A Gameplan for Gospel Mom's

Introduction

Today, we want to do our best to celebrate and encourage the way that God has gifted and established women here at Grace Church! We are so grateful for you and we know that we do not say it enough and we know that we don’t articulate our sentiment towards you well enough. We apologize for our shortcomings in this regard and we simply ask that you would hear this from us today. “You are loved, you are valued, and you are deserving of celebration.”

While this is a day in which we hope you will be honored, we also recognize the varying emotions of mothers day. For some, this is a day that can be very painful and we want to be sensitive to that in every way that we know how. We want you to know that we are here for you and we are praying.

In fact, we are going to take the next few moments to pray for each of you. Thanking God for the wonderful blessing that you have been to you families, our community, and Grace Church.

Lets Pray.

Dear Lord and heavenly Father, today, we thank you for how you have uniquely wired women, how you have gifted them, and how you use them to build your kingdom. Lord, we know that mothers day is both a day of celebration and a reminder of suffering. So help us to encourage, build up, strengthen, and honor each woman here this morning. Lord, we pray for the hurting. We pray for peace and comfort. We pray for healing and refreshment.

Lord thank you for all of the women in our lives, who have been designed by you to portray loyalty, grace, discernment, thoughtfulness and so much more. God we pray for a hand of protection and guidance over them. That you would keep them safe and secure in your hand. Lord help us to honor our women well today, recognizing that they are a tremendous gift from you. We celebrate these women who are a reflection of yourself and in their own way demonstrate who you are. God thank you for the blessing they are to this church and our community.

In Jesus name, Amen.

For the past few weeks we have been in a series called “How then shall we live?” It is a series that builds off the reality of Easter for those who have responded to Jesus’ invitation for eternal life. We have been walking through Romans 12 which is a transitional chapter that proclaims, if Jesus really was the Son of God, died on the cross and rose again, then this is how we should respond to Him. This is how we should live for Him.

Today, we are considering verse 12 but before we do, we need to recognize that verse 11 gives us the context.

Romans 12:11“11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

There are three parts to this verse and the first two are in the context of the third “Serve the Lord.” in regards to how we serve the Lord “Do not be slothful in zeal.” It is easy for any of us to procrastinate. To lack diligence and commitment, or energy and focus. And there are days, when you have come to the end of your rope and there is so much to be done. The call is not to overwork yourself the call is to be diligent. In other words, there are days and times when you simply may need to stop and rest, even if it is for a few minutes. Days when you need to say “no” to one or a few of the items on your agenda, recognizing that they can wait and that you need rest.

Resting is a command of the Bible, something that God practiced in the creation of the world and Jesus modeled in His life on earth. Rest is important and we all need to be intentional about having a sabbath day. Yet we are called to be good workers. We are called to have zeal in our service to the Lord. Therefore we must find an appropriate balance of working hard and resting.

Have you found that balance?

While it is true that we need to find that balance in our lives, Paul is specifically referring to zeal in our serving the Lord. In other words, there needs to be urgency that demonstrates our commitment to God.

are you diligent in spending time with God?

Are you quick to serve God where there is opportunity?

Do you willingly and prayerfully lean into the lives of people around you?

Secondly, Paul says “Be fervent in Spirit.” Greek and English can be like two toddlers wanting to play with the same toy and they don’t always play nice together. When we study the Greek text we find the idea here is really focused on allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way with your spirit. Surrendering to Him in a way that stirs up the coals of the fire in your soul in order to readily serve the Lord in each moment. Its that fire that gives us confidence and hope of what Christ can do in us and through us. When our spiritual coals are stirred they produce believers who are diligent and enthusiastic in both their pursuit of Christ as well as the expansion of His kingdom.

The third element and the key to verse 11 and 12 is “Serve the Lord.”

Now, this is the lens that we carry into verse 12. This is how we understand the significance of what what Paul is about to say and the way that we should see it play out in our lives. That there should be an enthusiastic diligence that is prompt to serve the Lord.

Romans 12:12 “12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Again, we find three elements to this verse and we are going to walk through them one at a time.

When we consider the very idea of biblical hope, rejoicing should come naturally.

Hope carries the expectation of a positive outcome. Hope compels people to contribute sacrificially. It inspires people to do and give more than they normally would. Hope in and of itself has the ability to bring immediate change to the attitudes and actions of people..... Hope is significant and powerful in the way that influences the core of human will. But we haven't yet considered biblical hope.

Biblical hope is all of this and more. It has an understanding that there is an all powerful, perfectly righteous God who is personable and loves us with such depth that He took on the punishment of our sin for us.

- I can have hope that my evil thoughts, unfair judgments and comparisons are of others will come to an end. That each of our shortcomings and sinful attitudes will cease. Knowing that I am not perfect, I make mistakes, and I have a propensity to choose sin. But with Jesus I can be forgiven. I am no longer a slave to sin but am freed from its grip by simply turning it over to Jesus. Meaning that I can stand freely and openly before God in heaven as someone who is sinful yet seen by God as the righteousness of Jesus. This gives hope for a day when the sin struggle will be over, when we enter into the courts of heaven, A place where there is no sin, no evil, no wrongdoing, no crying, no pain. A place where we will be in the presence of God.

- I would say that is something to rejoice over!

Our hope is reflective in looking back to the cross where Jesus died. Our hope is immediate in that we know how everything ends, so we don't have to get lost in the weeds. Our hope is forward looking and expectant of the day that we will enter eternity. Lets not be mistaken, hope was about Jesus, hope is about Jesus, and hope will always be about Jesus.

The natural product of a Christians hope is rejoicing.

Mary

When I think about hope that rejoices, I think about Mary. I think about when Jesus is born and the shepherds come to speak a word over Jesus and Luke 2:19 “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

Oh how a mother treasures their child. How she cares for them and lovingly nourishes and comforts them. Those moments when a child is born are moments that should be treasured in our hearts. Put in a place where we can reflect and ponder the goodness of God. In Mary’s case, she not only had this child that she loved dearly but knew from the angels and heard again from the shepherds that this was more than a child, this was the son of God in the flesh.

Lets learn to rejoice in the hope that we have in Jesus. Knowing full well that He mercifully paid the price for our sin, graciously inviting us into eternity with Him.

Romans 12:12 “12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

tribulation - Affliction - hardships - suffering - however you want to express it, the point is that we will experience struggle and pain in this life. Paul’s understanding of it seems to be that it is par for the course in the christian life. In 1 Thessalonians 3:3 Paul says we are “destined” for them.

Philippians 1:29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,”

We know there will be challenges and many of us have experienced or witnessed unbearable types of pain. Because we can anticipate it we can prepare for it - but more than that we need to understand there is something powerful about suffering. It teaches us a type of perseverance that can only be learned through hardship. But that learned perseverance is translatable to our faith, our attitudes, our fortitude in coming battles. It has a way of training and building people up to better face the challenges they will endure. The list goes on and on that when we go through some form of suffering the right way, leaning on God and doing it His way, it produces a unique growth in us that develops our character.

But we must be careful not to respond to suffering our way. Our temptation is to lean into self pity or to try and solve our problems before we ever seek God’s forgiveness or wisdom.

Secondly, God is in the battle with us. Scripture tells us that He is near the broken hearted (Psalm 34:18), that He personally comforts us in our affliction (2 Cor. 1:4), that God will pay back those who cause affliction to His children (2 Thess. 1:6) and then there are verses like 2 Corinthians 4:17 that remind us that our painful trials will come to an end and their memory will seem insignificant.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”

Your affliction may not seem light.... but it will.

You might not feel like God is with you in the battle.... but He is.

Your struggles may not seem worth it..... but they are.

you might not understand why you are experiencing affliction, but God does..... and He says be patient. Be patient in this and allow me to do a work in your heart and in your mind to develop your character, to bring greater maturity into you life so that I can use you according to my plan. God loves you, He cares about your struggles and your pains, and He will not leave you.

This word patient does not mean to be lazy, indifferent, or finding ways to check out of reality. running to your phone, social media and other distractions are not examples of patience in the midst of trials. Nor does it mean that we should passively endure until the affliction has come and gone.

To be patient in tribulation is to actively seek out what God desires in your affliction. Its the idea of keeping a disposition before the Lord that says, “Teach me, use me, lead me, and may you be glorified.” Even if its hard. Even if it hurts. Even if I don’t like it, “Lord, would you teach me, use me, and lead me through this so that you may be glorified.”

I think David best captured this type of disposition in Psalm 23.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Esther

When I think of a woman who knew how to be patient in tribulation I think of Esther. She was witness to an evil man who wanted to destroy the Israelites. She had to sit and wait for the appropriate time. I can only imagine the weight that she felt, not just knowing her people were in danger but watching this man’s plans develop and come together. Yet she remained strong, she did not sit on the side but in her patience actively pursued a plan that would save the people of Israel and bring glory to God.

Romans 12:12 “12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Prayer is the oxygen of our Spiritual life. It keeps us in relationship with the Father. It orients our attention towards Him and helps us to understand just how much we need Him. Prayer will often bring sweet moments of intimacy and memorable moments of feeling the presence of God’s Spirit. It is a time where the believer will know what it is like to have the weight of sin lifted off them. Where they can freely surrender their fears and anxieties. Prayer is essential to the Christian life.

Yet prayer is often miss used, misunderstood, and even mechanical.

Prayer was never meant to be the same string of words that pray each night before bed nor a repetition of the Lord’s prayer. Some believe they are teaching their kids to pray by repeating these words.

But is there relationship building in this repetition?

Is there a fresh surrender of the heart?

Is there genuine confession of sin?

Or over time, have the words lost there meaning and now our prayer is nothing more than checking the box?

Prayer is our way of communicating with God and simultaneously our opportunity to rest in His presence. I would be curious to know how many people in this room genuinely feel like they are resting in the presence of God when they pray. I think many of us are focused on what we want to pray for, saying it in a respectful way, and making sure that we are considerate of whoever is in the room. While these are not necessarily bad in and of themselves, I think our concern of what others are thinking and feeling is often a distraction from communion with God.

Prayer is meant to be a time and a place where we don't have to feel the pressure to impress. where we don't have to say the right words. Where we can rest and be filled with the Spirit. It’s not something we rush through because we need to hurry up and eat. Prayer is that moment where you are intentionally setting aside time to come before the throne of God. Understanding that He is not a box to be checked or a person to impress.

God wants to hear from you, He wants you to be open with Him. He wants you to invite Him into your celebration and your discouragement. He wants to be the friend you turn to because you value their input. Prayer is about building a relationship with the only person who has any real authority… and its that same person that loved you enough to die for you.

Paul calls us to constant prayer. Learning to live in a posture of prayer is learning how to submit every thought, every action, and every motivation of the heart to God. As trials and tribulations come, a posture of prayer turns and praises God for His blessing, His faithfulness, and asks for His will to be fulfilled. A posture of prayer is to constantly be conversing with God as a friend, sharing our every thought, emotion, and situation. As the father, we practice revealing the depths of our hearts to Him, knowing that we can trust Him. A posture of prayer, is diligent to pray in solitude with regularity. A posture of prayer, seeks to lay hands on others for healing, encouragement, blessing, and anointing.

Anna

The prophetess Anna is a remarkable prayer warrior. She understood the idea of constant prayer and demonstrated it in her commitment to the Lord. Take a look at how she is described as she encountered Jesus for the first time - Luke 2:37-38 “She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Prayer is essential to the believer, it is the oxygen that keeps our faith in God strong.

Romans 12:12 “12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

I am a believer that God has uniquely gifted men and that He has uniquely gifted women. I believe that being made in the image of God means that we each have a natural way of reflecting the character and nature of God.

To all the women, please hear me on this, I believe there are several traps you may have fallen into. It is as much our fault as men and the culture we live in as it is yours that you may be stuck.

Perhaps you have and ideal, of what it means to be a Christian woman. That there is a standard that you need to measure up to. And in that measuring up you have caught yourselves comparing yourself to others and using godlier women to set a standard for yourself.

Perhaps you have gone the extra mile, going to retreats, doing weekly bible studies, reading books, and anything else you can think of to reach this standard.

perhaps, along the way, you have learned that in this pursuit to be more godly, you have only weighed yourself down with pressure and an added sense of burden.

Maybe you have bought into other people’s expectations about what you should and shouldn’t do instead of focusing on the condition of your heart.

Maybe you have felt pressured to sign up for every ministry in the church in the church and you have run yourself ragged trying to keep up with home life and the extra hours spent here trying to reach this standard.

Can we just stop for a moment and push all of that aside. Because what we want to do here this morning is simply say, we love you for who you are. We are incredibly grateful for the blessing that you have been to this church and our community. There is something intrinsically special about you, because you are an image bearer of God and you have been uniquely gifted by Him. So we celebrate you today.

We thank you

For the significant ways in which you have been patient with us, even when we have caused you suffering.

We thank you for the times you have spent in prayer for each of us and our kids.

For the ways you have diligently served to build up the kingdom of God.

You are so precious to us and we would be in real trouble without you.

English Standard Version (Chapter 31)

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

In our desire to honor you, we have a gift for each of you out in the lobby. It is small token of our appreciation and you certainly deserve so much more. But on behalf of Grace Church, we want to give it to you to help celebrate all that you are to us.