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Sermon Notes

The Faith of Sarah

Sunday 8 March 2026 Pastor Craig Ledbetter Genesis 12
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I. Introduction (Hebrews 11:8)

  • We are in Genesis chapter 12
  • Learning about a great man of faith, named Abraham

  • “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” - Hebrews 11:8

  • AND… his wife, Sarai (Sarah’s name at first)
  • They both will show us how to live by faith!
  • And it has never been easy!
  1. Life comes with all of its struggles, and ups and downs
  2. But a Bible believer, a born again child of God learns, bit by bit, how to trust God enough to follow Him and obey Him through every twist and turn!

  3. “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” - Romans 1:17

  4. Faith is for all the times you do NOT know what to do, or how to do “life”
  5. Which for me, is all the time!

II. Review

A. Abram’s Call to Follow God (Genesis 12:1)

  • God had told Abram to leave

  1. “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.” - Genesis 12:1

  2. Leave everything and everyone - his father’s house, and his home and wealth, everyone except his wife!
  • Called to Go to a New Home (Genesis 12:1)
  1. And proceed to someplace only God knew about

  2. “…unto a land that I will shew thee.” - Genesis 12:1

  3. God didn’t even tell Abram where he was going
  4. God did not point to a map or give him ANY MORE information - just asked Abram to trust him completely!
  5. Just to leave Ur and his father’s house for a land that God would show him
  6. It will become called, The Promised Land - where Israel is right now
  7. We are never told to leave something, that God is not taking us somewhere better
  • Called to a New Way of Living - by obedient FAITH in Jehovah God
  1. Believing all the promises of God
  2. Believing every word of God - we hold them in our hands, the BIBLE
  3. Trusting that God will KEEP all His promises - trust Him completely
  4. All Abraham has to do is just trust and obey
  5. And so he does!
  6. That calling is STILL TRUE TODAY for us… to trust and obey!

B. Abram’s Conflict With Circumstances (Genesis 11:31,32)

  • He Struggled to Do God’s Will
  1. Abram started to follow God, but only went so far, and then stopped
  2. He got OUT of Ur, with his family, but Haran was as far as he got

    • “And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.” - Genesis 11:31,32

    • That was a good thing - his family wanted to separate from the false religion and wickedness of the culture in Ur
  • But, Abram was content to go only that far - comfortable there in Haran
  1. Not as far as God was calling Abram to go
  2. So, it slowed Abram down from enjoying the will of God!
  3. Application: Only God knows the multitudes of Christians that have left Ur, bound for Canaan, only to get bogged down in their “Haran”
  • Abram is just like all of us - he never found it easy to just TRUST God
  1. We always go only as far as we find it easy or comfortable
  2. Our mind will always argue about going all the way - find reasons to not keep going
  3. Our heart will always have fears stop us
  4. Oh that we believed the promises of God more than the fear of our circumstances

C. God’s Covenant with Abram (Genesis 12:2,3)

  • God Makes Seven Promises to Abram - Rock-solid promises

  • “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” - Genesis 12:2,3

  1. To bring him into a land that would be his and his children’s
  2. Make of Abraham a great nation called ISRAEL
  3. To bless Abraham and his children
  4. To make his name great
  5. To make Abraham and his children into a blessing to others
  6. To bless or curse people based on how they treat Abraham and his descendants - People need to take this promise of God seriously
  7. And then “in THEE shall ALL families [ALL NATIONS] be blessed”
  • Those are some amazing promises

D. Abram’s Conversion (Genesis 12:4,5) - ABRAHAM’S FAITH

  • “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.” - Genesis 12:4

  • Abram actually believed God - trusted God absolutely
  1. Abraham believed every one of those promises!
  2. THAT IS THE KEY!
  3. He just believed every word God said, and every promise God made!
  4. Abraham believed EVERYTHING God promised, not just bits and pieces
  5. He didn’t fully understand them, but he believed God would somehow make all those promises be true in his life!
  6. Wouldn’t that be awesome if WE did that too?
  • Abram actually obeyed - he left Ur - his beliefs affected his actions
  • Faith must be in that order!
  1. He decided to believe God
  2. And then acted on his beliefs - that is what it means to follow Jesus!
  3. What God SAID caused Abram to trust God, enough to obey God to just get up and leave his home and old life in Ur!
  • This is how we start living by faith - just believe God enough to start following Him
  • And, it is what produces Christ-likeness in a believer!

III. Message

A. Abram’s Wife, Sarai (Genesis 11:29-31)

  • Let’s go back and notice Sarai, Abram’s wife!
  • God points out this great woman by name, and wants us to WATCH her as well!

  • “And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. But Sarai was barren; she had no child. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.” - Genesis 11:29-31

  • Abram and Sarai are one of the greatest couples in history
  1. They are much better than Cinderella and Prince Charming
  2. Snow White and the Prince; Beauty and the Beast; and Rapunzel and Flynn Rider
  • They were married

  1. They were married at some point - we don’t know when, but when we read about them, they are already married

    • By-the-way, NOT living together - not partners, but married
    • In Ireland, less than half the population is married - and that is okay
    • But so many other “couples” are just living together, or experiencing uncommitted relationships

  2. Just remember…

    • Marriage is awesome by design, and blessed by God - yes, people mess it up
    • And being single is a good thing too
    • But the in-between is only trouble!

    • “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” - Hebrews 13:4

    • People who live together and enjoy the benefits of marriage without being married, God will judge!
  • They were in no way, perfect!
  1. They were a normal older man and his wife
  2. Growing up in Ur - a big city, part of the empire of Nimrod and Babel
  3. Abram and Sarai had many flaws in their marriage, yet… they stayed married
  • God blessed them in the end beyond their wildest dreams!
  • All because they believed God!

B. Abram was the Head of His Home (Genesis 12:1-5)

  • Great couples, marriages, great lives don’t happen by accident:
  1. Believe God, trust God
  2. And… follow the patterns of the Bible - not your own heart

  • “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.” - Genesis 12:1

  • THAT is the Bible pattern - All of Genesis shows us the Biblical pattern for everything important - without Genesis, Christianity and society has NO foundation!
  1. Marriage
  2. Proper Worship
  3. How to get saved
  4. Handling anger and frustrations
  5. Training your children right
  6. Absolute Forgiveness and what real love looks like
  7. And 100 more things… Including, “headship in the home”
  • Fact: God Speaks to Abram (Genesis 12:1)

  1. God speaks - men need to listen!

    • THIS BOOK is the words of God on every page!
    • You need to hear the words like God is speaking

    • “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” - John 10:27

    • “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” - Revelation 3:20

    • When anyone preaches and teaches from this Book, make sure you are listening for the voice of GOD! He is speaking!

  2. God will speak to Sarah in chapter 18 when He rebukes her for laughing at His promise to her of a son!

    • “Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.” - Genesis 18:11-15

  3. God spoke mainly to men throughout the Scriptures (about 97% of the time)

    • Modern women hate this fact
    • They think Jesus should have called 8 women and 4 men to be His apostles
    • They believe it is okay for a woman to be a pastor, and an elder
    • They believe men need to follow their wives equally
    • All these modern “pastorix’s” and “minster-ettes” believing God has specially called THEM to lead churches, and lead their families, over-ruling their husbands and male leadership, are demon-led, and demon-possessed! AMEN!

  4. God asked Abram to believe Him and TRUST Him enough to obey Him and leave his family, his home, his wealth, and believe that God would take care of him and his wife and keep all His promises!

  5. We men need to believe God like this again, and obey what God says do!

  6. Whether their wife believes or not! Whether she obeys or not!

  • Fact: Abram Took the Lead (Genesis 12:4,5)

  1. “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.” - Genesis 12:4,5

  2. He is 75 years old at this point - this was not going to be easy!

  3. He decided to believe God enough to obey God - THAT is what faith DOES

  4. He had a faith that he was willing to live and die by - THAT is real faith

  5. So he took the lead

    • He said, We are leaving, and going somewhere… new!
    • He did not wait for her to feel like following
    • He just packed up everything, and said good bye to everyone, and took his cattle business with him, and left for whatever God had for him

  6. Oh how I remember those days of going to MY Promised Land…

    • I went off to a Bible College in 1981 (drove 12 hours straight to Springfield, MO). I had never been there before - sight-unseen!
    • Four years later, I packed up with my new wife and headed to New Jersey in 1985
    • I packed us up again, this time with 4 children, and headed to Ireland in 1994!
    • I love where God leads! I love God’s Promised Lands!
    • Because I trust God!

C. Sarai Followed Abram (Genesis 12:6)

  • “And Abram [AND SARAI] passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.” - Genesis 12:6

  • She went with him - did what he decided to do
  • THAT was Sarai’s act of her faith - not imprisonment
  • God expected Sarai to follow, not lead

  1. That doesn’t always come naturally!

  2. Not all women follow their husbands - but Sarai does

  3. She had married Abram

    • They two are one now, and ONE is the head, NOT TWO heads
    • And that meant that she would follow him. THAT is marriage!

  4. They are the Biblical pattern for a proper marriage, even today

  5. QUOTE the right kind of marriage vow…

    • The Man’s Vow: I ___, take thee ____ to be my precious wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and give myself for you, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it, to protect and honour you, until God by death alone do us part.
    • The Woman’s Vow: I ______, take thee ______ to be my precious husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and submit to, as the Church is subject unto Christ, to obey and reverence, to protect and honour you, until God by death alone do us part.
    • Those are no easy promises to keep are they?
  • God expects all Christian wives to follow their husband’s leadership

  1. Do NOT let this modern world ruin your trust in God’s patterns in the Bible

  2. If your heart is racing right now, and getting upset at me, then ask God to change your heart! He is NOT going to change the Bible!

  3. “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” - 1 Timothy 2:9-14

  4. God’s word says, “With ALL subjection!”

    • WOW! I imagine that is not a phrase you think about much
    • But there it is. “With all obedience towards your husband!”
    • Those words are daggers in the feminist’s heart for sure! They HATE the Bible. They fear what might happen to them.

    • “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” - Ephesians 5:22

    • Stop and ask yourself - is that how it is in YOUR HOME?
    • If not, you have broken the pattern, and need to get it back right! Whatever it takes

  5. By-the-way, many Christian women are far more spiritual than their husbands. Seriously! And God does not ignore that, but He still asks every Christian wife to trust GOD more than their own spirituality and wisdom! And submit/obey their husbands as their head - the authority in your home! The person who says STOP, and the person who says GO!

  6. “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” - 1 Corinthians 11:3

    • Don’t look at your husband to see if HE is perfectly submitted to God…
    • Just look at how JESUS CHRIST submitted to His Father, obeyed the hardness of His Father’s will, and then submit to your husband, even when it is hard!
    • You say, But… but… but!
    • I know there is abuse, and there are many exceptions…
    • But remember, THE BIBLE shows men and women the pattern for the home!
    • Start following the pattern - and God will amazingly bless your home!

  7. Submission is God’s perfect attitude in the home

    • Not anger, not strife, not bitterness, not rebellion
    • And NOT blind obedience either!
    • But respectful obedience - that struggles, and discusses, but in the end, obeys
    • Ladies, you were designed generally for your husband - if you are married HE is your biggest ministry!

    • “For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.” - 1 Corinthians 11:7-9

    • Your husband is not completing YOU, you are completing HIM
    • And when men do not lead, and women do not let their man lead, the devil takes over! Seriously!
    • MOST homes are the devil’s playground because of feminism fighting this pattern

  8. Submission is part of the package

    • “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” - 1 Peter 3:1-6

  9. FACT: Sarai married a selfish, self-centred, egotistical man - a sinner named Abram

    • And that’s okay! Too many modern women want to marry a nice feminine “man”
    • Abram had an imperfect faith in God - quite immature at first
    • So… If you do not want to follow a sinner, then DON’T GET MARRIED!
    • Sarai followed Abram - through thick and thin, good times and bad times
    • THAT IS MARRIAGE
    • It used to be when a woman married a man, she signed up for taking HIS name, and going where HE went for work, for a house, for a career
      • Yeah, that costs her a lot
      • But believe me, the married man loses everything too - at least a Christian man
  • Sarai followed her husband into a dangerous situation (more next week)

  1. “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.” - Genesis 12:6

  2. Canaan was a very dangerous culture - lawless, ruthless, warmongering, raping, child molestations, sex-trafficking, child abuses and human sacrifices
  3. It was very unsafe place for TWO foreigners to live amongst… that is, without God!
  • But she trusted the same promises God made to Abram - that they would be fulfilled
  1. Sarai did not trust Abram blindly
  2. She was trusting THE GOD OF Abram - THAT is very important
  3. God had made clear promises to them both!
  4. So, she had enough to get her through every hard time
  • Ladies, you would do well to start trusting the God of Abram
  1. Instead of trusting your own heart
  2. Instead of following what all the other women are doing
  3. Instead of believing what you are seeing constantly on social media
  4. Start trusting that God is always in control, and you don’t have to be!

  • By-the-way, Start praying that your husband/future husband follows God and not you!

  • Next Week, Things are going to get tough, and Sarai is going to be asked by Abram to risk her life for him… and she does

IV. Conclusion

  • Abram and Sarai show us how to live by faith!
  1. It was hard. For both Abram AND Sarai
  2. But their marriage relationship demonstrated what a life of faith looks like!
  3. This Bible is written to give everyone the faith they need to be forgiven, and faithful living for God, no matter where He takes you!

A. Faith Produces a Conversion

  • “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” - Romans 4:3

  • Like Abram, you need to actually believe God - trust God absolutely
  • And then start obeying God
  • Faith must be In that order!
  • This is how we start living by faith - just believe God enough to start following Him
  • And that produces Christ-likeness
  • Do you have that kind of faith?

B. Abram’s Wife, Sarai, Needed to Live by Faith Too

  • Allowing Abram to be the Head of his home
  • Following Abram no matter where God leads him
  • Trusting the same promises God made to Abram - that they would be fulfilled
  • She could only do that if she was trusting God herself!

C. Start READING and BELIEVING Every Word in This Book!

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