May 14, 2023 - Mother's Day 2023

Mother’s Day - The Influence Of Mothers

Introduction:

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching A Loving Mother

Charles W. Eliot, Harvard’s esteemed president of yesteryear, was born with a disfiguring birthmark. At first it was most difficult for his mother to accept. All the while, however, she was schooling herself in the art of loving her unattractive child, saying as she met his needs, “He is my son, he is my son.”

With the passing years, Mrs. Eliot had every right to say, and with pride, “He is my son.” One honor after another marked Eliot’s achievements until at last, in 1869, the son of Boston’s mayor was elected president of Harvard University.

What if he had not been loved in his home?

Link:

Moms, it may not always be easy to love your children, for one reason or another. But it is your honor and privilege to love the children that God has given to you. It was God’s desire for you to marry and bear children. Were not going to look at a lot of verses today to show the support of this statement but lets start this morning by looking at one.

1 TIMOTHY 5:14 “Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.”

The MacArthur Bible Commentary B. The Responsibility to Widows (5:3–16)

manage the house. The Greek term denotes all the aspects of household administration, not merely the rearing of children. The home is the domain where a married woman fulfills herself in God’s design.

God’s design was for mankind to be fruitful and multiply: Gen. 1:28 “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” But along with this is God’s design to for a woman to serve God in her home. This is where a woman in the will of God can feel God’s good pleasure, a sense of accomplishments.

However this is not to say that it will be always fun and always easy.

This morning I’d like you to join me in looking at several different Biblical mothers, some of them will see their pain, their struggles but also their joys.

I. MOTHERS SHOULD INFLUENCE WITH PRAYER, LIKE HANNAH.

1. Hannah was childless;

1 Sam. 1:5-6 “But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival (Peninnah) also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb.”

Elkanah, the husband of Hannah, had two wives, the other wife, Peninnah made her miserable and taunted her b/c of her not being able to have children.

God divinely closed her womb as he did to Rachel and Sarah also. God had a bigger plan for these women.

However, her God given desire to want to bare a son was still there and b/c of this, she faithfully cried out to God.

2. Hannah prayed for a child;

1 Sam. 1:10-11 “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.””

Hannah vowed to give her son back to God for life.

According to Numbers 30:6-15, a husband could nullify his wives vow, but as we know in the story, he didn’t.

3. Hannah’s prayer was answered;

1 Sam. 1:19-20 “Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.””

In her prayer back in VS. 6-15, she called herself a maidservant, this was a way of showing humility toward God, asking Him to remember here.

Sometimes as you pray, remember to be humble and ask God to remember you.

Challenge 1: Mothers, be like Hannah, be a women of prayer but also be humble before God in what He has called and invited you to do.

II. MOTHERS SHOULD INFLUENCE WITH DEVOTION, LIKE RUTH.

1. She was devoted to Naomi;

Ruth 1:16-17 “But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.””

2. She gleaned in Boaz’s field;

Ruth 2:3 “Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.”

3. She was rewarded for her devotion;

Ruth 4:13 “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.” 21-22 “Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; 22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.”

Ruth saw the sorrow of Naomi, She some bad choice that Naomi made, but she also saw the good and she came to a realization that just like Naomi needed God in her life, so did she.

God used Ruth in the lineage of Jesus.

Ruth was a devoted women, devoted to her family, her second husband Boaz, and GOD

Challenge 2: Mothers, be like Ruth, be devoted to what God has called you to as a mother and as a Christian women, to love your family unconditionally, to be devoted to them.

III. MOTHERS SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE WORD, LIKE MARY.

1. She heard the Word at Jesus’ feet;

Luke 10:39 “And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.”

2. She chose a good part in loving the Word;

Luke 10:42 “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.””

3. She saw the Word in action;

John 11:43-44 “Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.””

Jesus was over at Mary & Martha's for a meal. Martha was working hard in the kitchen, we know this story well. But Mary was worshiping at the feet of the Word of God, the Word in flesh. Today, you can still fall at the feet of Jesus, in your Bible. This will help you to be the mother and wife that God has designed you to be as a Woman of God.

Dr. Wiersbe said it this way: It is important that we be busy ambassadors, taking the message of the Gospel to lost souls. It is also essential to be merciful Samaritans, seeking to help exploited and hurting people who need God’s mercy. But before we can represent Christ as we should, or imitate Him in our caring ministry, we must spend time with Him and learn from Him. We must “take time to be holy.” - Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 213.

Challenge 3: Mothers, be like Mary, delve into the Word of God, spend time with Jesus.

IV. MOTHERS SHOULD INFLUENCE BY DECISIONS, LIKE REBEKAH.

1. Her decision was the right decision;

Gen. 24:58 “Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”

2. Her decision proved a blessing;

Gen. 24:67 “Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”

3. Her decision was for life;

Gen. 49:31 “There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.”

What a wonderful picture of faithfulness to:

Follow God’s calling and invitation

Follow Your husbands leading

Challenge 4: Mothers, be like Rebekah, faithfully influence your children, your husbands and those around you for the things of God. Set a Godly example.

V. MOTHERS SHOULD INFLUENCE WITH AN OPEN HEART, LIKE LYDIA.

1. Her heart was open to a prayer service;

Acts 16:13 “And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.”

2. Her open heart heard the gospel;

Acts 16:14 “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.”

3. Her open heart opened her home;

Acts 16:15 “And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.”

Lydia was from Thyatira (a city in modern day Turkey), but God had lead her all the way to Philippi (modern day Greece). These two locations were about 390 miles apart.

God had lead her there to hear the Gospel & to support the growing local church.

When Paul would come to a place, he would seek out the local Synagogue. He would there, share the True Gospel with them.

Synagogues didn’t all look the same but many times they were distinguishable from other buildings in the cities. Like today modern churches, our churches are usually distinguishable from stores, homes etc. However not always and the same was with a Synagogue.

In Philippi, there was no Synagogue, it took 10 men for the founding of a Synagogue, so Paul looked around for those who were Jewish and seeking God. Usually by a river they might be found.

Here he finds Lydia and other women who were worshiping God, seeking Him, like Cornelius the Centurion, she was to worshiping God and seeking him, however like Cornelius, she to was not saved from her sin, but she would soon find Jesus, through the love of God by bringing Paul and the Gospel message.

B/C of Lydia's faithfulness, she found Jesus and so did her family.

Challenge 6: Mothers, be like Lydia, lead by influence your family to Christ.

Don’t wait for the men in your life, if they are not leading, take charge and start leading in accordance to God’s will for your life.

[1]Billy Apostolon, Preach the Word, Dollar Sermon Library Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1966), 91.

Challenge: Mothers, I left you with 5 challenges this morning. Dads, children, youth… You are also left with these 5 challenges, you also should be a Christian of Prayer, devoted to the things of God, Studying God’s Word, Influencing others, by example through decisions, to come to and to be like Jesus.

Saved: This week, take these challenges to heart, to be encouraged that you can have a more fulfilling life in Christ, your Joy will come when you follow the ways of God and through following, you lead others by decision and example in His ways.

Unsaved: Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

Closing Song: Footsteps Of Jesus