Sermon Tone Analysis

Would you open your Bibles with me to 2nd Timothy 3, 2 Timothy chapter 3 and you’re your finger in that spot we will be getting to it in a few minutes.

First I want to tell you about how a mother’s day began as a celebration to mothers in the Church.

Anna Jarvis was an Appalachian homemaker who organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions of her community.

She thought the day would be best advocated by mothers and called the day "Mother's Work Day".

When Anna Jarvis died her daughter, also named Anna, began a campaign to memorialize the life work of her mother.

Anna remembered that her mother said there were many days dedicated to men but not for mothers.

Anna then began to lobby the politicians of the time to support a day dedicated to mothers.

Anna Jarvis talked to many politicians including Presidents Taft and Roosevelt hoping they would support her campaign.

In 1908 Jarvis organized a church service to celebrate her mother and handed out white carnations because they were her mother's favorite flower.

Anna Jarvis' hard work began to pay off five years after that church service, and in 1913 The House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for officials of the federal government to wear white carnations on the day many began calling Mother's Day, the second Sunday in May.

Listen the celebration of mothers day began in the church, by a Christian woman honoring her mother.

You know often we think of mothers, the image of a woman and her baby come to mind.

But, the truth is mothers don’t stop being our mom’s when we grow up.

We are never too old to hear our mother’s words of wisdom and the words of their love.

There is something about mothers: No matter how old we become, Mothers will always be concerned for our well-being- our life and our future.

They are called mom, mother, mommy, madre, mama, mumsy and list goes on.

The truth is the older we get,… the more we seem to act like our mothers.

The more we grow, the more we catch ourselves saying the things that are moms have said to us, which we vowed we would never say!

I read this on Facebook—sometimes when I open my mouth- my mother comes out…

Mothers wear many different hats to include the butler, the secretary, the cook- the maid- the banker, the homework checker and even sometimes the candle stick maker.

Yes her job never seems to be complete nor to end.

Mom’s really are the true super heroes.

It is in 2nd Timothy, chapter 3 that we find a small mention of 2 such super heroes Timothy's Mother and Grandmother.

The apostle Paul is the Author of II Timothy.

And,If you look at Paul’s letters you might find it interesting: Paul mentions Timothy as co-sender of six of his letters.

What that means is that Timothy spent a lot of time with Paul.

He speaks highly of Timothy in his letter to the church in Philippi.

Paul was so confident of Timothy's faith that, in his first letter to Timothy, he called Timothy HIS “true son in the faith."

In Paul's final letter to Timothy, written near the end of his life, he speaks without reserve, calling Timothy his "beloved child".

Timothy was truly part of Paul's lineage, wealth and life.

Paul, who seems never to have married, never to have children, found in Timothy a "descendant," someone who would carry on his "family name" as it were -- someone so identical in faith that the force of his work for Christ would always complement that him.

But you might find it interesting that Paul did not bring Timothy to the faith in Christ Jesus.

It is in this letter we find that Timothy’s faith in Christ was taught by his mother and grandmother.

If you are there in 2nd Timothy read with from verse 10.

“ But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium(I Cone-E-um), at Lystra—what persecutions I endured.

And out of them all the Lord delivered me.(Paul is reminding Timothy that he was a witness that all Paul endured) 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

14 (Here is the key verse for us today verse 14) But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”.

(NKJ)

You see Paul seen something in Timothy that Paul did not teach, that Paul really had no work in, no investment in, Paul invested, he discipled, he worked with Timothy, And Timothy grew, but Paul realizes where his truth teaching in the word in the came from.

He says, that a person who seeks a Godly life through Christ Jesus will encounter persecution and affliction.

Amen?

Can you agree with that Today?

Some of you have gone through some persecution- some of you have had some affliction in your life.

Some of you maybe going through that right now.

And Paul says, because you have seen it in my life- when it happens to you must lean on what he has been taught.

Your Faith by your grandmother and mother.

The one thing we know about Timothy is that his father was a Greek and his mother was a Jewish Christian.

Paul said to Timothy in chapter 1 verse 5, He said “I call to remembrance the un-feigned (Un- feen-ed) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also”.

KJV

That word Un-feigned is used to describe His faith, Paul used this word which means literally, "without hypocrisy."

Timothy’s mother and grandmother, showed Timothy by word and example what it means to live an authentic faith; a faith from which hypocrisy is totally absent, the real thing, genuine, sincere, honest wholehearted.

And that is what Paul is saying- when times get tough in life- because they will- go back to your mother and grandmothers teachings.

Have confidence in the situation- Have confidence in your faith-because the teachings made you wise for salvation.

It was them who laid the foundation of the truth through Christ.

What greater tribute given to any mother or grandmother on this Mother's Day than to say; You have been the example of great faith!

Which brings us to our big idea today-

The Big Idea is

Mothers are the heartbeat of the family.

You may remember Chevrolet’s slogan which came out in the 80’s “the Heartbeat of America”

Chevrolet became so ingrained in American culture that its late 1980s advertising boasted that Chevrolet was "The Heartbeat of America."

The whole concept behind being the heartbeat of America was that Chevy employed 618,ooo more people than any other company.

They essential said they were what kept America going.

It seems that if they folded there would be more than 618,000 people unemployed.

There would be devastation in America.

The statement they made,, you could say was arrogant because the heartbeat is what keeps the brain alive.

Chevy was essentially saying to the world without us there is no America.

And our Big Idea today that the mother is the heartbeat of the family- she is the one who keeps the family going.

She is the one love unconditionally.

Her love is never ending.

She is the one who without, we feel lost.

She is the one who teaches and the one who shows by example how to live life.

She is the one who in the absence of the father keeps the family together.

Today there is ever more increasing pressure on the single mothers.

According to the 2012 US census, that 15 million children in the US are raised without a father.

There are 12.2 million single parent homes and more than 80% of them are headed by single moms.

Mothers are the foundation; they are the heartbeat of the family.

What the mother believes, so does the children.

If the mother goes to church – the children go to church- if the mother has faith in Christ the children will end up with faith in Christ.

What the primary role model of the child does, the child most likely follows that path.

That is why the Apostle Paul is re-establishing this foundation.

Look at verse 14 and what Paul says 14 But as for you,(speaking to Timothy) continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Listen to me moms- dads, brothers, sisters, Sunday school teachers, nursery workers, Christian mothers-Christian Women- provide the greatest education for a child that is the message of the Cross.

Jesus Christ Crucified, buried and resurrected.

This is what Timothy has learned from his mother and his grandmother.

You see they molded him into what he was and will become later in life.

Mothers are the heartbeat of the family

You know, Men we like to think that we run the world.

But, but we really don't.

Moms do.

Mothers are the molders and makers of each day.

We remember the ways that Mother helped us prepare for the new day: counseling, advising and shaping our attitudes each morning.

We can instantly recognize the truth of these words spoken by wise wife and mother: "The wife and mother usually hoist the sails of the family ship every day.

She says…We determine whether those sails shall catch the breezes of God's love and understanding, or the winds of bickering and discord."

That same woman adds, "When a man succeeds, he does so by climbing a ladder steadied by a woman who believes in him" (E.

Stanley Jones).

Mothers are the heartbeat of the family

In many ways they are like Moses- you see Moses brought the people out of bondage and has taken them to that very edge of the Promised Land but Moses never entered it.

Mom’s take God’s gift, a human life and she prepares them for a world, but most moms will never see it complete.