Being A Mother Church | 1 Samuel 1:1–18

Opening Remarks:

Same text as this morning, but from a different angle

Review

1 Samuel 1 about Elkanah and his two wives - Hannah and Penninah

You say, “Two wives!?” Well, this story takes place during the time the Judges and every man did that which was right in his own eyes. God never condones polygamy, although it took place even among God’s people when they followed local cultural trends more than God’s Word.

Real-time issues that arise in an arrangement like this because one wife, Penninah, can have children while the other, Hannah, can’t.

But Hannah is the favorite wife. So Penninah isn’t nice about it. She torments Hannah over the fact that she has no children. Vs. 6 says “Her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.”

This would have been a tough situation. But Hannah kept her focus on the Lord.

READ Vs. 9-20, 24-28

This morning was about being a mother. The hardships of it, but also the joys that come when we raise them for God.

Tonight’s message may seem like a strange application, but I believe it’s valid based on what’s going on in our church right now.

TITLE Being A Mother…Church

PRAY

Introduction

Started Church Planting Conference about 5 years ago

After first one, the Lord prompted me to start praying for another church plant out of Eastside.

Bro. Ruckman had planted FIBC, so we’d done it before

But I felt it was something we need to continue to do as part of our commitment to the Great Commission

We live in an area that needs good Gospel-preaching Independent Baptist churches

My mindset was, “Why not us?”

And I prayed for a few years that God would allow us to take another step in church planting.

But I also knew the key to church planting is a man and family willing to take a step of faith.

As you know the Jacobs moved back a few years ago, and at that time they were just coming back to be a part of our church and reset. They didn’t come with any long-term plans.

But Bro. Jeremy had pastored a few times before, so that has been in his heart, but when they moved back they didn’t have any plans except just to come to a place where they could grow and serve as a family. They came with no plans and no expectations.

But then I couldn’t keep my mouth shut and started talking about my desire to see a church planted out of Eastside. God used that to start working in Bro. Jeremy’s heart about him possibly being used in the town they live in, Luverne, Minnesota.

He approached me about in December of 23, and after a time of prayer and seeking the Lord about it, felt like the Lord could be in it.

Fast forward to May of 2025, and we’re a week out from the first service.

God has blessed them with a beautiful building in a prime location.

Many of you have worked hard to make it look great.

It’s as nice of a first building as any church plant could ask for.

Thank you to all the men and women who’ve labored to prepare it.

We all know it’s not all about the building, but it sure helps.

That’s one element to a successful church plant - the place to meet.

A bigger part of the success is the family God is using to actually do it.

Bro. Jeremy and his family have taken some good spiritual steps the last few years.

They would be the first to tell you they’re not perfect, but I believe they have a genuine heart to serve God and make a difference.

I’m thankful God doesn’t limit our usefulness to our level of perfection. If that was the case, none of use would be useful.

God’s standard for usefulness is less about being flawed and more about being willing.

Bro. Jeremy is going into this with humility and dependence on God and a desire to be used to make a difference. It’s hard not to be excited about it for them, but also for us.

Now, there are downsides. Our average attendance on a weekly basis is going to take a hit!

Bro. Jeremy brings an element of vocal response and energy to the service that I’m going to miss. We need some men to help replace that.

Our congregational singing is going to be quieter. I know I give Bro. Jeremy a hard time about his singing on pitch, but I’m going to miss the volume.

But I believe God can do something in Luverne through someone faithfully preaching God’s Word and trying to minister to people.

And I don’t believe it has to stop in Luverne. Bro. Jeremy and I both have a heart to repeat this process in other towns in our region that need the Gospel. God could use Eastside to see churches planted in multiple towns.

That’s a long-term vision. That’s the NT model for church planting. Maybe the Lord will give us the opportunity to make a generations long impact in our part of the world.

But as I was thinking about the elements to success in this endeavor, I’ve thought about the importance of:

The Going Servants - The Jacobs

The Worship Location - The Building He’s Secured And Prepared

The Ministry Philosophy - Biblically Based Preaching, Teaching, And Evangelizing

So many things are in place and ready to go. And I’m excited to see it work out.

But there’s a part that we can’t lose sight of that we can play in this.

In Church Planting, there’s always a Sending Church.

Most of the time, it’s called the Mother Church.

Because just like in having babies, churches reproduce churches.

Like a father coming together with a mother to produce a baby. Fruit.

In the same way, as we are filled with the Holy Spirit, fruit is produced in each of us.

But it’s true in churches too. God works in us, which creates in us a desire to reproduce ourselves.

Part of that is evangelizing the lost, of course. But where there are believers, there ought to also be a local NT church.

Believers aren’t meant to grow alone. Anywhere there are believers, there ought to exist a place - a church - where those believers can grow and shine like a lighthouse for the lost in that community.

Church Planting is the natural outflow of the Great Commission taking place. Just like the process of having a child.

When two people come together, the natural outcome is reproduction.

There are obviously factors that make that more difficult in some situations, but from the beginning in Genesis 1, that has been God’s plan.

A man and woman come together

A baby is produced

That baby is born and begins to grow

The parents prepare that child to go out on their own

And as that baby comes of age, they step out and become a self-dependent adult

Then they go out and find their own spouse

And the process begins all over again

That’s what is happening in our church right now. Reproduction.

And it ought to be the kind of thing that is so natural to us that, when it’s not happening, we’re thinking, we need babies.

Like Rachel told Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die.”

It’s such a natural thing. It’s in us inherently. It was part of our nature from the beginning.

In the same way that God’s Word produced life, and the earth and the waters brought forth life through God’s Word as the seed, and God made the animals and men to produce after their kind. It just happens.

Genesis 1:28 “…God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth…”

A healthy relationship between a husband and wife naturally produces children.

A healthy relationship between God and His people will reproduce disciples.

A healthy relationship between God and a church will produce more churches.

That’s why we call it a “Mother Church.”

If it’s not happening, it’s a sign that something isn’t healthy.”

We, like, Rachel, as a church, ought to be saying, “Give us children, or else we die.”

“Give us converts. Give us souls won to Christ.”

“Give us disciples. New believers in Jesus.”

“Give us those being baptized and growing. Taking steps of faith in their Christian life.”

And naturally after that, “Give us churches in new places.”

Let us reproduce ourselves.

And after preaching this morning, I couldn’t get away from Hannah’s spirit.

She was talking about being a mother, but her being a mother made a difference in God’s kingdom.

We’re talking about being a mother church, and we could leave a mark on God’s kingdom.

We need the spirit of Hannah when it comes to being a Mother Church.

A Mother Church Spirit

I. Desire to reproduce

Vs. 10-11

Once again, the spirit is, “Give me children, or else I die.”

How much does it bother us that we don’t reproduce?

Personally - Last time you won someone to Christ?

Church - Wonder how many churches we should be seeing planted?

II. Willingness to face adversaries

Vs. 6

Penninah was Hannah’s adversary, but that didn’t stop Hannah from begging God for babies

There are adversaries in church planting

Town that may not want an Independent Fundamental BC

People that don’t want to be given a tract

For us, there will be costs to support the work

We’re going to have thousands of dollars invested in this

Inconveniences in the process

Setbacks and slowdowns

But the spirit of a Mother is to be so committed to the cause that the adversaries can’t deter us

III. Dependence on the Lord

Vs. 10-11

Hannah wept sore. She vowed a vowed to the Lord.

She desperately needed God.

Reproduction was so important to her that she desperately prayed for her children

We ought to pray for this church plant with desperate dependence

No one prays for babies like mommas. And that’s how we ought to pray.

For God’s blessings

God’s provision

God’s protection

Discernment for Bro. Jacob

Spiritual growth

Their marriage

Their family

More than finances or help with the building, the success of this church plant is dependent on prayer.

Pray for it every day. Regularly.

Pray for it as a family.

Would you consider praying for BMBC every time you pray for your food?

That’s a Mom’s heart for a baby.

We desperately need God.

IV. Kingdom Over Preference

Vs. 24

Hannah gave him to the Lord and only saw him when she visited once a year.

You know that was hard for a mom, but having a heart for the kingdom has to be greater than our preferences.

I’d rather not lose the Jacob family. But our heart for the kingdom has to be bigger than our preferences.

What if it means God leads other families to help with this church plant? Kingdom over preference.

I know pastors who plant churches every few years and they approach solid families in their church about going to help.

I want that to be the Lord’s doing, but if He leads that way we have to be willing.

Now, I’m not in a position to tell you what God’s will is, but there may come a day that I suggest for someone to consider it, and I’m going to have to be willing to take that step, as hard as it is.

It’s hard enough for me to encourage you to sign up for one service the next couple of months. I miss people when they’re gone, but kingdom preference.

V. Willing Investment

Vs. 24

It takes money, resources, time, people - it comes at a cost

And notice that you don’t always see the return right away

Hannah raised Samuel for a few years, instilling in Him things that would be profitable to God.

And then she left him with Eli. God got the benefit.

Most people don’t want to invest like that when they don’t get to directly enjoy the returns.

But that’s life. Raising children takes lots of money and time and the knowledge that they’ll one day leave and you may not get your money back.

Paying for music lessons. I can’t think “They’re not allowed to go anywhere and use that skill because I paid for it!”

But that’s not why we give. We give for God’s glory.

But we must commit to prepare for the work, whether or not we see the returns.

That’s part of Church Planting.

Not every new church takes off.

Not every new church becomes self-supporting.

Not every new church makes it.

But a Mother’s Spirit says, “In spite of the returns, it’s right to invest and prepare and do all we can to help it succeed.”

VI. Connection to the work

Chapter 2:18-19

Hannah didn’t forget about Samuel

A mother is always a mother, no matter how old her babies get

Let’s not be an out of sight, out of mind kind of Mother Church

It’s easy to get busy with our own lives, but that’s the not the spirit of a mother

A mother stays interested

A mother probably calls too much instead of not enough

A mother probably calls at all the wrong times, but I’d rather have that than never getting a call

A mother supports and prays and is interested, no matter how self-dependent they get

Once you have a mother’s heart you can’t take it away

Show up. Call them when you’re driving through Luverne and see if they have time for coffee.

Send them texts and cards to let them know we’re praying.

Just stay connected.

VII. A desire to repeat the process

Chapter 2:20-22

Once you have one, it’s such a joy that you want to enjoy it again. That’s natural.

I believe God blessed Elkanah and Hannah because of how they dealt with Samuel.

God will bless a Mother’s Spirit if she diligently seeks to please the Lord.

I have no doubt that God can repeat this process, but it will depend on how we treat this opportunity.

I don’t want to stop at one or two. There are countless towns, cities and areas in our region that need the Gospel.

Who knows what God might do through Eastside if we’re diligent with this baby?

Let’s have a Mother’s Spirit as we come to this exciting step of seeing a baby church reproduced.

Two Closing Thoughts:

#1 - Sometimes babies aren’t reproduced because something prevents it

Birth Control, Health Issue, “Waiting till we’re ready”

But there are some things that can prevent church reproduction

Self-focused - Churches that are inwardly focused won’t reproduce

Lack of Faith - Churches that fear to take a step probably won’t get to experience babies

Disunity - Churches that aren’t working together as a team will limit their reproduction

Let’s not do anything to prevent this process from taking place. .

As couples say, “We’re going to leave this in God’s hands. We aren’t going to do anything to prevent it from happening.”

#2 - Let’s not go through the toil of having babies if we’re not going to raise them.

Too many parents have children, but aren’t willing to do what it takes to raise them correctly.

Don’t have them if you won’t raise them.

Laura Schlesinger wrote a book called “Parenthood By Proxy.”

She talks about how people are having children with the intention of letting others raise them.

And her tagline is what caught my eye. She said, “Don’t have them if you won’t raise them.”

It makes sense in parenting, but it also makes sense in church planting.

If we’re going to do it, let’s do it right.

No matter how hard it gets

No matter the commitment it takes

Even when the kingdom and our preferences conflict

We must invest whether we see the returns or not

And stay connected to the work

Then repeat the process

Don’t just have a baby. Raise it.

Some first time parents get all excited before hand:

Get the room ready

Buy the stroller and car seat and toys

Can’t wait for the day

But what if the baby comes and they say, “This is not what I expected”?

And they hand the baby to someone else and say, “You do it”?

Or we let them grow unmonitored and unsupervised and don’t prepare them for life and they live in our basement till they 40?

That’s not raising them.

If we won’t do what it takes to raise them, I believe God won’t let us keep having them.

So this is an important moment for our church.

How we do from this time on may determine how God continues to bless us with more “babies.”

Let’s have them, AND let’s raise them.

Like To Close In A Time Of Prayer

Piano playing

Jacobs come to platform

Two deacons come to platform

Pray from pew or at altar

Mother’s Spirit of Prayer

Blessings

Fruit

Souls

Protection for the Jacobs

Kingdom Impact

A Gospel lighthouse in Luverne

Repeat the Process