm pastor
Steven Brooks and welcome to day two
Morning Glory our midweek Bible study
and I'm so happy that you're here today
why don't you take your Bibles and meet
me in a very prophetic chapter a very
prophetic verse we're going to go over
to Hebrews chapter 11 verse 11 jump into
the the chapter of faith the
hall-of-fame and also the Hall of faith
and take a look today at the life of
Sarah how God made her laugh despite
almost her willingness not to and how I
believe God's going to make you laugh
also praise God Hebrews 11:11
let's open up in prayer Heavenly Father
we thank you for your Holy Spirit we
thank you for the anointing of your Holy
Spirit and as we jump into your word
today we ask that your spirit would come
upon the message that this be Living
bread we thank you Father God not a
history lesson although we like history
but father we thank you for a living
word we give you all the praise we
receive it as thus in Jesus name and
around the world we agree and say amen
praise God Hebrews 11:11 by the way if
you're getting that number prophetically
such as you know you're not trying to
fabricate it or create this but it seems
like every time you turn around you see
eleven eleven or one one one one that's
got trying to get your attention to
focus on Hebrews 11 11 from the
perspective the whole perspective about
this verse really is that if Sarah got
her miracle then you can get yours too
let's talk about that now verse 11 by
faith and you can't skip past that
because Hebrews 11 is all about the
accomplishments really the extraordinary
accomplishments of in many ways very
average people who became exceptional in
God because they used their faith okay
by faith Sarah herself also received
strength to conceive seed and she bore
child
she was past the age because she judged
him faithful who had promised now I want
to read this from a couple of different
translations one would be the NIV New
International Version which is the
probably the most well read Bible
translation that's out there I don't
prefer is my primary teaching text but
it is a very good translation and I want
you to see how they caught the essence
of what is being said here it says and
by faith even Sarah let me just stop
right there that's really what the
versions were picking up the translators
are picking up and this is what Paul who
wrote the book of Hebrews under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit is trying
to get across to us we are talking about
Sarah the woman who laughed at God's
promise and in a sense although she did
not verbalize it out loud she basically
said there's no way God can do that whoa
this is the woman this is the woman that
we're talking about now let me drop down
to the NASB new American Standard Bible
which is considered by students of God's
Word to be the most literal translation
of the Bible and it catches the same
thing by faith even Sarah I mean even
even Sarah got her miracle we're talking
about the woman that just in a sense you
know like well not even God can do this
when he's sitting right there and he God
heard her Sarah say that Wow but yet
some things transpired didn't took place
in her life that got her over to her
point where she locked in on faith of
what God had spoken believed and you
know the rest of the story but what took
place to make this shift what was
working in her life where she finally as
we would maybe say just got with it
pulled herself together and really just
took a hold to what God said
I think we need to examine this because
if Sarah can get her miracle which it
and it was a it was a raw miracle I mean
this was something only God could do but
if she could get hers the woman who
laughed at God thought it not even God
can do that my friends God can do it for
you who praise the Lord and this is why
out of many of the people that are in
the great chapter of faith you know some
of them are that they have pedigree they
have they they have the lineage they
they have the milk they have they have
it all going on but you look at Sarah
and you're just like no she didn't have
it going on at all I mean she had
natural things in her life that were a
blessing but spiritually no know that
she was not hit it towards Hebrews
chapter 11 not with the way that she in
a sense was living her life until
something obviously happened that
propelled her into a place of being
worthy to be in this chapter and I
believe that this is a chapter that
continues throughout church history and
may your name also be found in that Hall
of faith when it's all said and done may
your name also be there because you'll
be able to say yes and I believed and I
got my miracle too regardless of what
that is God can do it for you so let's
dig in behind the scenes a little bit
and find out what was working to move
her into that place where she just
finally took a hold of what God said
took it seriously
and then you know it didn't take that
long when she finally bit it didn't take
that long for the whole thing to get
accomplished so in order to see this we
have to go back to literally the book of
beginnings the first book in the Bible
the book of Genesis and I want us to go
down to Genesis chapter 15 and we're
going to start today in verse 2 and it
says but Abram said Lord God what will
you give me seeing I go childless and
the air of my house is the leader of
Damascus so in that day and culture if
you didn't
have a son you didn't have a daughter
you don't have any descendants well your
inheritance your wealth your possessions
when you die you would just transfer
that over to the most trustworthy person
that you would know and that would be
the hid steward Eliezer of Damascus who
had served abram those many years then
Abram said look you have given me no
offspring he's talking to God and he
says indeed one born in my house is my
heir and behold the word of the Lord
came to him saying this one shall not be
your heir
in other words God saying he's a nice
guy yes he's always saddled your donkey
and he's you know he's washed the dishes
and he's put your tin up and he's taking
your tent down and he's done a lot of
good things but here's the thing with
God he only works on covenant line he
only works with covenant and Eleazar
great guy but he's not part of that plan
that God has a covenant plan and Eleazar
is not in that so a good guy great guy
but I'm not working with him on this
project that I'm wanting to pull you
into so he's he's not in the mix okay
now this one shall not be your heir but
one who will come from your own body
shall be your heir Wow that's amazing
so we see here that from Abraham's own
body and of course he's married he only
has one wife that means Sarah is gonna
be involved in this from his whole body
is going to come the air now at this
time Genesis chapter 15 what we have
been reading at this time Abraham is now
or we could technically call him Abram
he has not yet had the name change or we
would call the name upgrade he is now at
the age of 75 and Sarah who at this time
her name is still Sarai her age is 65
and so when God gave the promise we
didn't see the slim possibility of maybe
somehow in the
natural this thing can get pulled off
after all it's possible for men that are
older you know if they're still in soso
good shape maybe maybe they can still
you know you know get their wife
pregnant but even if that could happen
and it is possible
Sarah she's still right at the outer
edge of this being a potential
possibility for her but she has this
issue this a heavy weight issue
she's Baron and Baroness in that culture
in that society was considered one of
the greatest curses a woman could have
to not be able to produce an heir for
your husband because you're barren and
something's not right with your inner
mechanics something is wrong that was
just like it's like a death toll you're
living but you're just you live in
humiliation and you see other families
and other wives you know they're getting
they're getting pregnant and the husband
is happy and the family's growing and
you're just outside of that loop and
it's beyond your ability to do anything
about that well even if something could
happen I know who knows maybe Abraham
tried to encourage her now now Sarah
just hang in there you know the science
is working and doctors are working maybe
they'll figure out a cure well you know
not really but you know there is
encouragement there is the potential
hope maybe naturally we could still pull
this off but yet God said he'd do it but
you know what you have to realize that
when God does give a promise I'm talking
a very special promise there there's no
way it's going to happen unless God does
it and you lock in with God on faith and
you have to use your faith if you really
want to receive the things that God has
promised you and that rightfully
belonged to you as a believer in Christ
you're gonna have to use your faith
because it says in Hebrews chapter 11
verse 6 that without faith it is
impossible to please God so you're going
to have to engage your faith
and you know it's easy to just say that
say you know like Sarah just believed
God but we know that where you're when
you're in the mix and all of this stuff
with life is going on you know medical
report saying you know you're incurable
barren incurable and and you're getting
old you get all that thrown in there
then it's not so easy just to rise up
sorry I believe praise God in the real
life only the real substance is going to
work in situations like this only the
real power of God so we're gonna have to
find out how Sarah went from this place
of being barren and being old and all
this all these impossible scenarios and
then throw in her doubt and unbelief how
in the world does she end up in Hebrews
chapter 11 I mean with people like Moses
and Noah and her husband Abraham you
could picture those people in there but
how does she get into a place like that
let's talk about that as we continue to
dig deeper and may you also be found in
that place of Hebrews chapter 11 as a
person of conquering faith when it is
all said and done let's move now to
Genesis chapter 16 as we're going to
chapter 16
we are going to leap ten years ahead
into the future when you look at it it
just seems like it rolls into another
chapter but when you study it you find
out that ten years have passed
Genesis chapter 16 verse 1 now Sarai
Abrams wife had borne him no children
and she had an Egyptian maidservant
whose name was Hagar so Sarai this is
what she does she's going to help God
out yes she decides God needs a little
bit of help because now her husband is
85 years old and she's 75 oh yes she's
still barren never never got that fixed
never got past that hurdle but now she's
she's done she's outside of the loop at
the
age of 75 nah maybe somebody in the 60s
maybe a woman it with some kind of
exceptional genetics to pull this off
but 75 no it's not going to happen and
the writing's on the wall we are now in
the realm or either God there's a
miracle or it's never going to happen
she's not really yet in the miracle mood
so she thinks she can help God out a
little bit verse 2 so Sarai said to
Abram see now the Lord has restrained me
from bearing children please go into my
maid
perhaps I shall obtain children by her
and Abram heeded the voice of Sarai now
in that culture if we go back to the
ancient time of the Middle East also
reaching over into the region of the
Mesopotamia or Abram originally came
from this was not unusual during those
during those days it would appear from
what the rabbi's teaches that Hagar was
picked up from their former journey down
into Egypt which in some ways you could
actually say that Abraham kind of got
booted out of Egypt because he was down
there and you know Sarah was very
beautiful and you know they noticed that
they will notice that and he wanted her
and Abraham lied and said well that's my
sister and then it just caused a big
mess because now God's judging those
people and they're getting all kinds of
tumors and sicknesses and all their
women are going barren and they're like
what's going on and then they realize oh
that's not his sister that's his wife
and so they're like hey you need to
leave and you know and so they send
Abraham out and while they send him out
they they wanted him out so bad that
according to the rabbi's he was given
many gifts and one of the gifts that he
was sent out with was a maidservant for
his wife and that was Hagar and so
Sarah's thinking well let's just let's
do this
Abram you just go into my servant girl
and she'll produce a baby and
then that will become our baby she'll
still be the servant of course and then
we can finally fulfill this promise now
verse 3 the sarai abram's wife took
Hagar her maid the Egyptian and gave her
to her husband Abram to be his wife now
to be his life but not in marriage there
was no marriage and he's not going to
become the husband this is still a
situation where Hagar although she's
going to do this because she's being
pretty much demanded you know to do it
she's not getting anything out of this
now she's going to she's going to but
legally and technically in that era you
know you're still just a slave you have
no rights you don't you don't become you
know like a person that's now moved into
a marriage status no you're still just a
slave and Sarah is still the only wife
who's married to Abraham and so you know
she's in control or she thinks she is
now the Sarai Abrams wife took Hagar her
maid the Egyptian and gave her to her
husband Abram to be his wife and after
Abram had dwelt 10 years in the land of
Canaan that's also how we know we've
jumped to hit 10 years now so he went
into Hagar and she conceived and when
she saw that she had conceived her
mistress became despised in her eyes
then Sarai said to Abram my wrong be
upon you I gave my maid into your
embrace and when she saw that she had
conceived
I became despised in her eyes the Lord
judge between you and me and now you've
got a mess you have contention and you
have strife oh yes she's still the slave
girl she's still the servant girl but
she knows hey I've got something special
now going on with Abram I've got this
leverage and I'm going to use it and it
was just it was a mess it was just an
absolute mess and so when you look today
at the Middle East and you see the
strife and it's thick you go to
Jerusalem and you can feel it in the air
this tension this inability to get along
between the Arabs and the Jews
what you know people are like well what
is going on this has been taking place
now for 4,100 years why why can't this
be fixed well this all originates from
this event right here
Sarah's bright idea was such a good idea
after all
listen here's the bottom line God
doesn't need our help now he needs our
faith but you have to understand when
God gives you a promise
he's not asking you to perform it here
we can't we can't be God God doesn't
need our help
all God is asking you and all God is
asking me to do is to believe if you
will just believe God he'll do what he
can do okay he'll do this part he'll do
the god stuff he's he's good at that
he'll do the miracles all we have to do
is believe now yes there needs to be
works attached but not works like this
this is crazy stuff and that's why we
have the problem today in the Middle
East and it can't be solved outside of
Christ returning it's impossible it is
absolutely impossible
the only peaceful solution is found in
the Lord Jesus Christ and since you have
many Jews and many Arabs that don't know
Christ as their Savior it just continues
on all the strife all the friction all
our all the coral in and arguing and
jealousy back and forth it's a big mess
and it still taking place today now we
see here that this has now unfolded and
now the situation has not improved it
has gone even worse but God if you turn
it over to the Lord he can he could work
through a mess he could work through a
wrong turn now we don't want to make
wrong turns just so we can say hey Lord
I made a wrong turn come bail me out no
we want to stay on the freeway the
expressway of blessing we don't want to
miss we don't want we don't want stuff
like that these detours but if something
has happened God's merciful God's good
he can get in there and begin to work
even through a wrong turn if we let him
now we'll come back to that in a moment
but let's continue on as we're trying
to find out how sera moves from this
person of trying to do it in her own
ability trying to help God out doubting
God in all this other stuff to ending up
in this special place of honor let's
continue now in the next chapter Genesis
chapter 17 where more time has now
passed more water beneath the bridge and
they've gotten older now
Genesis chapter 17 verse 1 when Abram
was 99 years old okay so that would mean
Sarah is 89 the Lord appeared to Abram
and said to him I am Almighty God el
shaddai walk before me and be blameless
and I will make my covenant between me
and you and will multiply you
exceedingly now let's drop down to verse
15 praise the Lord we both know that
they are in the impossible zone they're
too old
he's 99 you know it's game over I mean
he's still moving around you know poly
can't see quite as good as he could
earlier poly has a few little aches and
pains here and there probably drinking
prune juice and you know they're just
working their way through life no she's
still barren but at this point it's like
who even cares they're so old you know
it's like hey you know how is this ever
going to happen but verse 15 then God
said to Abram now up to this point God's
dealing with Abraham he's now according
that now we have shifted also into the
name change came from Abram to Abraham
from Sarai to Sarah
so the upgrades are taking place it's
it's starting to warm up the miracles
getting closer but to them that still
looks like it's never going to happen
Abram now Abraham is believing Sarah is
still pretty much out of the loop but my
friends God is working now he's
primarily still dealing with this
covenant man Abraham that's gonna change
in the next chapter but let's not get
there yet verse 15 Genesis 17 chapter 17
verse 15 then God said to Abraham as for
Sarai your wife
you should not call her name Sarai but
Sarah shall be her name I like that and
I will bless her and also give you a son
by her so he's heard this before he's
heard this before but it's getting
refined restringing on the inside of him
now and I will bless her and also give
you a son by her then I will bless her
and she shall be a mother of Nations
kings of people's shall be from her I
mean these are wild these are wild words
when you're looking at two old-timers
and one you know the wife is barren
these are wild prophetic words praise
God but not so wild that you can't
believe because anytime the word of the
Lord comes it releases faith into your
heart so this is a specific promise for
them now verse 17 that Abraham fell on
his face and left and southern this
heart shall a child be born to a man who
was 100 years old
I mean think he think he's like hey this
is cool this is hilarious but yeah I'm
all-in and shall Sarah who was 90 years
old bared child and Abraham said to God
oh that Ishmael might live before you I
mean
Abraham's like yeah that'd be awesome
God but Lord just this is just too much
for me Lord let it be Ishmael I mean
I've already got him let it be him
let it be him well let's see what the
Lord says about that verse 19 then God
said no look my brother's my sister's my
friends God works on covenant platform
yeah it's not that he's got anything
against this me Ishmael he's gonna bless
Ishmael okay but just that hey look
Eleazar he's not God's guy Ishmael he's
not God's God God wants a covenant type
thing going on here and he's only
working on the platform of the Covenant
by the way if you're in Christ you are
in the New Testament which is what the
New Covenant okay so you are operating
on covenant platform and that's who God
works with praise the Lord now
then God said no Sara your wife shall
bear you a son and you shall call his
name Isaac or you know you're gonna call
it call him laughter laughter is going
to be his name I will establish my
covenant with him for an everlasting
covenant and with his descendants after
him and as for Ishmael I've heard you
behold I have blessed him and will make
him fruitful and will multiply him
exceedingly he shalt beget twelve
princes and I will make him a great
nation but my covenant I will establish
with Isaac whom Sarah shall bear to you
at this set time next year that's a wrap
on the conversation that visitation
closes out very very fascinating so
Abraham again is strengthened by God's
appearance to him and the sharing of the
word with him so Abraham's like okay
I just have to rule out this so-called
option of Ishmael I take that off the
list now some of you some of you because
you think maybe you can still pull this
thing off on your own ability maybe
you've got like an Ishmael on the back
burner maybe that's your last resort
look just go ahead and get rid of the
Ishmael
you're gonna need God to do this for you
why don't you just realize that you are
going to need a miracle that that's
that's okay you can use your faith you
can trust God and believe God God will
do it for you just go ahead and lock
into that get onto that covenant
platform and get comfortable and stop
thinking that you can figure out this
thing and pull this off in your own
strength and ability you're not going to
be able to do it
a true promise that God gives is
something that we'll need God's help if
you can do all this stuff in your own
ability what even they've gone for if
you can save yourself from your own sins
what what did Christ even come to the
earth for but note my friends there are
things in life that are beyond us we
need a Savior everybody needs a savior
because eventually if not you're gonna
be faced with what are you going
do about your sin problem on the day of
judgment okay so that's why we want
Christ in our lives as a savior as a
redeemer hallelujah as one who is the
sin burden bearer praise God so that we
are clean and that we're good to go in
that area and then we have these other
promises other things that God wants to
work through us not only through the
church as a corporate body but also also
through individual believers praise God
and you're gonna need God's help yes you
are hallelujah that divine assignment
you are going to need the
miracle-working power of God in your
life to see it accomplished if you can
do it in your own ability I doubt even
if that's God's plan for your life if
you can pull this thing off in your own
ingenuity your own strength your own
resources and your own ability I
completely doubt if that's even God's
plan that he has for you praise the Lord
but when it has the miracle element in
it now you realize in humility that
you're going to need God and since you
need God might as well get rid of the
Ishmael remember that's the whole thing
Paul got into in the book of Galatians
where he talked about the Old Covenant
the law and trying to do it through
works and you know how can we say get to
heaven through good works or and that's
impossible
and that was a representation of Ishmael
but then over here we have the new
covenant grace faith and that's
represented by who represented here by
Isaac praise God so two covenants and
God wants us to go for the true
representation which comes down from
heaven the heavenly Jerusalem these
those were types of shadows that he was
explaining and the latter half of the
book of Galatians and that's why he was
so into this
Isaac thing the medical thing the faith
thing as composed to some rescues as
compared to something that you can just
do in the flesh which is what Ishmael
represented the best that the flesh
could do mmm Wow and he was a wild guy
he was a crazy guy so he was not a
covenant potentials not think I had
anything against him just that God knew
hey that guy has no interest in me
he's not he's not covenant material I've
got to have a man that I could work with
and that man was Abraham Isaac Jacob and
may you be that man may you be that
woman
that God can work with because you are a
faith covenant person praise the Lord
now we see here that the visitation that
God had with Abraham is wrapped up they
got the name changed from Sarai the
Sarah from Abram to Abraham things were
going really good and now now it's time
to kick it into high gear watch the
watch the amazing difference Genesis
chapter 18 verse 1 then the Lord
appeared to him by the terebinth trees
of memory as he was sitting in the tent
door in the heat of the day so he lifted
his eyes and looked and behold three men
were standing by him and when he saw
them he ran from the tent door to meet
them and bowed himself to the ground
let's drop down now to verse 9 then they
said to him where is Sarah your wife ooh
look what they said look what he said so
he said oh here in the tent
get ready what's about to be spoken this
time is for Sarah's ears and she's never
heard it firsthand ever in her life
before up until this point what has
happened is that the Lord has appeared
to Abraham and said Abraham they're
gonna have a son through you and Sarah
you're gonna have a son and Abraham's
like yeah I believe it and after the
visitation the Lord leaves and then
Abraham goes back and tells his wife
Sarah God he's appeared to me again
we're gonna have a child we're gonna
have our own son mm-hmm and Sarah's like
that's that's nice
I believe pray uh praise the Lord
yeah that's why Abraham I love you and
I'm glad you had another good visitation
but this time watch out syrup this time
this visit is intended for your ears
mmm
mmm look look there's something about
faith that when you get it from God
yourself it does something to you oh I
like good preaching mmm
preach preacher preach build my faith
mmm I'm ready to do miracles mmm
teacher teach the word build me up that
I might be strong in God
mmm that's good we need that we need
that Jesus gave the fivefold ascension
gift ministry so that we can do those
things the apostle prophet evangelist
pastor teacher yes it's good we need it
it's essential but my friends also on
top of that when you hear from the Lord
yourself oh not just through your pastor
not just through the Prophet thus saith
the Lord and oh that's good I like all
of that I'm into all of that but when
you seek God and when you with your own
ear hear God yourself and then a prophet
comes and confirms it and then the
preacher preaches and it confirms it and
then the apostle lays hands and it
connects what what you have already
heard yourself when your ears hear it
who came changer game-changer well
pastor Stephen mom mom mama told me I
was called into the ministry but what is
God told you well I I don't know I don't
know well then you need to find out you
can't live on Mama's word grandma's word
a grandpappies word you've got to hear
from God because in the thick of the
battle when the heat is flying that's
not the time to wonder am I even
supposed to be doing this oh no no you
should have gotten you should have got
not at all figure it out before you
start it that's why there are so many
incomplete projects where ministers
start something and they never finish it
well praise God we have a beautiful
sanctuary here now we haven't finished
it yet it's been left half complete it's
been 20 years now since we started it
and we've we've never finished it and
you hear stories like that you're like
what did the world happen why because
sometimes people get in the middle of
something they're there that they think
they heard from God but and they get in
the middle and then in the battle when
it's tough if there's doubt and you
don't
they know that stuff can really mess
with you whoo praise the Lord so you've
got to know that you know that the path
that you're going and the thing that
you're believing God for is thumbs up
from heaven praise God that you're
dialed in and you have you have backing
for that you have scripture for that but
mainly even also a scripture mainly God
God has confirmed yes that is good and
acceptable in my sight I'm with you on
that project I'm with you on what it is
that you're believing for whether it's
your own home whether if you're single
it's for a spouse whether you know it's
for ministry or whether it's for
business or whatever it might be well
praise the Lord
you need with your own ears you need to
know that God has spoken to you mmm now
the most amazing thing is is that so
often when you have heard from heaven
yourself so often foo it's just it's
just like confirmations they just come
so easily after that praise the Lord
confirming what God has already told you
but it's very important that we know
what the Lord is speaking as individuals
to us now verse 9 then they said to him
where is Sara your wife so he said here
in the tent and he said I will certainly
return to you according to the time of
life and behold Sara
your wife shall have a son Sara was
listening in the tent door which was
behind him you don't think the Lord knew
that well of course he knew that he's
the Lord and she's hearing it this time
not through Abraham she's hearing it
this time she's hearing God Himself the
Lord Himself sitting there right by the
tent beneath the tree and she's just on
the other side of that little tent
curtain and she's hearing everything and
she hears God say it himself
Sara was listening in the tent door
which was behind him now Abraham and
Sara were old well advanced in age and
Sara had passed the age of childbearing
therefore Sara
laughs now she didn't laugh like her
husband did earlier this is not like a
oh that's no that's great no this is a
lot this is a laugh of just like total
unbelief like there's no one there like
like this is like this is total baloney
type laugh therefore Sarah laughed
within herself saying after I have grown
old shall I have pleasure my lord being
old also and the Lord said to Abraham
why did Sarah laugh saying shall I
surely bear a child since I am old is
anything too hard for the Lord hmm is it
possible to stand right in front of
Jesus and receive a word from him
straight from his own mouth straight
from the word anointed by the spirit
where it would seem like it literally
leaps off the page or you have a vision
and the Lord stands before you gives you
a word is it possible even the midst of
something beautiful like that
exceptional like that to still doubt him
oh absolutely it is and it should
terrify us it should terrify us that we
can allow ourselves to be in such a
place where we have gotten so
spiritually lazy or our spiritual faith
muscles or like an old limp noodle and
we're just sitting around not believing
God for nothing
just waiting for a rapture to get out of
here whoa praise the Lord
well may God put your escape mechanisms
on hold and may you lock in and dial in
to the promise that God has given you
and made you be a person who says Lord
Jesus I'm looking forward to your return
but Lord just give me a little more time
to get this done Lord there's people
that are not saved I've got loved ones
Lord that are not saved Lord I I want
you to come back but Lord I've got an
assignment that's not done lord have
mercy give me a little more time
I'm on this I'm working on it God I
believe you praise the Lord
mmm not this laughter stuff that says
that's just total hogwash no oh no oh
god hurt it is anything too hard for the
Lord mm-hmm at the appointed time I will
return to you according to the time of
life and Sarah shall have a son hmm oh
so this thing's gonna get done whoa
God's gonna have to light a fire under
Sarah and he knows how to do it
but Sarah tonight it's that scene when
that when you see the Lord when you see
that side of him all of a sudden you
stroll oh I didn't know I didn't know he
really meant this I didn't know this was
serious I thought this was like some
kind of a joke mm-hmm but Sarah denied
it saying I did not laugh she was afraid
some of you you need to get holy afraid
you just stop playing around like this
whole thing's like a toy or like or like
your destiny doesn't really mean
something it does mean something that's
why you're here at this time it's
important it's vitally important I would
dare say that it's so important that if
you don't accomplish it there could be
people that may not reach heaven that
God wants to reach heaven there could be
people that could perish in their sins
if you tour around with your destiny you
must rise up and be the man be the woman
that God called you to be you're
supposed to be over in Hebrews chapter
11 you're not supposed to be some kind
of a loser that is not your destiny
hallelujah I'm speaking to over comers
and champions rise up in the name of the
Lord and take your assignment serious
and be the person that God called you to
be
and get to work on the promise that God
gave you you need some holy fear you
should get afraid the serious stuff to
the Lord it's serious stuff to the Lord
he shed his blood for you to redeem you
and he also gave you divine promises
great and precious promises he would
really appreciate it if you took it
seriously
mmm he paid a lot for it he paid a lot
for you to step into this Sarah denied
it saying I I did not laugh she was
afraid
and he said no but you did laughs mmm
and that wrap setup she's probably like
Abraham I don't want any more of these
visitations you you be the one that
entertains the Lord when he shows up I
don't want him talking to me any more
than I did this too hot for me
Pastor Dave life I'd like a visitation
from Jesus he's got two sides he's very
nice
he's nicest person you'll ever meet he's
got another side though he he takes it
very serious the way that you responded
the greatest pain that you can cost him
is to doubt him the greatest pleasure
that you can bring him is to believe him
hmm
thank you Jesus we're almost there
Genesis 21 here we go
verse 1 and the Lord visited Sara as he
had said and the Lord did for Sara as he
had spoken for Sara conceived and bore
Abraham a son in his old age at the set
time of which God has spoken to him for
6 and Sara said God has made me laugh
let's look at verse 5 now Abraham was
100 years old when this son Isaac was
born to him and Sarah said God has made
me laugh he's going to do the same thing
for you yep he sure is and all who hear
will laugh with me and yes the same
thing will happen there will be others
that will laugh with you and say wow
well you know be honest we thought you
were a little crazy but while you
actually pulled it off your faith
actually produced this and they're going
to laugh and they're also going to be
thinking now I'll hold on if God did
that for this God could do it for me and
then boom and it's this thing just
starts going mm-hmm seismic waves
shocking waves going out in the spirit
caused by your faith quake boom praise
God you're gonna pull it through you're
gonna break it through praise the Lord
and others will laugh with you but still
the main thing is yours it's your baby
it's your child it's your miracle is
your victory and you laugh best at your
miracle praise the Lord
well
how did we get into this place of
Genesis chapter 21 where now it has
happened and then just outside of a year
earlier she is in unbelief she's still
not really hooked on to this and she's
just treating it lightly and doesn't
understand really how how can we say the
mechanics of God how he works that's why
Abraham was a friend of God
he understood faith and so he could work
with God and if you're not willing to
engage it can be very very difficult to
achieve answers to prayer with God
because he works on a faith basis not
only he doesn't even work on a need
basis and he doesn't work on a begging
and you know a god I'm gonna just come
before you and grovel and beg he doesn't
work on that type of a platform he works
on a faith platform so what happened
where she just got with it
what had what happened well I think one
of the things that happened was that
encounter I think it shook her up she
realized hey this thing's not a joke
this is real I've never encountered the
Lord before this and I'm like wow that
that shook her up I think it really did
God means business time is short and she
was on a prophetic calendar God had to
get her there and he hit the light a
fire under her so what was said in that
visitation again with Abraham though
that last visitation was intended for
her ears may your ears hear something
that awakens your faith to really pursue
the dream the vision the miracle that
God has put in your heart may your ears
hear a word that just light you on fire
with faith whew praise God
get ready we're coming into Pentecost
we're only about 40 something days
outside of Pentecost there's going to be
holy fire praise God
your ears are going to hear something
that will light you on fire praise the
Lord
hmm get ready praise God so I believe
that's one of the things that moved her
forward now remember also God's Word is
a seed and the seed is sown into the
soil of the human heart
and so when she heard it with her own
ears not not just through Abraham
recounting a visitation but when she
heard it through her own ears God's word
for her that word which is a seed went
into the soil of her heart what was the
word you're gonna have a child and the
Lord said I'm coming back next year and
you're gonna have a child at that time
who praise the Lord and that word goes
in and when it's mixed with faith it
will produce the full intended purpose
now these things are moving her closer
and closer to full commitment to locking
onto that word I believe also she
realized this is a specific promise for
her it meant a lot to her and while
there are many promises in the Word of
God you have to follow the path that God
has for your life you don't need to try
to be like the other person you don't
need to try to copy them God made us all
originals he made us all unique and
you're your best when you are yourself
and who got intended you to be so you
have to be able to see what is God's
path and plan and what are the promises
that are along that journey and take a
hold of them and take a hold of them and
grab them and it's good to have
scripture that will support them and it
is also good to have the witness of the
Holy Spirit that yes this is something
that pertains to your life calling and
lock ahold of it because this is in
God's plan for your life okay now let's
go on I believe also what really lit a
fire under her was this thing of
barrenness even though she's old even
though she's lived with it all of her
life this thing of barrenness I think
she's just flat-out fed up with it and
she now realizes there is a cure it's
kind of late in the game but there is a
cure it's God God can cure me of this
miserable Berenice he can lift this
thing off of me and if he's going to
give
me a child which she says he is look
she's smart just like you are the gears
start turning that means I'm gonna need
my body to work that means she's gonna
have to touch my body strength that's
gonna have to come back into my body I'm
gonna have to be you know the child is
going to be you know raised and I'll
have to you know eventually wean him and
stuff like that so I've got to have
everything working
that means God's gonna like take me back
and take me into like some kind of a spa
treatment where he's going to rejuvenate
me and she's like yeah that would be
really really cool that way I can live
my life out to the fullest point and
I'll be healthy and uh Wow
yeah so that net starts to excite her
that the Baroness will be taken off of
her
Oh ooh mmm but another thing we can't
ignore we can't ignore this I think that
the thing with Hagar God just works let
me say it like this God wasn't working
through Hagar in the sense where God's
inspiring her to be jealous and do all
of these things where she a grove AIT's
to daylights out of Sarah but God
allowed it God absolutely allowed it and
I'm sure Hagar was so good at it that
the way Hagar acted with her and her son
Ishmael you know that this time Ishmael
is 14 years old and and they just drove
and irritate it Sarah to the point she's
just like I've had it I'm taking God's
Word I can't take this crazy woman this
woman is driving me nuts and you know
what it drove her into a place where she
got so fed up with the Baroness and so
fed up with the humiliation and the
degradation and not being able to do
anything about it except complain how
many of you know that doesn't do any
good that she just finally said God can
do something about it and she took hold
of the promise she took hold of the
promise and the truth be told that when
the baby finally came Oh Oh even when
the baby is being dedicated there's this
me over there
mocking and laughing
Oh still doing a really good job of just
irritating but notice hey Garth's work
now was accomplished and what takes
place afterwards look at Genesis 21
verse 8 so the child grew and was weaned
and Abraham made a great feast on the
same day that Isaac was weaned and Sarah
saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian whom
she had born to Abraham scoffing and she
just she's had it but now she can do
something about it she tried to get rid
of Hagar earlier and God sent Hagar
right back the angel of the Lord sent
her right back she couldn't get rid of
this irritant but now she can Hagar has
served her purpose
Ishmael as served his purpose and now
she says she says Abraham they've got to
leave and Abraham still didn't want to
do it but this time Sarah prevailed it
was God's will and then Hagar and
Ishmael I'll leave and they're gone
they're completely out of the picture my
friends this is very very fascinating
how in many ways before Hagar left Sarah
probably should have gone up to her and
said you know Sarah excuse me
Hagar we we've definitely had our
differences and you know I kind of
created this whole mess but you know
what you've really you've really worked
in my life to drive me towards the
promise of God
so here's $1,000 I'm actually going to
pay you $1,000 you irritated me so good
you did such a good job of driving me
almost crazy that it finally caused me
to wake up and snap out of my whatever I
was in and turned to God and say I
refuse to live in this type of a
situation anymore I will have my miracle
whoa
praise God pastor Steve they make fun of
me I don't like it you know what they're
probably going to continue to make fun
of you until you get so fed up with it
that you say God do something about it
God will say believe me trust me
have faith
than me so that you can get the monkey
off of your back personally that ain't
nice the way they talked about me though
it's probably not it's probably awful
and and they probably do it all the time
but you know what God can allow that
stuff to happen so that you will rise up
and say god I've had it I'm casting this
thing off and I am not allowing myself
to be humiliated anymore I'm gonna
believe you and then it was short time
she's pregnant
and then pops a baby who praise the Lord
God God can light your fire God can
allow various things to transpire in
your life to offer you intense levels of
motivation III I don't want you to have
a Hagar in your life I don't want you to
have an Ishmael I'm just sayin God can
use all kinds of things God can work
through all types of things to get you
to the point he wants you to be and with
Sarah he had to get her there she's on a
prophetic timetable he's already given
promises to Abraham this thing's gonna
run down through his whole lineage and
it's gonna happen through his son so
this thing has to happen and it's going
to happen
so God lit the fire under Sarah it must
have been intense
who praised the Lord but when it was
over it was over praise God and mission
accomplished and you know what she ends
up in Hebrews chapter 11 let's go back
there one more time Hebrews 11 verse 11
by faith notice she had to get into the
faith God's not gonna give it to her
just because she's Abraham's wife God's
not gonna give it to her just because
she won a beauty contest God's not gonna
give it to her
because she writes nice poems God's not
gonna give it to her unless she gets on
that covenant platform of faith and
starts believing praise the Lord by
faith Sarah herself even Sarah oh yeah
the one that laughed at God and
basically in a sense said no not even
God can do this oh yes now we know why
she's here my faith even Sarah herself
also received strength to conceive seed
and she bore a child when she was past
the age because because she considered
him faithful
who had promised praise the Lord
my friends God has very precious
promises for you I'm here to tell you
he's the same God of Sarah not many
times you say he's the God of Abraham
Isaac and Jacob and he is but let me say
this let me say it a little different
he's the god of Sarah okay so if Sarah
and we've seen what was cooking in her
life if Sarah can end up in Hebrews
chapter 11 and can get her miracle and
it really was it's an exceptional
miracle in some ways and I think it out
does some of the other people in here in
Hebrews chapter 11 I mean this is crazy
miracle if she can get hers well all of
the things that she had to work through
and overcome you can get yours and I
believe you're going to mm-hmm
God's working God's working don't ever
give up on your dream that God gave you
don't ever give up on the promise that
God spoke to you don't ever give up on
that divine whisper but the Spirit of
God revealed something sacred and
special to you hallelujah you are
destined to be blessed to be a blessing
and your life will touch many and you
will laugh you will laugh yes when it
when it manifests you will laugh and
many others will laugh with you so don't
delay lot hold with God in faith who
praise the Lord grab ahold of the
promise of God just like the Old
Testament sometimes they would run there
into the the tabernacle of Moses and to
the tabernacle of God and grab the horns
of the altar and hang on you're gonna
have to grab ahold of the promise of God
and hold on and say God I believe you
Lord even though I should die or perish
I'd take a hold of you and believe this
Oh God hallelujah praise the Lord and
when you believe in with all of your
heart and trusting you will see that God
will get you there
praise the Lord praise the Lord so allow
these different mechanisms of motivation
to inspire you to get up and get going
woo praise God now one more time let me
say this your ears are going to hear
something
intended for you the Lord is going to
speak something it's intended for you
and you're going to hear it and you're
gonna say that's my promise praise the
Lord remember you will be in the persons
of the Lord I would highly encourage you
to just believe it be like Mary Lord let
it be unto me according to your word
okay you not to figure it all out you
don't figure it all out
godson asking you to perform it all he's
asking you to do is believe that he will
do it okay
let God do the heavy lifting you just do
the believing praise the Lord father I
pray for your people that their faith be
locked on that they'll be like a bulldog
clamping on to a t-bone steak bone like
the bone from a big stink thank you
Father God with that grip of faith we
think your father God but even if that
dog is lifted up he doesn't let go
dangling in the air that your people be
like that we thank you we thank you we
thank you for this stubborn unrelenting
faith we give you praise we give you
praise father I thank you you're going
to make your people laugh it will be
worth it in the name of Jesus amen and
amen
hallelujah praise the Lord hallelujah
now say this come on be bold and daring
today say I will personalize this say I
will end up in the Hall of faith who
praised the Lord said again say I will
end up in the Hall of faith praise God
amen it's being extended then look this
is a very long hall okay very long hall
you can get in there praise the Lord
Amen the angels are ready to help you
out praise God
all right let's get ready to take Holy
Communion and lock this word into our
spirit remember 11:11 start seeing 11:11
that starts popping up that Scott trying
to say hey look I did it for Sara Sara
got her miracle I'll do it for you mmm
mmm thank you Jesus
if you're watching today's program and
you don't know Christ as your Lord and
Savior but you would really like to have
a God like this Wow praise the Lord
now is your time to get your life right
with God say this prayer after me say
Lord Jesus I'm a sinner Jesus forgive me
of my sins I give my life fully to you
Jesus wash my sins away save me now
write my name in your book of life thank
you Jesus I accept you as my Lord and
Savior I believe in you just like Sarah
did I believe in you Jesus and your name
I pray amen and as you have prayed that
prayer from your heart and you now
belong to Jesus and he is your Savior
praise God now let's all together take
holy communion today
grab some unleavened bread some grape
juice and let's pray Heavenly Father we
thank you for the bread the juice we set
it apart as holy through this prayer we
consecrate it and we thank you this is
the body in the blood of Jesus our
Savior father as we receive the body of
Jesus his flesh we just thank you O God
we just thank you O God that you are
faithful we consider you to be faithful
that you have the power to get it done
thank you Oh God hallelujah as we
receive his body we thank you that it's
going to be done in Jesus name Amen
as you take it just declare God's
faithfulness let's receive
father thank you for the blood of Jesus
thank you for its ability to forgive us
of our sins brings cleansing as we call
upon you and confess our sins we thank
you for purity and holiness we thank you
Father God that you wash all of our sins
away that you cleanse us from all
unrighteousness
thank you Father God just washed your
people clean with the blood of Jesus
thank you Father we confess any sin wash
your people clean oh God with the blood
of Jesus thank you Father God that we
stand an ongoing right relationship with
you through the shed blood of Christ
thank you O God Father we forgive anyone
who has sinned against us we forgive
them and we bless them father if there
would be a Haggar type person or an
issue penalty person and the life of
that one who's watching who's aggravated
and irritated lord we forgive we forgive
and thank you Father God we also can see
in a way how it's almost like they were
they would be like an employee they're
actually they're actually moving us
towards where you want us to go when we
see what you're trying to do so we thank
you Father God that you actually in a
way make them serve us so father we give
you praise we thank you we thank you
Father for the blood of Jesus we forgive
anyone who sinned against us completely
and totally thank you O God we thank you
for giving us of all of our sins in
Jesus name we agreed say Amen let's
receive praise the Lord
woo God's gonna make you laugh
pastor Steven God makes people cry well
gods are good gods God is going to make
you laugh
God is so good he actually told them
the baby the child the son that you will
have call him laughter that's what Isaac
means it means laughter boo praise God I
see laughter all over your future you
may even want to write it over your door
god makes me laugh praise the Lord
he's going to make you laugh you're
going to get your miracle hold on
if Sarah could get your get hers you can
certainly get yours and you're going to
thanks for watching I'll see you back
next time bye-bye