MOM’S MATTER

Introduction

Mom’s did you realize that you are one of the most researched groups of people on this planet?

Businesses know that if they can convince the moms in this world that their product is good, They will win the whole family. Mom’s You Matter!!

Here are some of the statistics that these research groups have found out…

There are roughly 82.5 million mothers in the United States, more than 2 billion worldwide.

Did you know that…

The average Mom will have changed approximately 7,300 diapers by the time her baby reaches age two!

According to a survey by Whirlpool, the average American mom will do approximately 7,500 loads of laundry by the time their child reaches the age of 18.

Another recent study came out and said moms drive an average of 64 miles a week taking their kids to and from all of their activities. That means moms by the time your child is old enough to drive themselves you will have chauffeured them more than 50,000 Miles. I hope your passengers are good tippers!!!

Finally moms did you realize that you will make over 10,000 meals before your child turns 10 years old.

Moms You do so much, and you are so important to your families.

Moms’ You matter!!!

Today We want to Honor our Mom’s.

There are some great portraits of motherhood in Scripture.

I love the picture of the mother of Moses who cared so much for her son that she defied the command of pharoah in order to save and teach him the faith of his people.

We see the sacrificial love of the mother who appeared before King Solomon and told him that she was willing to have her son taken away by another woman rather than see any harm come to him.

Or, the mother of James and John who loved her boys so much that she wanted them to sit by the Lord’s side in the heavenly kingdom.

And, the mother of King Lemuel, who in Proverbs 31, gave some advice to her son about godly living and how to pick a good wife.

This morning I want to focus our thoughts upon this truth:

Moms you have the opportunity to make a significant spiritual impact on your children with or without the help of a father.

Today I want us to consider a Story about A Grandmother, a Mother, and a Boy

The story begins with a  young woman named Eunice.

She was raised in a religious home and was greatly impacted by her mother whose name was Lois.

She loved to learn the stories from the Pentateuch and the Prophets when she was young and enjoyed going to services where she could learn about God.

As she approached her teenage years, she was still focused on spiritual matters but she became attracted to a young man who apparently was not into religion at all.

Against the best wishes of her godly mother, the teachings of her faith, and the tug of her conscience, she married the man.

Don’t get me wrong ­ he was probably a nice guy but thought spiritual matters were for weak people.

After a couple years of marriage, Eunice and her husband had a baby boy who they named Timothy.

I’m sure By now you realize that I am talking about a story we find in the Bible.

Apparently, Eunice’s dad had died so they asked her mother Lois to come and live with them.

Little Timmy was a delight to everyone.

Both his mother and grandmother spent hours with him, teaching him the stories of the Old Testament, praying with him and for him, and training him in the things of God And their Jewish religion.

While they didn’t have any Veggie Tale videos or a Reel kids club nearby, they created a spiritual environment where little Tim could flourish.

Then, one day, a missionary named Paul came to their town of Lystra and spoke about a man named Jesus.

Both Eunice and her mother Lois ,listened intently.

They saw in Jesus the fulfillment of all the promises in the Old Testament that they studied and loved, and they placed their trust in Him as their personal savior and were converted To christianity.

These new believers then began teaching the young Timothy all about who Jesus was.

We know from reading the book of Acts that Paul took a personal interest in Tim the teenager and, partnering with his mother and grandmother, led him to saving faith.

Later ON in Acts 16 When Timothy was a young man, Paul brought him into his ministry because He was ready to go and serve the Lord

And Now Paul at the end of His life while sitting in prison, awaiting his execution, he writes two letters to young Timothy who was now serving as the pastor of the church at Ephesus.

These letters are written like a charge from a father to a son. They are filled with instructions for how Timothy is to lead the church, and be the example for others to follow, But mixed in with all of Pauls exhortation he takes a moment to reflect on the two women who made an impact in Tim’s life.

With that as our background, I want us to look at how a mother ­ and a grandmother -- can make a significant spiritual impact on her children with or without the help of a father.

Transition: The first way a mother can make a significant spiritual impact on her children is by instilling within them a respect for God’s Word.

Turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 3:12-17

2 Timothy 3:12–17 (ESV)

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you,(Timothy) continue in what knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

1 ­ Moms Matter when they Instill a Respect for the Bible

In verse 12Paul reminds Timothy that everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Its just going to happen- If you are in Christ then the world is going to be against you,.

But Then in verse 14, Paul urges Timothy to “remain faithful to the things you have been taught. Because You know they are true, because you know you can trust those who taught you”

Timothy’s mother not only taught him the truth, but she also lived it out in her own life.

Timothy grew to have a passion for God’s Word Because he saw it modeled in his mother, in his grandmother, and in Paul himself.

In verse 15 Paul explains what this truth Timothy’s mother taught him: and lived out in her own life

2 Timothy 3:15 (ESV)

15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Grandma Lois and mom where faithful Jewish Women, and they taught the Holy Scriptures to Timothy from the very beginning.

The word “childhood” means New Born Baby or infant.

Timothy’s mom and grandma began to teach Him the word of God,­ even before he could crawl!

I imagine they read to him the scriptures from the Torah, they talked about Samson and Samuel, David and Ruth, Abraham and Noah, they shared stories after stories of How God provided for His people.

They did everything they could to provide Timothy with the opportunity to learn all he could about the Holy Scripture.

In essence, as faithful Jewish mothers they lived out the commands of Deut. 6:4-7

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

and evidently they did this without the help of a father’s leadership in the home.

This mother and grandmother had God’s Word in their hearts!

Because they had internalized the truth into their own lives, they could impress it upon young Timothy by talking about it throughout the day, showing him how the Scriptures should impact every area of life.

Mothers, it is never too early to start teaching the Bible to your children, ­ and it’s never too late to start if you haven’t already.

- There is nothing that can replace your role in your child’s life.

- God uses mothers to instill within their children a respect for the Bible. A love for God’s Word. A foundation for which their faith grow grow out of,

Thankfully, you do not have to do this all by yourself.

Jesus knew how hard it would be to raise up Godly children so he gave you the gift of the church.

Moms, the church does not take your place in discipling your children, It is a tool that God gave you as a gift, to help you raise up godly young men and women,

We just saw a great example of this didnt we! Our Reel Kids ministry just blessed us with a song they have been learning and by- quoting God’s Word for us.

Moms, These programs are not meant to take your place but are all designed to assist you in helping your children learn the Word of God.

These are tools that are available to help you make a spiritual impact in the life of your kids.

Four scholars were arguing over Bible translations.

One said he preferred the King James Version because of its beauty and poetic old English.

Another said he liked the New American Standard Version for its literalism and how it moves the reader from passage to passage with confident feelings of accuracy from the original text.

The third scholar was sold on the New Living Translation because it is just so easy to understand in our modern English Language

After being quiet for a moment, the fourth scholar admitted: “I have personally preferred my mother’s translation.”

When the other scholars started laughing, he said, “Yes, she translated the Scriptures. My mom translated each page of the Bible into her life. It is the most convincing translation I have ever seen.”

Moms, what kind of Bible is your child reading when they observe your life?

Are you looking for ways to instill a respect for the Word of God into the lives of your children? Are you taking the time to read it with them, and are you taking opportunities to live it out together in the home

Transition: The second way to make an impact in the lives of your children is by instilling within them an authentic faith.

2 ­Moms Matter When They Instill an Authentic Faith

remember what Paul said in vers 1

2 Timothy 3:15 (ESV)

15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Moms your goal in teaching your kids Gods’ Word is not to teach them morality its to teach them how they can have a relationship with Jesus.

Look with me at 2 Tim. 1:5

2 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)

5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

Even though Lois and Eunice were believers, Timothy needed to come to a point in which he personally put his own faith in Christ.

Faith is not hereditary, it is learned.

When mothers model genuine faith, an environment is set up in which their children will be motivated to want that same kind of faith.

I believe that when Paul went to Lystra on his first missionary Journey, Lois and Eunice heard the gospel message and accepted Jesus as their savior. and it radically changed their lives.

These two mothers were completely sold out to Christ!

Paul says that “this faith dwelt in their hearts” Meaning They were fully devoted and completely committed to Jesus Christ.

And Timothy knew it, Because He saw it lived out in their lives.

Mom’s - No one knows better than your child -whether or not your faith is genuine, because they see how important it is or is not in the way that you live out your everyday life. Moms, if you want to instill authentic faith in your children then you better take your own faith seriously.

If you’re just going through the motions spiritually your kids will eventually see it, and tragically, may follow your example when they are older.

Moms’ if you are going to show your kids what Authentic faith looks like than you must…

Care more for your children’s eternal life than their success in this life

Care more for your children’s relationship with Jesus than their relationships herein this world

Care more for your children’s standing before God than their social status before men

Care more for your children’s spirituality than their intellectual, musical, or athletic accomplishments

Mom’s the most important decision your children will ever make is whether or not they will accept Jesus Christ as their savior and follow Him with their life.

This means that your greatest desire for your children should not be their happiness here on earth but their walk with Jesus.

I believe that “if you want to know your true desire for your children - look at the last 10 prayers your lifted up on their behalf”

our prayer reflects our hearts desires.

A mother who passes along a faith that is authentic is without a doubt a praying woman.

Any home in which faith is passed on from generation to generation has to be a home of prayer.

One cannot imagine Lois not praying for Eunice or Eunice not praying for Timothy.

We read in Acts 12:12 that the mother of John Mark opened her home for a prayer meeting while Peter was imprisoned. In Acts 1:14

Mary, the mother of Jesus “joined together constantly in prayer” with the disciples.

That’s the hallmark of a godly mother.

Timothy’s family environment was fertile to his faith’s development.

Both his mother and his grandmother held their faith deeply and shared it freely. They taught to timothy, they prayed it in front of him and they lived it out in their personal lives

Moms, How fertile is the environment in your home for the reproduction and the nurturing of authentic faith in the lives of your children and grandchildren?

Are you passing along a legacy of authentic faith to your kids?

Transition: Finally Lois and Eunice teach us that The third way to impact your children is to instill within them a desire to Serve God.

Moms Matter When They Instill a Desire to Serve God

After Paul preached in Lystra, and Timothy was converted, he returned a short while later and saw Timothy now a young man,

Let’s pick up the story in Acts 16: 1-3  

Acts 16:1–3 (ESV)

1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him…

Paul comes back to Lystra and sees in Timothy a man ready to serve the Lord!

So what did He see in Timothy that made him want to take Timothy with him on his church planting Mission?

I believe that in this text, we can see three qualities inTimothy, that were no doubt passed down from his mother, and his grandmother.

Why were they passed dow from his mom and not his dad?, because his dad was apparently not a beleiver- we know this because Paul made it a point to say “ his mother was a beleiver but his dad was greek”

What three qualities did Timothy exhibit?

1. First of all, he was a strong believer.

in verse 1 He is referred to as a “disciple”.

Luke, the author of Acts, could have referred to him as a believer or a Christian, but he chose to call him a disciple.

A disciple is a learner and a follower.

A disciple was one who was serious about Christ, not just one who was going through the motions.

A disciple was someone who said I no longer live for myself but for Christ!

Sound familiar- this is how Paul describes Timothys mom in 1 Tim 1:15 - She had authentic faith- She lived out her faith in her life- and Now her son has this same desire to follow Christ

2. Second, Timothy had a good reputation.

look at verse 2

Acts 16:1–3 (ESV)

1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

The believers in the area spoke well of him. “He was well spoken of by the brethren”

People knew him as a man of integrity and as a man of the Word.

He was rock solid in His faith He was known as a man who followed after Jesus

Again, this had a lot to do with his mother and grandmother. He followed in their footsteps

finally in verse 3 we see that He was Willing to Go!

3. Third, he was willing to Go.   “Paul wanted to have him go on with him”

Paul wanted to take him along on the journey because he was ready to go-

He had been trained up in the Lord and was equipped to serve Christ.

If you were to continue to read the Book of Acts, you’ll see that Timothy was eager to minister.

He knew it meant leaving home and he knew it meant facing hardship. But he also knew that He had been prepared to go.

Moms are you preparing your children to go serve the Lord with their lives?

When Paul stopped in Lystra for this second time, Timothy was ready to Go and serve- He had been trained up in the Lord-

and this training came from His mothers unwavering heart to see her son grow up in the Lord.

Eunice raised her son so that he would be ready to serve God with His life.

Moms, part of your job is to instill a respect for the Bible, Teaching your children the truths of Scripture. So that their lives are saturated with the truths from the Word of God.

Another part of your responsibility is to instill an authentic faith. TO introduce your children to the Savior.

Moms dont just raise Good moral kids- Point them to Jesus- show them what authentic faith looks like in your life.

And Moms the most important job you have ­ is to train up your child to be ready to go and serve the Lord.

Think about how this profession works

We teach our children the Bible so that they will know who God is and how much He loves them

So that they will see their need for Jesus as their savior

so that they will accept him through Faith

So that they will Grow deeper in their walk with Jesus

So that they will be ready to Go and serve the Lord

Our primary job as parents is to disciple our sons and our daughters so that they grow up to be young men and women of God who will serve Him wholeheartedly for the rest of their lives.

Mom’s this should be your greatest desire for your children- that they serve Christ!

BRING IT HOME

Moms You Matter! Your kids need you! You are part of Gods Design to train up your children in the Lord.

Moms, you can make a significant spiritual impact in your family.

You can do that by instilling in them: -A Respect for the Word of God-

-An Authentic Faith in Jesus Christ -A Desire to serve the Lord

Closing This morning I want to praise you mothers who take the task seriously of making a spiritual impact in the lives of your children.

Prov. 31:30 says that, “a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

We praise God for those mothers who worship and adore the Lord and who pass this legacy on to their children.

Moms You Matter! Dont waste an opportunity to impart spiritual good into yoru children's lives.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Close in Prayer

(with permission; Adapted from Dennis Reynolds Sermon 2016)