The Great Faith of Sarah

Genesis 21:1-7

Let’s start with this quote

“The clearer the vision, the lesser the options, the better the decisions”

Lahat naman tayo may vision, we have vision, yung iba yung navi-visualize niya na nagpapatayo siya ng
bahay, si Pastor yung vision niya for the church po diba, yung church building ng Diffun and Patul na
kasalukuyang ginagawa ngayon, everybody has a vision sa mga kanya kanyang buhay po natin tama?
And meron ding vision na binigay si Lord sa atin, na ang ganda ganda, but sometimes dumarating tayo sa
point ng disappointments, na minsan di natin maiwasan na, gawin man natin di naman tayo nagsu-
succeed or nagkakaroon tayo ng failure.

Now, I’m sure na marami po dito ang nakakaalam ng story ni Abraham and Sarah kung pano sila
nagkaanak despite their old age. Kung babasahin po natin ang Hebrews 11, sa NLT version po nun ang
title is Great Examples of Faith, and sa verse 11 po andun si Sarah. Nakalagay po dyan

Hebrews 11:11

11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she
considered him faithful who had promised.

Kung babasahin po natin ang Bible hindi po gaanong nasabi yung faith na meron si Sarah, minsan
mapapatanong ka pa, great faith ba talaga siya? But in Hebrews 11 kasama po siya sa mga taong
nagdisplay ng Great Faith. Ilang beses pong nadisppoint si Sarah, ilang beses siyang nag fail but still, she
has faith in God. Ngayon eto naman po ang tanong para sa atin

“Will we still claim God’s promise even if we have failed and have been disappointed many times?”

Madalas po kasing nangayayari sa atin, God already gave His promises sa atin pero minsan
pinapangunahan natin. Meron po bang ganun dito. May mga pagkakataon po tayong ganun, yung may
binigay na promise si God pangungunahan natin Siya, or hindi nangyari yung pinagpra-pray mo sa sinet
mong timeframe parang feeling mo di na talaga mangyayari. May mga ginagawa tayo na, “Ayy sorry Lord
mali pop ala itong ginawa ko” Ganun din po si Sarah.

Basahin po natin ulit yung Hebrews 11:11

11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she
considered him faithful who had promised.

The word receive there is not just yung parang basta basta mo lang tinanggap. Na kapag may binigay
sayo magtha-thank you ka lang. Yung ibig sabihin po ng word na receive dyan, na once na binigay sa
kanya yung, once na binaba sa kanya yung word talagang grinab niya, she clinged into it, inangkin niya
talaga. Kaya po tayo kapag nagre-release po ng declarations ang ating mga Pastor and Pastora grab it,
angkinin mo. That’s what Sarah did, she actively take hold of the word of God and when you say to
acticely take hold yung as in mahigpit yung kapit mo. Diba minsan yung mga bata kapag nag-aagawan ng
laruan, talagang pinaglalaban nila, iguyod guyod da yung laruan para lang di maagaw sa kanya. Ganun,
to actively take hold of it, owning it ganun po.

By faith Sarah herself nakalagay po dyan, pero kung babalikan po natin yung story ni Abraham and
Sarah, ano pong sabi ni Sarah. “Hindi pinahintulutan ng Panginoon na magkaanak ako, o eto si Hagar
baka this way magkaroon tayo ng anak” Nung sinabi ni God na “Alam mo si Sara, mabubuntis yan” ano
po response ni Sara, HAHAHAH, tumawa po siya, tinawanan niya yung sinabi ni God. Pero sinabi po dyan
she received the power to conceive.

May pag-asa pa po tayo katulad ni Sarah. One thing that we shouldn’t do is to lower the standard of
God. Ganun po ang ginawa ni Sarah, why? Because she looked at herself and her inability.

Now, how do we actively receive? Or will we actively received, which bring us to our first main point.

1. Faith focuses on God’s power, not on our inabilities.

Faith focuses on God’s power not on our inabilities. At some point, hindi po nakita ni Sarah yung power
ni God, she is so focused on her inability, pero God is a redeemer. Kaya if right at this time, nilo-lower
natin yung standard ni God, or may binigay na salita ang Diyos sayo pero sa puso mo sinasabi na “Lord
parang di po mangyayari sa akin yun ah” May panahon pa para makita mo yan sa buhay mo na
magkatotoo.

Sometimes we lower the standards because we want to avoid disappointments. Nagpla-play safe po
tayo, kasi ayaw natin masaktan. We tend to base our prayers, our faith sa kung ano lang yung kaya natin
rather than dun sa kaya ni Lord. Yung gusto mo naman mangyari pero parang may feeling tayo na “Ay
baka hindi talaga para sa akin, kasi di ko kayang gawin yan” Yung gusto mong mag top sa klase pero ikaw
“Ay yang hirap ng exam tas feeling ko ang dami dami ko pang mali, di na ako aasa” Even me, ang
pinagpra-pray ko po kay Lord bago kami mag take ng comprehensive exam, “Lord kahit makapasa lang
po ako, kahit di na po ako mapunta sa BSA” ganyan po ang prayer ko, kasi I have a feeling na parang
imposible na talaga mangyari. Umi-iwas tayo sa sakit, sa disappointments kaya yung faith natin
nawawala. Wag po ganun. Maniwala ka.

God’s power will always accomplish His purpose. Yun po ang natutunan ni Sarah. God’s power will
always accomplish His purpose even if there is inability. Kahit na hindi natin kayang gawin.

11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she
considered him faithful who had promised.

Diba po one way ng pagpapakita natin ng faith is sa declaration, na kahit may sakit ka, you keep on
declaring “I am healed, wala na akong sakit” that is faith. The thing with Sarah is, she was barren, yes,
baog po siya, pero hindi po siya katulad ng nagde-declare na “Hindi ako baog!” Instead ganito po siya,
“Hindi, baog talaga ako” Pero dahil natutunan ni Sarah that God’s power will always accomplish His
purpose, ganito na po siya, “Baog ako, pero titingin ako sa kapangyarihan ng Diyos” She didn’t let her
inability to stop here from looking at God’s power. Yung iba po sa atin may mga problema na parang
imposible na talagang masolve or hindi mo kayang masolve but hear this, don’t let your situation stop
you from looking at God’s power.

Faith is looking at your reality, yung iba may sakit sa atin, yung iba may problema sa pamilya. Faith is
looking at our reality but still saying that our God is greater than our situation. Yung hinang hina ka na
dahil sa sakit but still you believe that God is our healer, yung kapag titingnan natin yung mga pamilya
natin, na lagi na lang magulo, di nagkakaintindihan, you still believe that God will restore your
relationship. That is faith. Panghawakan po natin yun katulad ng ginawa ni Sarah. She received the
power to conceive. If you look at Sarah’s reality it is really impossible for her to conceive, kasi infertile po
siya at the same time sobrang tanda niya na, menopause na po siya. Pero dahil pinanghawakan niya ang
promise ng Diyos, she grab onto it, she cling onto it talagang kumapit siya, she received the power to
conceive.

One Pastor said “God has the ability to birth something new even if it seems that the opportunity has
been lost” God is a creator. He created the universe, our planets, and the light through His words. Now,
if God already gave us His word, His promise, expect mo na, na mangyayari sayo yun. Amen! Kapitan mo
lang, ilaban mo lang.

Si Sarah kung titingnan mo talaga there’s no way na magkakaanak pa siya pero dahil binigyan siya ng
promise ni Lord plus yung faith niya kaya siya nagkaanak. All things are possible to God. Kaya kung akala
po natin wala na talag hindi na mangyayari, tingnan po natin si Sarah, ang kailangan mo lang ay
magkaroon ng great faith.

11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she
considered him faithful who had promised.

SHE CONSIDERED HIM FAITHFUL, the word considered here is not just parang naisip mo lang “Oo nga
noh, faithful si Lord” Hindi po ganun. The word considered here is she is fully convinced that she is led
by God. She is fully convinced that because God is faithful, gagawin Niya kung ano yung pinangako Niya.
That because God is faithful, He is trustworthy. That because God is faithful, then

We realize that our faith is the result of God’s faithfulness to fulfill His word.

Kaya nga po sinabi ni Paul, faith comes from hearing the word. If you want to have great faith, we have
to keep on hearing and reading the word. But it doesn’t end there, we have to experience the word, we
have to abide on the Living Word which is Jesus.

Sarah was so convinced na “Ayy gagawin ni Lord to para sa akin” “Tutuparin Niya yung pangako Niya sa
akin” But sometimes we fail to consider God faithful. Minsan mas naniniwala tayo sa kung ano lang yung
kaya nating gawin rather dun sa word ni Lord. Nangyari rin po yan kay Sarah, after the disappointments,
the failures, pagdating sa Hebrews, she is now remembered as a woman of faith. Kaya kung nagfail man
tayo sa faith natin, may pag-asa pa. Sabihin po natin sa katabi natin may pag-asa ka pa, huwag mong
tuldukan ang sarili mo.
Yung mga failures natin, yung mga doubts natin noon doesn’t disqualify us to grow in the life of faith.
Gusto pa rin ni Lord na matupad Niya yung purpose Niya, yung promise Niya sayo.

2. Faith focuses on God’s faithfulness, not on our failures.

Pumunta po tayo sa Genesis 18:13

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me
have a baby?’

Isa po yan sa mga failures ni Sarah. Narinig ni Sarah yung sinabi ni Lord at ano po yung sinabi niya

Genesis 18:15

15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.” But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”

The word denied here does not just mean na parang “Uyy hindi ah” Actually in other version po, sa NIV
ang sabi po dun, she lied. And when you lie it means you are deceiving someone. Sarah deceived God as
if she can really deceive God. Sino dito yung na-try pong ganun? Yung diniceive si God? For example po,
kunyari meron tayong taong kinagagalitan o for example yung kapitbahay niyo na lang, galit na galit ka
sa kanya iba na yung naiimagine mo, or minsan sinasabi pa natin sana ganito mangyari kay ano. Tapos
kapag magpra-pray ka na, “Lord di naman po ako galit kay Aling Marites, naiinis lang po” Inis lang pero
yung sa utak mo kung ano ano na nangyari sa kanya.

Sometime we lie about what we really feel but God knows it already. Alam Niya lahat ahat tungkol sayo
mula ulo hanggang paa. What I’m telling you is, you don’t need to deny or lie to God. He knows you
more than yourself. Open up to Him because God wants to do something. God declared to Sarah, di niya
pa kasi nag-grasp that’s why she denied it

Genesis 18:14

14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Is anything too hard for the Lord? Kaya ni Lord ayusin yung puso mong galit. Kaya ni Lord na ayusin yung
problema mo. Kaya ni Lord na pagalingin ka. Kaya ni Lord na bigyan ka ng joy and peace sa gitna ng
pinagdadaanan mo. NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR THE LORD.

Kaya ni God na habang hinihintay mo yung matagal mo ng pinagpra-pray ay pinagpapala ka Niya at the
same time. Kaya ni God na habang yung ibang tatay na wala sa simbahan tuwing Sunday at ikaw
pinagpra-pray mo Siya, kumikilos na si Lord sa buhay niya. May gagawin si Lord sa mga taong pnagpra-
pray po natin. Hindi pa huli ang lahat.

There are times that we doubt, there are times that we don’t believe but what we need to do is to give
them all to God. Puntahan po natin yung Mark 9:22-24 It says there
22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have
compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one
who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Some of us nangyayari sa atin, even po sa akin, na kapag nagpra-pray po tayo “Lord tulungan Niyo po
ako, alisin Niyo po yung doubt sa puso ko, yung unbelief Lord, alisin Niyo po ito” “Lord imbes na mag
focus ako sa power Niyo, imbes na mag focus ako sa faithfulness Niyo, yung sitwasyon ko po ang nakikita
ko” This is what Jesus said, “Kaya kong gawan ng paraan yan, I will help you in your unbelief”

Grabe po noh, Faith focuses on God’s faithfulness, not on our failures. God called us to succeed in His
purpose. God called us for His purpose. God has called us to overcome our fears. God has called us to be
healthy and joyful not to be hopeless and helpless. God wants to lift you up, God wants you to be
successful and not to fail, at kahit na nag fail man tayo, andyan pa rin yung kamay ni Lord, yung grace
Niya.

He is faithful to His words. He is faithful to heal you. He is faithful to draw you near. He is faithful na i-
ahon ka Niya sa hirap ng buhay. He is faithful to restore, to love you. And He is also faithful to get you
out of your sin. Why? Because He love us. Sabihin po natin sa katabi natin, mahal ka ni Lord kaya
tutuparin Niya yung pangako Niya sayo. Mahal ka ni Lord kaya pagagalingin ka Niya. Mahal ka ni Lord
kaya ire-restore Niya yung mga broken relationships mo.

3. Faith focuses on God’s glory, not on our inconveniences.

Genesis 21:1-2

 1 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And

Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.

Sinabi po dyan “The Lord visited” “The Lord did” andaming ginawa ni Lord di po ba, pero sino po ang
nagre-reap ng benefits? Tayo po. Ang dami daming pinapagawa ni Lord sa atin na akala natin si God ang
nagbe-benefit. Alam niyo po kahit wala po tayo, di na kailangan ni God ng benefit. Kahit wala pong tao,
He is still a God. Kahit wala pa pong mga nilalang sa mundo, glorified na si Lord. Hindi Niya po tayo
kailangan para magkaroon Siya ng glory. Ang ginagawa po ni God, sinasama Niya tayo sa glory Niya para
ma-enjoy natin yung benefit. Para ma-enjoy natin yung blessings.

Genesis 21:6
6 
And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”

The journey of Sarah shows us from the laughter of unbelief, she has now the laughter of faith. Simply
because she focused on the Lord. His power, His faithfulness, and His glory. At nung dumating yung
pangako sa Kanya ni God, she enjoyed every bit of it. Nangyari na po ba sa buhay natin, the promise
came and you did not enjoy it? Kasi may iba kang ginagawa. The promise of healing came, pero ikaw
naman kumakain nung mga pinapa-iwas sayo. Hindi niyo po mae-enjoy yung binigay na health sa inyo ni
God. Kailangan po may wisdom din tayo, to do it for God’s glory, not ours.

Pinaguusapan po natin si Sarah dito, but the hero is God. Because

4. Faith will focus on God’s purpose, not on our sufferings.

The waiting, the anxiety. “Lord, I want you to do this for me” and God will say yes in His time. So focus
on His faithfulness, not on our failures. Focus on His power, not on our inabilities.

Conclusion:

Great faith is possible because the God who has given us a promise is faithful to fulfill it.