Mother's Day 2018

Intro and Welcome

On May 9, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution in Congress , recommending that the federal government observe Mother's day. The next year, the president was authorized to proclaim an annual holiday.

Today is a day that we honor the mothers in our lives.

While we may not all be mothers in here today. We all have one

Here’s my mom.

You have heard me talk about the lessons that my dad has taught me and the legacy that he left

But my mother has taught me some lessons as well!

Dedication, strength, passion, compassion, perseverance are some of the things that I have learned from her

Mother’s are not just there to kiss boo boos or wipe away tears

Mother’s can teach us life valued lessons that will impact us from eternity

There are many examples of mothers in the bible.

Some good and some bad.

God uses these many stories to show us...

Let’s look today at some of the lessons that God teaches us through some of the mothers in the bible.

Hannah - Dedicate Our Desires to God

Hannah had a desire that most every woman had or ever has had

She just wanted to be a mother

This wasn’t a selfish desire

Being barren was a sign of disfavor from the lord in those times

She was loved by her husband

1 Samuel 1:4–5 ESV

On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.

But there was definitely something missing

She did not just pray for her desires to be fulfilled

She dedicated that desire to God!

1 Samuel 4:11 ESV

And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

When we align our lives with God our desires become the desires he has for us

Mom wanted to become a nurse

She wanted so bad that she would stop playing nurse as a child because she heard that what you played you would never become

She would do whatever it would take to fulfill that desire God had for her

Even when things stood in her way

Her 1st husband told her that she would do everything he could to not become a nurse

He made life difficult on her

But her desires were committed to God

Even when a failing class kept her from completing her degree she would not go against God and except an extra 10 points and failed by 3 points

There will be things that we come against that will try to stop our desires from coming but we have to stand firm

The time came for Samuel to be born and Hannah did exactly what she had vowed

She gave Samuel to serve in the temple

When we dedicate our desires to God we MUST follow through with our commitment and trust his plan!

Jochebed - Trust God in His Plan

Jochebed was blessed with a son but she could not have had him at the worst time

Exodus 1:15–22 ESV

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

While most women would be celebrating the birth of a son, Jochebed was living in daily terror of her son being taken

Imagine the questions that were going through her head

Why would Go give me this blessing only to cause me to be cursed?

Why Me?

What did I do to deserve this?

Have you ever been there?

You feel like God is giving the desires to you but EVERYTHING is against you?

Human nature is to question God

But dedicating ourselves means we have to trust despite what comes against us!

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

It would be great if God would just show us what was going to happen in our lives!

But then our faith would be non existent

Trust is essential in seeing God’s plan for us fulfilled

We must trust that God has given us this plan and do whatever it takes. Whatever the call. Whatever the cost!

Mary - Whatever the Call. Whatever the Cost.

Luke 1:26–38 ESV

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary was given the blessing of a son, but not just any son

As a young girl, she was going to be given a major task

But she says one of the most powerful verses in all of human history

I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word.

She could not have imagined the sacrifice that she was about to endure

But she was willing to do whatever it took for God to use her

Whatever the call. Whatever the cost.

God has not called us to a life of ease, but a life of sacrifice.

Mary would watch her son die on a cross

Are we willing to die to ourselves to allow God to do what he needs to do?

Matthew 16:24–26 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Matthew 16:24–26 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Like Mary, we must be willing to give up everything for God to see our lives used for more!

Why is this important?

Today we celebrate more than just mothers

There have been many women who have impacted my life who did not birth me

We celebrate the women in our lives who have had impacts on us - spiritual mothers

But today we must learn from these examples in the bible on how to allow God to bring to fruition the dreams and desires he has for us!

We must dedicate ourselves to God, trust in his plan for us and commit to doing whatever it takes to see that plan come true!

Where do we go from here?

Meditate -

Matthew 16:24–26 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Commit - Commit to God using the passions that he has given us to fulfill his plan he has for us, no matter what it takes.