Sermon Tone Analysis

Mother’s Day 2018

Transition There is no other name that saves.............There is no other name that heals, that redeems, the name that has made us royalty, He is the Chief SHepard, caring for you and I, The almighty one, having power in every situation we invite Him into; Give Praise to the victorious one, the one who gave all so you and I could be in relationship with God the Father; Give praise to the one who set you free......

To all the mothers, grandmothers, step-mothers, adopted mothers, spiritual mothers, soon-to-be mothers, want-to-be mothers, empty-nest mothers, to any mothers I may have missed, may I begin by saying happy Mother’s Day.

We of course would not be here if it were not for you.

Dad, debateable, mom?

Without a doubt.

Mother’s Day has always been a high holiday in the church.

Hats and orchid corsages, unusual high attendance and pageantry can rival even that of Easter Sunday.

Why? Mothers are God’s gift to all of us.

I love Her children rise up and call her blessed, Her husband also, and he praises her: Many daughters have done well But you excel them all.

We could spend all day celebrating Mom and declaring how amazing you all are.

It would all be true and it would all be worthwhile.

I pray your children and your family spoil you rotten today.

A wonderful lunch that you don’t cook, a long nap that you can enjoy.

You deserve all the pampering you can receive today.

But as we look at the Word of God this Mother’s Day afternoon I wonder if it would be OK to bring to you Moms, a challenge.

I am blessed to have some wonderful ladies in my life, My wife who is an exceptional mother, teacher, and helper, my own mother who raised me up knowing Christ, I owe alot to her for sure, and some other ladies in my life as well who have inspired me to go further with God, a few of them are here today, there is so much strength in a woman who is surrendered to the Lord.......

Typically our mothers are the bedrock of the family.

Mom keeps it all together and keeps it all running.

So a challenge to our moms will really be a challenge to us all.

Mother’s today have the greatest opportunity to impact this world for Christ than they ever have.

Because your greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God may not necessarily come through what you do but from whom you have raised, whom you are raising.

Whom you are influencing and whom that you are loving.

You are the first and most influential teacher, counselor, pastor your child has had or will ever have.

God trusted you to be a mother.

(Let’s pray)

Prayer Father thank you for being in the midst of your people........I pray that I could catch your breath today and that the words spoken today in fuze kids, in the youth room and in this sanctuary would be your own, that today you would renew our strength as we take in your presence, and your word in Jesus name amen

Go with me this morning to book of 2 Timothy chapter 1:1-6 and let’s get right to the Word.

Before we read our passage let me give us some backstory and context.

During the apostle Paul’s first missionary trip he and Barnabas preached in town called Lystra.

Lystra was a city in Asia Minor which is now modern day Turkey.

More than likely it was then a Jewish woman named Lois and her daughter named Eunice heard the message of Christ for the very first time was saved.

Eunice who is a Jew marries a man who was Greek and they have Timothy.

Timothy is raised in a Christian home and brought up in that church that Paul and Barnabas planted.

Timothy is a 3rd generation believer and a spiritual son of Paul’s ministry in Lystra.

Years later Paul comes back on his second journey to Lystra where he finds Timothy as a highly respected leader in the church and by the prompting of the Holy Spirit he and Timothy develop a very close relationship as Timothy a minister and Paul his mentor.

Paul will take Timothy to the church at Ephesus where Tim will be the Pastor.

Most scholars agree that the 2 letter to Timothy from Paul was probably one of his last before Paul’s execution in Rome.

He’s not under house arrest he’s in prison.

So Paul is writing not so much a well planned literary production but more of a personal note from his heart to this young man whom he’s loved and poured life into.

Paul urges Tim throughout this letter to remain faithful during the hardships, even when people leave you, even when there’s problem with the church stand firm for the sake of the Gospel.

Let’s read:

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Paul says he is filled with joy with when he remembers the genuine faith that is in you.

Timothy has made such an indelible impact on the life of Paul.

He’s impacted his ministry as much as Paul’s has impacted Timothy.

As Paul sits in prison awaiting execution he’s filled joy as he remembers Timothy’s faith.

He’s seen this man grow in his relationship with Christ.

He’s flourished in the church he was raised in and in ministry.

He’s seen him grow in leadership and his desire to share Christ with others.

Think of how strong somebody’s faith must be to impress the apostle Paul.

Paul has been persecuted, ridiculed, ran out of town, been shipwrecked, snake bit, starved and in prison and what brings him joy is Timothy’s faith.

He called it a “genuine faith”.

This genuine faith that is rooted in a steadfast belief in and life built on Jesus Christ.

The origin of all of us coming to faith is based out of testimony.

An eye witness account that makes such an impact a story is created.

The apostle Andrew meets Jesus Christ and is so changed by his encounter he goes and tells his big brother who would be known as the Apostle Peter to come and meet him, He tells Peter Look man we have found the Messiah, you have to come and meet Him.

Without Andrew bringing Peter to Christ what would the story have been?

There is this supernatural sharing of faith that is the basis of evangelism.

God has done such a work in my life that the story in me is so undeniable I am compelled to share it with everyone, beginning with those closest to me.

This is the origin or the birth of our faith.

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?

And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?

And how shall they hear without a preacher?

And how shall they preach unless they are sent?

As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Paul says this genuine faith that is in you Timothy, it actually had it’s origins in your Grandmother.

Paul was sent to Lystra to preach the good news of Jesus Christ and it was there under the sound of Paul’s voice, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s drawing that Lois gave her heart to Jesus Christ.

God sent a preacher with a message to one grandmother and it changed that grandmother’s heart.

Then a chain reaction began to happen. 1 person tells 1 person and that person tells 2 people and those 2 people tell 4 people.

On and on.

Until 12 disciples became 2.2 billion Christians in the world today.

But it starts with 1.

You may be a retired woman here today.

A grandmother.

You’re children are grown, maybe your grandchildren are grown.

I’ve come to tell you this afternoon that even though you may not move as fast as you once did and you may not be as strong as you once were that as long as there is breath in your body the purpose for which God placed you here is not yet complete.

You may have retired from employment but there is no retirement in the Kingdom.

You still have people to impact!

TELL A STORY!!!

There is alot I could say about my Mother, she showed strength in some very difficult times.

To this day I have never purchased a Bible, Every Bible I have owned has been purchased by her.

I remember when I came of age and first moved out on my own that the first Christmas I spent away from Home I got some of the usual gifts I would get when i lived at home, she sent me a package of t-shirts, underwear, socks, and a Bible.

I was appreciative to get all four, but just having moved out I had to explain to mom that she no longer needed to nbuy my under clothes, but she could continue if she liked....sending Bibles.

One thing that sticks with me both figuratively and literally is the prayers of my mother, her strength in some difficult times was displayed on her knees crying out to God no matter who saw her, often I could hear her having a one on one with God from my bedroom at the opposite end of the home.

As an adolescent I was wayward from the faith and I recall one night hearing my mother’s prayer, as she touched the heart of God with her prayers for me, I heard her heart and it touched mine as well, I can tell you that her prayers were answered because they followed me all through my adolescence and into my early adult life, I may have fallen a few times but her prayers so touched the heart of God that His Spirit always was there with strong conviction and guidance to put my feet back on the path with ordered steps

All of this to say mother’s and grandmothers you may be the only preacher some men will ever follow.

Lois poured into Eunice who poured into to Timothy.

Mamas out there whose children aren’t serving the Lord, don’t stop praying.

Don’t stop asking.

Don’t stop knocking on the doors of their heart.

They’re coming, they’re coming.

Some body say it with me They’re coming.

Paul didn’t have to persuade Timothy to be in ministry.

Lois and Eunice had prayed that boy to salvation and prayed a destiny into his life.

Lois and Eunice by way of the Holy Ghost deposited faith into the heart of Timothy.

It wasn’t a recycled faith, it wasn’t filtered faith.

The same Holy Ghost that was poured out and poured into them was poured into Timothy.