World's Best Mom
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Intro. Today’s worship gives God glory and praise for giving us our mother’s. And this sermon focuses on mothers; however, this does not mean that if you are not a mother, that this message is not for you. Quite the opposite. There is a message applicable to everyone.
The best mom in the world is one who...
you can not put a price on. We can’t put a price on motherhood?" So says Forbes magazine. They cite a yearly survey by Salary.com called the annual Mom Salary Survey, which attempts to put a salary on the work of American mothers. First, they broke down motherly duties into the following ten categories: Day Care Center Teacher, CEO, Psychologist, Cook, Housekeeper, Laundry Machine Operator, Computer Operator, Facilities Manager, Janitor, and Van Driver. Then they studied how many hours moms work in those categories and what the family would have to pay for outsourcing that duty. According to the 2012 survey, they determined the following:
An article in Forbes asks, "Think you can not put a price on. You can’t put a price on motherhood?" A yearly survey by Salary.com called the annual Mom Salary Survey attempts to put a salary on the work of American mothers. First, they broke down motherly duties into the following ten categories: Day Care Center Teacher, CEO, Psychologist, Cook, Housekeeper, Laundry Machine Operator, Computer Operator, Facilities Manager, Janitor, and Van Driver. Then they studied how many hours moms work in those categories and what the family would have to pay for outsourcing that duty. According to the 2012 survey, they determined the following:
The average stay-at-home mom should make an annual salary of $112,962 (based on a 40-hour per week base pay plus 54.7 hours a week of overtime);The average working mom should make an annual salary (just for her "mom" role) of $66,969 (based on 40-hours of mothering duties and 17.9 overtime hours per week).
The article concludes, "The breadth of Mom's responsibilities is beyond what most workers could ever experience day-to-day. Imagine if you had to attract and retain a candidate to fill this role?"
So how do we honor moms for all they do? There are a lot of ways. It might be easier to describe things not to do...
According to a British survey, 40 percent of moms have received an unwanted Mother's Day gift, but most of them were too polite to complain. Here's a partial list of the 30 worst Mother's Day gifts (according to moms who actually received these gifts):
Deodorant Fire extinguisher Cleaning supplies A stick of French bread Salad dressing Popcorn Ants (perhaps an ant farm for Mom) Hair dyeScrewdriver Toilet roll Calculator Car parts
Another newspaper ran an article titled "20 awful Mother's Day cards that you absolutely should not buy." The article is clear: Do NOT buy these cards, but just in case you're curious here are a few examples:
Mom, thanks for always checking up on me (with a picture of a cell phone with 24 unanswered calls from "Mom").Well I guess this Mother's Day card is late. Looks like someone wasn't raised properly.I'm awesome. You're welcome. To the luckiest Mom ever.
Mom I love you loads. (A picture of a laundry basket overflowing with clothes.) Speaking of loads … can you do my laundry?
And we know that some are born into the world with mothers who are far from the best. Perhaps even abusive. Some have been taken away from their mother’s because they were unfit. Certainly a tragic experience. There is hope and good news for you today in this sermon.
Here’s a question: if you feel you have the best mom in the world, would you ever want to move out and find a different mom? To disown your mom, To go live with an inferior mother? Never.
How about those who never had a mother to raise them or had one that was unfit. If given the opportunity to get a new mom and be raised by the best one in the world, would you turn down the offer to stay an ophan or to not escape the abusive relationship. Of course not. If healthy enough to make up your own mind, you would accept the offer to be adopted by the new mom.
World’s best mom…why would you want to claim another?
Yet that is what the Galatians were doing, so to speak. Paul explains it to them with the allegory of two mom’s. The world’s best mom and the worst mom. One leads to freedom, one leads to slavery.
Let’s look in Galatians. The passage Evan and Kaleb read so eloquently for us this morning in Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia is a quotation taken from which is a prophecy that references Sarah’s barrenness and the promise she was given that she would bring forth many children, and down the line the messiah would come forth. And ultimately many children in the spiritual sense as the church grows with its children, you and me.
Why was Paul bringing up this story? Well, that is explained as we move back a bit to the beginning of this book.
Tell me—those of you who want to be under the Law—don’t you listen to the Law?
I’m amazed that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ to follow another gospel. It’s not really another gospel, but certain people are confusing you and they want to change the gospel of Christ.
I don’t ignore the grace of God, because if we become righteous through the Law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Paul’s letter to the church is dealing with righteousness by grace vs works.
He argues his point throughout the letter, and we will land in chapter 4.
He is explaining the beauty and freedom of the gospel using relationships: specifically of family, interpersonal relationships with friends, and a mother child relationships.
Notice…
1 I’m saying that as long as the heirs are minors, they are no different from slaves, though they really are the owners of everything. 2 However, they are placed under trustees and guardians until the date set by the parents.
I’m saying that as long as the heirs are minors, they are no different from slaves, though they really are the owners of everything.
gal 4.
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3 In the same way, when we were minors, we were also enslaved by this world’s system. 4 But when the fulfillment of the time came, God sent his Son, born through a woman, and born under the Law.
5 This was so he could redeem those under the Law so that we could be adopted. 6 Because you are sons and daughters, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”
gal
7 Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and if you are his child, then you are also an heir through God.
Paul explains it well. Relationship of being a child who is not free, living in bondage. And he compares that to relationship we have with grace. It’s not something we earned. Notice. He’s using the example of an inheritance. One that is set up with trustees and guardians. The children don’t receive control until the parents die and/or they come of age. They are no different than slaves until the terms of the inheritance go into affect. Paul is saying we are all born like this. Just like slaves or trust fund children. We have nothing as children. But Christ comes on the scene and saves us through the cross, and we become adopted, and immediately receive our inheritance, Righteousness through grace. From a child to and adopted son and daughter of God.
In other words, As Christians, we have matured from restricted childhood under the law to privileged adult sonship under grace.
we are restricted under the law while a small child. We are freed through Jesus and His grace as adopted adults. Just as a child doesn’t receive the inheritance until they come of age. Through Christ we come of age, as we are adopted.
We mature through christ. We stop trying to earn salvation through merit and we come to Christ. That’s a sign of maturity.
Notice...
8 At the time, when you didn’t know God, you were enslaved by things that aren’t gods by nature. 9 But now, after knowing God (or rather, being known by God), how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless world system? Do you want to be slaves to it again?
He talking about them reverting to childhood behavior, when they weren’t under grace.
10 You observe religious days and months and seasons and years.
The church was becoming legalistic, following the Judiaizers who were preaching a false gospel. They were reverting back to the mosaic ways, trying to earn salvation.
It makes no sense to regress to childhood after becoming adults. As Christians, our new relationship as God’s sons and daughters produces maturity. We are free from the bondage of paganism, legalism, selfishness. It is illogical to revert to bondage by observing the ceremonial law or trying to earn salvation through legalistically keeping the 10 commandments.
This was affecting their relationships. Paul talks about how they were so tight previously. The last time he was in town they went out of their way to help him while he was sick.
14 Though my poor health burdened you, you didn’t look down on me or reject me, but you welcomed me as if I were an angel from God, or as if I were Christ Jesus! 15 Where then is the great attitude that you had? I swear that, if possible, you would have dug out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
14 Though my poor health burdened you, you didn’t look down on me or reject me, but you welcomed me as if I were an angel from God, or as if I were Christ Jesus!
15 Where then is the great attitude that you had? I swear that, if possible, you would have dug out your eyes and given them to me.
16 So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
So now they are reverting to legalism, and Paul has encouraged them to change and come back to the gospel. As a result they have a bad attitude with him, as if they are enemies.
Troubled Relationship The controversy over legalism separated Paul from his close friends, the Galatians. Therefore, the their attempts to find rightesnouss through legalism was not maturing them and it was causing a seperation in their relationship.
So we see Paul explaining that Legalism (1) keeps us as slaves, and (2) destroys relationships.
Expert Says Challenges Work Better than Threats
Gardiner Morse, "The Science Behind the Smile," Harvard Business Review(January-February 2012)
In an interview with Harvard Business Review, psychologist, researcher, and author Daniel Gilbert discussed how managers can motivate their employees. Although he was speaking to a business audience, his answer applies to many different relationships—parents and children, leaders and followers, mentors and protégés, husbands and wives.
We know that people are happiest when they're appropriately challenged—when they're trying to achieve goals that are difficult but not out of reach. Challenge and threat are not the same thing. People blossom when challenged and wither when threatened. Sure, you can get results from threats: Tell someone, "If you don't get this to me by Friday, you're fired," and you'll probably have it by Friday. But you'll also have an employee who will thereafter do his best to undermine you, who will feel no loyalty to the organization, and who will never do more than he must. It would be much more effective to tell your employee, "I don't think most people could get this done by Friday. But I have full faith and confidence that you can. And it's hugely important to the entire team." Psychologists have studied reward and punishment for a century, and the bottom line is perfectly clear: Reward works better.
Haggling about rules, picking on each other about the rules tears down.
The gospel on the other hand, as we are matured, leads us to be free through christ’s merits. We are then over joyed because of grace. We are happy to accept the challenge to live new lives for Jesus, sharing the gospel. Not obsessed with rules but obsessed with sharing the good news of Jesus.
Then Paul has illustrated grace vs legalism in context of family, being adopted and saved through Jesus rather than being slaves to sin through being legalistic, living under grace rather than works of law which fosters good interpersonal relationships.
Then he arrives at a detail on mother child relationships.
Tell me—those of you who want to be under the Law—don’t you listen to the Law?
It’s written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.
The son by the slave woman was conceived the normal way, but the son by the free woman was conceived through a promise.
These things are an allegory: the women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to slave children; this is Hagar.
gal 4.33
Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and she corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because the city is in slavery with her children.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.
Explain....
Hagar was a slave, a bondwoman. And her son was born into bondage. That effort to have children was not the way God wanted. God’s plan was for a miracle birth, Isaac, who would be born from a 90 year old infertile woman, and a 100 year old father. Isaac was born a free, he was not a slave.
It’s written: Rejoice, barren woman, you who have not given birth. Break out with a shout, you who have not suffered labor pains; because the woman who has been deserted will have many more children than the woman who has a husband.
The allegory is that the world’s best mom, represented by Sarah, leads to freedom, grace, to Jesus, for this was the holy line from which he was born.
Brothers and sisters, you are children of the promise like Isaac.
Human attempts to earn salvation are futile. Like the human attempt to give Abraham a son through Hagar.
Yet, the supernatural work of God through Sarah, produced the miracle of grace through the cross.
But just as it was then, so it is now also: the one who was conceived the normal way harassed the one who was conceived by the Spirit.
The church in Galatia was reverting back to the worst mom, the mom of slavery and bondage.
Paul encouraged them and in turn he encourages us to throw out that relationship
But what does the scripture say? Throw out the slave woman and her son, because the slave woman’s son won’t share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we aren’t the slave woman’s children, but we are the free woman’s children.
Christ has set us free for freedom. Therefore, stand firm and don’t submit to the bondage of slavery again.
Let us not revert back. No need to leave the best mom in the world. Live under grace rather than living legalistically.
It was like they were wanting to disown the World’s best Mom to go with one that was going to enslave them again. They had fallen into the trap of legalism.
For us today, we can fall into the trap, of legalism…obsessing on the rules instead of the cross.
Through the cross we learn that the heavenly Father loves us with a love that is infinite. Can we wonder that Paul exclaimed, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”? . It is our privilege also to glory in the cross, our privilege to give ourselves wholly to Him who gave Himself for us. Then, with the light that streams from Calvary shining in our faces, we may go forth to reveal this light to those in darkness. - Ellen White, Acts of the Apostles, Ch. 20.
14 But as for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except for the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through him, and I have been crucified to the world.
Applications
• We can rest in the security that we are the recipients of an unchangeable covenant with God.
Story of trying to meet birth mother.
• We can praise God that he is continuously maturing us toward spiritual adulthood.
Shrimp, Sabbath arguments
• Decide what you think is the primary privilege and responsibility of being a spiritual adult.
Sharing gospel, focus on the cross
Through the cross we learn that the heavenly Father loves us with a love that is infinite. Can we wonder that Paul exclaimed, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”? . It is our privilege also to glory in the cross, our privilege to give ourselves wholly to Him who gave Himself for us. Then, with the light that streams from Calvary shining in our faces, we may go forth to reveal this light to those in darkness.
• You can enjoy the fact that God is your Abba Father who loves you deeply.
Why was Paul using this allegory? Paul is coming to the aid of the church in Galatia, who were falling into the trap of legalism. He defends his point by showing that:
Immature people are slaves and haven’t advanced in their understanding and walk with Christ. Supporting Idea:
Supporting Idea: As Jews, we have matured from restricted childhood under the law to privileged adult sonship under grace. It makes no sense to regress to childhood after becoming adults.
Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 8:51.
Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 8:50.
We are adopted as sons and daughters and therefore, we don’t need to live as slaves and doing works of legalism.
Troubled Relationship The controversy over legalism separated Paul from his close friends, the Galatians. Therefore, the law cannot be mature and true because it has separated intimates.
Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 8:51.
Allegory of two moms and two covenants and two Jerusalems
Hey You!
Look!
See! (Explain the passage)
• See! (Explain the passage)
Do!
• You can rest in the security that you are the recipient of an unchangeable covenant with God.
• You can praise God that he is continuously maturing you toward spiritual adulthood.
• Decide what you think is the primary privilege and responsibility of being a spiritual adult.
• You can enjoy the fact that God is your Abba Father who loves you deeply.
Notes
Children of slaves are born into slavery by nature of their parents.
The social status of the mother determines the status of the sons
1 Christ has set us free for freedom. Therefore, stand firm and don’t submit to the bondage of slavery again.
But what a dramatic contrast his simple summary sets forth: slavery by natural birth and freedom by supernatural birth! It does not take much imagination to see how this contrast could be effectively used to illustrate and apply the truth already given in this letter. If you have only experienced natural birth, you are by nature a slave. But if you have experienced supernatural birth by the fulfillment of God’s promise in your life, you are by God’s grace set free. Before Paul develops these personal implications, however, he sets up a series of allegorical comparisons. G. Walter Hansen, Galatians, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), .
But what a dramatic contrast his simple summary sets forth: slavery by natural birth and freedom by supernatural birth! It does not take much imagination to see how this contrast could be effectively used to illustrate and apply the truth already given in this letter. If you have only experienced natural birth, you are by nature a slave. But if you have experienced supernatural birth by the fulfillment of God’s promise in your life, you are by God’s grace set free. Before Paul develops these personal implications, however, he sets up a series of allegorical comparisons.
The children of the free woman, who were born by the power of the Spirit (v. 29) must learn to express their freedom by walking in the Spirit. They must not submit to slavery under the law or gratify the desires of the flesh.
G. Walter Hansen, Galatians, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), .
Identity is the basis of behavior: a clear understanding of who we are in Christ guides our conduct in the Spirit. G. Walter Hansen, Galatians, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), .
27 It’s written: Rejoice, barren woman, you who have not given birth. Break out with a shout, you who have not suffered labor pains; because the woman who has been deserted will have many more children than the woman who has a husband.
28 Brothers and sisters, you are children of the promise like Isaac.
G. Walter Hansen, Galatians, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), .
Illustrations to use
Shrimp Glenna
Argument over Sabbath proof texting
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