Lasting Love on Mother's Day

Lasting Love on Mother’s Day

Super Model Moms 2013

This morning we will see 3 aspects of love that are modeled by moms.

4645 Spurgeon On Mother’s Prayers

“I cannot tell you how much I owe to the custom on Sunday evenings while we were yet children for Mother to stay at home with us, and then we sat around the table and read verse after verse and she explained the Scriptures to us. After that was done there came a time of pleading, and the question was asked how long it would be before we would think about our state; how long before we would seek the Lord.

“Then came a mother’s prayer; and some of the words of our mother’s prayer we shall never forget even when our hair is gray.”

—Charles Haddon Spurgeon

3634 More Honorable Than Any Profession

When all is said, it is the mother, and the mother only, who is a better citizen than the soldier who fights for his country. The successful mother, the mother who does her part in rearing and training aright the boys and girls, who are to be the men and women of the next generation, is of greater use to the community, and occupies, if she only would realize it, a more honorable as well as more important position than any man in it. The mother is the one supreme asset of the national life. She is more important, by far, than the successful statesman, or businessman, or artist, or scientist.

—Theodore Roosevelt

According to the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Police Chief Phil Keith was in the middle of a city council meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee, when his pager beeped. Startled to see that the call was from his mother, he rushed to the press table and phoned her. “Phil Keith, are you chewing gum?” demanded his mom, who had been watching on cable TV.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, it looks awful. Spit it out.” Keith dutifully removed the gum and went back to his meeting

There is no one like mothers. The words “mother” and “love” go hand in hand and there is no better passage to apply to moms than the “Love Chapter” of the Bible which describes the agape love of God .

1. The Priority of Love (1-3)

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NKJV

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

“1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

A. Love is Superior to Words

Tongues and Prophecy were special spiritual gifts that were used for a sign to show that the speaker was authenticated by God. They were very dramatic and impressive and the Corinthian church coveted these gifts because they wanted people to notice them. As important as these gifts were to establishing the early church, without love they become as annoying as these cars that come rumbling down the street with radio blaring. A covenant love with God made these gifts beautiful and useful to God and those who listen.

Moms, you may not have showy gifts or flowery words but the love that you show is far better than those things.

B. Love is Superior to Power

Paul shares some other spiritual gifts that are very impressive. The gift of knowledge was special sign gift as well where the user of this gift was able to know things that he or she had previously not learned. King Solomon is an example of this gift. He had special knowledge of how to run a kingdom that he didn’t naturally know. Even though I don’t believe that this gift is in operation today, sometimes a mother’s special knowledge that their children are up to something makes me wonder.

The gift of faith is a powerful gift that I believe is still in use today. It is the special gift to believe God’s promises on a large scale. George Mueller was a modern day example of this. He simply trusted God to supply his needs to run an orphanage without ever asking for money from anyone other than God. That’s impressive, but not if it is without love. A mom may believe that God is going to take care of their children’s physical needs as He has promised, but if she shows no affection to them, not caring whether they have those things or not, then what has she really gained?

C. Love is Superior to Work.

This one is strange in that sometimes we define love by these acts that Paul mentions. But the works that we do can never take the place of love they can only prove the love that is already there. You can give food to the food shelf but if it is done to ease your conscience or so that people or God will notice how good you are than those works mean nothing.

You can sacrifice yourself for your God and have it amount to nothing as well. Look at the suicide bombers. They give their lives for “Allah” but it will not profit them in the end.

Agape love is an inward quality and commitment of the heart that is superior to any one outward act no matter how good that act may seem.

Mom’s demonstrate this by loving their children in the quietness of their hearts even when it cannot be shown outwardly.

2. The PORTRAIT of Love (4-7)

1 cor

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NKJV

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

A. μακροθυμέω: to persevere, to be patient

A. μακροθυμέω: to persevere, to be patient

To withhold judgment until necessary even in the midst of personal offence.

B. χρηστεύομαι: to be kind

Willing to help or assist

[Tying shoes]

C. ζηλόω: to be jealous

Not Envious

D. περπερεύομαι: to boast

To elevate yourself above another verbally. Mom’s, All those times when you could have elevated yourself over your husband or friends, models that biblical love for you kids.

E. φυσιόω: to puff or blow up

To inflate inwardly

F. ἀσχημονέω: to act unbecomingly

Indecently or disgracefully

[A couple of years ago, while on vacation an uncle made a video of him and a friend making his two nephews (I believe ages 2 and 4) smoke marijuana].

G. ζητέω: to seek (it’s self)

To strive after your wants and desires. Thank you moms, for putting others first, giving up that time you could have used for yourself to do something with your children that they wanted to do.

H. παροξύνω: to sharpen, fig. to stimulate, to provoke

Provoke or incite someone till they act out. Mom’s you know how hared this is when your kids say for the millionth time, “what are having for dinner?” You may want to scream in their cute little faces, “I told you already and if you ask me again you’re going to get a plate full of bugs and we’ll see how you like that!” But you hold back and respond calmly but firmly, correcting the annoying behavior without anger and without the bugs.

I. λογίζομαι: to reckon, to consider κακός: bad, evil

Chuck Swindoll remembered a Mother’s Day card he saw that was really cute. It was a great big card written in a little child’s first-grade printing. On the front was a little boy with untied sneakers. He had a wagon, and toys were everywhere. He had a little cut on his face and there were smudges all over the card. It read, “Mom, I remember that little prayer you used to say for me every day,” Inside was the prayer: “God help you if you ever do that again!”

J. χαίρω: to rejoice, be glad, ἀδικία: injustice, unrighteousness

K. συγχαίρω: to rejoice with ἀλήθεια: truth

L. στέγω: to cover closely

Covers hurts, feelings, after they have been properly dealt with

M. πιστεύω: to believe, entrust

Has faith in all things that someone does

N. ἐλπίζω: to expect, to hope (for)

Confident expectation

3640 Mother’s Dying Request Of Son

The mother of Christian Schwartz died as he was born. Before her death she exacted this promise from her husband: “When my baby becomes a man and God calls him to be a missionary, promise me that you will not stand in his way!” In those days, foreign missionary enterprise was almost unknown.

Years passed. One day a brilliant young man came from the university and said, “Father, God has called me to be a missionary!” Tears filled the father’s eyes as he recalled the promise he gave to his dying wife. “Answer the call, my son, and may God’s blessings be continually upon you,” said the father.

Christian Schwartz went to India, a pioneer missionary in the generation before William Carey.

Tan, P. L. (1996, c1979). Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers. Garland TX: Bible Communications.

O. ὑπομένω: to stay behind, to await, endure

Bears up under or suffers all things for the sake of another

The world would describe a portrait of a super model by identifying hair color, eye color, shape of face, weight, height, etc. But, God describes a picture of a super model mom by identifying how she loves.

3. The PERMANENCE of Love (8)

81 cor 13 8

1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Evangelist Michael Guido told of a wise physician who one said to a young doctor, “I’ve been practicing medicine for a long time. I’ve prescribed many things. But in the long run, I’ve learned that the best medicine is love.”

Evangelist Michael Guido told of a wise physician who one said to a young doctor, “I’ve been practicing medicine for a long time. I’ve prescribed many things. But in the long run, I’ve learned that the best medicine is love.”

“What if it doesn’t work?” asked the young doctor.

The Wise old physician responded, “Double the dose.”

Conclusion: So you see moms, because you model the love of Jesus Christ you really are “Super Models.”

7654 None Ever Praised Mother

I read years ago of a mother who had raised six boys to manhood and her work done, had lain down to die. The boys came home to see their mother and her oldest son, a great, powerful man, knelt by her and, wiping the death-dew from her forehead, said to her: “Mother, you have always been a good mother to us boys.”

The tired woman closed her eyes and great tears pushed out under the lids and ran down her wasted cheeks. Then she opened her eyes, looked searchingly into the face of her firstborn and said to him:

“My boy, I prayed more that I might be a good mother to you six boys than for anything else. I was afraid that I should fail in some way to be all that I ought to you, and I never knew whether you boys thought I had failed or not until now. Not one of you ever told me I was a good mother until today.”

—Charles A. Blanchard

Tan, P. L. (1996, c1979). Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers. Garland TX: Bible Communications

Thank you moms for your love; may you be honored today. If your not a mom, please find a mom and thank her for the love that she shows.