TD Jakes - Understanding the Blueprint of Faith: Coming Into Agreement (05/09/2025)
The preacher emphasizes that faith reaches its fullest power through agreement—first with God and then with others—using Abraham and Sarah as the prime example of a couple who, despite differences, aligned on God's promise, enabling Sarah to conceive Isaac in old age. True fruitfulness and blessing come not from sameness but from unified agreement on divine promises, a process that demands time, negotiation, and sacrifice.
Abraham and Sarah: The Original Power Couple
The power of agreement is vividly illustrated in the lives of Abraham and Sarah. They were a true power couple long before the term existed. They are the only couple mentioned together in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. The passage recounts what Abraham did by faith, but it also highlights what Sarah did through faith.
Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Interestingly, Abraham did not receive credit for the birth of the child; that credit was given to Sarah. Yet Abraham is credited for the journey of faith, while Sarah is credited for the miraculous birth.
However, there had to be an agreement between them. They could not walk together unless they agreed. They reached a profound level of agreement that allowed God's promise to come to pass.
Faith Performs Best in Agreement
God has designed faith to perform at its maximum capacity when we come into agreement with one another. That does not mean everyone in the world has to agree—neighbors across the street do not need to agree. But there must be agreement concerning what God has promised you, ideally with someone who can touch and agree with you.
The Bible says, "If any two of you agree as touching anything on earth, it shall be done." Coming into agreement means more than just two people agreeing with each other—that is nice, but limited. True power comes when two people agree with God. A threefold cord is not easily broken.
If two people only agree with each other, it could lead to anything, even negative things like murder or witchcraft. But when the agreement is with God, it unleashes divine power. Find someone who can agree with you as you believe God for His promises.
The Danger of Only Seeking Sameness
We must not look only for people who already agree with us. That is a major problem in the world today: we only talk to those we already align with. We watch news that confirms our views, and we befriend only those who think, vote, dress, and act like us.
There is no fruitfulness in sameness. You need differences to come into agreement and give birth to new ideas. If Abraham had only agreed with someone exactly like him, there would be no Isaac. Differences are essential for fruitfulness.
Our society has become increasingly tribalistic. Doctors associate only with doctors, lawyers with lawyers, the poor with the poor, and the rich with the rich. Without cross-pollination, there is no growth. Studies show that mixed neighborhoods lead to better outcomes—higher grades for children and greater upward mobility.
What has made nations great is diversity united in purpose, not uniformity. We aspire to be one because we are many.
Agreement Requires Differences
This principle applies directly to the Word of God: "If any two of you agree as touching anything on earth, it shall be done." God decrees that we come into agreement, especially where differences exist. You do not need a contract unless contention is possible.
Agreement means aligning on key matters even if you disagree on everything else. You may prefer a stucco house while I want brick, but if we agree on the covenant, we have true agreement—like a contract with clear deliverables.
We can have distinctions and differences, but agreement focuses on mutual understanding in covenant. Abraham and Sarah defied all odds because of their agreement regarding God's promises. Yet agreement does not come easily.
Agreement Is a Process
We can perform a wedding ceremony in 30 or 40 minutes, but couples may spend the next ten years trying to come into agreement. The ceremony is easier than the marriage and the "happily ever after."
Coming into agreement is a process. It starts with small bickering—about the toilet seat, toothpaste cap, cleaning, or cooking—and grows through experiences. We want everything instantly, but true agreement requires navigating the arduous journey.
"Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" It is like the precious oil poured on Aaron's head, running down his beard and skirts. There God commands the blessing, even life forevermore.
At the point of agreement, no matter how long it took, the blessing flows. Until then, fruitfulness is limited. We need agreement to build churches, businesses, ministries, raise great children, and have successful marriages. We do not need to be the same—we need agreement.
Differences Enrich, Agreement Unlocks
My wife and I are as different as day and night in many ways—she has one personality, I have another. Yet we have come into agreement on critical issues. I did not change into her, nor she into me. Over time, we learned it is better to let each be themselves while agreeing on what matters most. Those areas become fruitful.
Agreements require negotiation, maturity, commitment, focus, and time. The bigger the deal, the longer it takes. Major deals are never quick because complications demand careful upfront work to avoid later problems.
Today, many marry quickly and then date afterward. We should reverse that: truly know someone—their family, background, and vision—before committing. Without shared vision, there will be division.
Division does not mean enmity; it simply means differing goals. Abraham and Sarah, the first couple in the Hall of Faith, underwent a long process to align.
Building Agreement Takes Investment
Pastors, do not be discouraged if not everyone in your church agrees with you—it takes years to develop agreement. You may never have full buy-in from everyone, but cultivate a core group that aligns with the vision.
Degrees, talent, or appointments do not guarantee agreement. Harmony comes when different notes fit together into music, not noise. Many create noise by mixing incompatible elements, blocking the promises tied to agreement.
On the Day of Pentecost, they were all in one place with one accord. Then suddenly, a sound came from heaven. It took ten days after Jesus' ascension for them to reach unity before the Holy Spirit came.
The Power of True Unity
How much effort have you invested in agreement? Is it genuine consensus or control? Agreement involves sacrifice for the greater good.
God is preparing agreements that will unlock unprecedented blessings. Past hindrances often stem from misalignment with others.
Jesus invested deeply in the twelve disciples, not the 5,000. Large groups rarely agree even on small things like carpet color. Agreement on principles requires negotiation and letting go of selfishness.
It also demands growth in relationship with God, who is infinitely different from us—eternal, holy, omnipotent—while we are finite and fallen. Abraham and Sarah had to align with Him despite vast differences.
Aligning with God Through the Word
How do we agree with God? Spend time in prayer, be honest with yourself and Him. Stop pretending—open your heart to the Holy Spirit.
Little by little, the Word becomes flesh in you. When you move from hearer to doer of the Word, you come into agreement. Exposure to sermons or church does not equal agreement—it takes time for the Word to penetrate and transform your heart.
Abraham and Sarah did not start worthy of the Hall of Faith; they grew into it through process.