05/08/16 A Woman Devoted to God!
Mother’s
Day
Intro: After today according to the calendar Mother’s Day is over, it is
only recognized once a year. Well for all of us who are smarter than the
calendar, Mother’s should be appreciated every day all year round. The thing
is, you may take time off from appreciating mom, but she never gets to take
time off from being “mom.” And let’s not forget, God commands us to honor our
parents—not just one day a year, but throughout our lives: “Honor your father
and mother, as the LORD your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full
life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
So what’s the value of a
mom? A 2013 Salary.com study found that a stay-at-home mom was worth about
$114,000 a year. (I am sure that figure is a little low now) The catch? She’s
working a 94-hour work week and doesn’t actually make a penny. Here’s how her
weekly work numbers breaks down:
- 14 hours as a cook
- 14.4 hours as a maid
- 8 hours as a taxi driver
- 7.8 hours as a janitor
- 3.3 hours as a CEO
- 7.3 hours as a psychologist
- 8.9 hours as a computer operator
- 6.2 hours as a laundry operator
- 10.8 hours as a facilities manager
- 13.3 hours as a day-care teacher
Amidst all these
vocational duties, the one predominant motivation is love. Your mom spent (or
spends) at least 100 hours every single week caring for you in a variety of
ways, and you think that two-hour brunch and $4 greeting card are adequate for
showing your appreciation? This is where it is my role as pastor to commence a guilt
trip now! Let’s give our Mom’s a hand, and a moment of gratitude. Really let’s
give them a hand, a hand around the house, a hand with stuff that would make
moms happy; are you giving mom a hand? Deut. 5:16 “Then you will live a long,
full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
“Trust in the LORD with
all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways
acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Text: John
19:25-27 (NKJV)
“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His
mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When
Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He
said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the
disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took
her to his own home.”
Application: “A woman who fears the Lord will be greatly
praised.”
1. A Mother’s Burden:
“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His
mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took
place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of
the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18 (NLT)
I would guess when Mary went into her
bathroom and used a first response pregnancy test she was a little burdened
with the results of this test. I’m not ready to be a mother, I want to be a
wife first, I can’t afford a baby yet. I don’t even know where I am going to
put the child. Where am I going to live? Wait a minute what is my family going
to say? What are they going to do? What are they going to call me? I am still a
teenager. This is got to be a joke, I can’t be pregnant! O God what has
happened? Mothers have you ever been burdened? Have you ever said: “O God what
has happened?” Mary experienced a unique journey but God’s presence followed
her the whole way.
Jesus' birth was of the Spirit, never before had a man been
born "of the Holy Spirit," but Jesus was. A person either accepts the
evidence of Scripture at this point or rejects it. The Scripture is clear in
what it says: "Before they came together, she [Mary] was found with child
of the Holy Spirit." It is a matter of faith and trust in the God of love.
“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will
save His people from their sins." Knowing this could be a burdened for
Mary.”
“And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly
favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But
when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of
greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your
womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be
great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give
Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of
Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." 34 Then Mary said
to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35 And
the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy
One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:28-35 A lot to be
said with these few verse’s and I believe every woman can find peace, when you
can allow the Spirit of God to give you the strength and the gift of life and
the grace that can be yours. A woman devoted to God thou the burden may seem
too big to handle “God so loved the world He gave His only begotten son…” Cast
all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
2. A Mother at the Cross:
“Now there
stood by the cross of Jesus His mother.”
The Cross symbolizes suffering, Christ
suffered for us. The devoted mother grows through the sacrifices that are made
for their children. I can’t even imagine being at the base of a cross and
looking up and seeing my son take his last breath while being crucified.
And
since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we
are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share
his suffering. Romans 8:17
3. A Mother Blessed:
“Then He said to the disciple, "Behold
your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”
Although
being a mom is an incredibly busy role, it’s not just a chore—it’s a gift from
God: “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a
reward.” Psalm 127:3 God has called mothers to be loving and nurturing. He’s
created them in his image so they can serve as reflections of the strength,
goodness, wisdom, and love that God has for us. It may just seem like she’s
doing your laundry like normal, or calling you repeatedly to see how the new
job is going, or asking to babysit the grandkids again—and all of these things
may seem so predictably “mom.” But don’t forget—these are acts of love. Moms
are a physical and emotional presence that give us a glimpse of God’s eternal,
other-worldly love for us. I’d say that calls for more than just one day of
celebrating.
I love my Epigrams and there are a few of the Mother: Epitaph in a
churchyard, inscribed by a husband after sixty years of wedded life: “She
always made home happy.”
- The future destiny of a child is the work of a mother. —Napoleon Bonaparte
- Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children. —Thackeray
- God could not be everywhere, and so he made mothers. —Jewish Proverb
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct
your paths” Proverbs 3:6
This well-loved verse describes a two-step partnership
with God: our part is to stop and acknowledge God along the way, and His part
is to direct our paths. We are to consult with God regarding every decision,
word, thought, or response. Before we move ahead or merely react, we need to
stop and pray first, “God, what would You have me do—or think or say—here?”
Moms,
Ladies let’s keep it simple: There is a partnership with whatever comes your
way stop and check in with God. Pray, “God, what do You want me to do here?” When
you do your part, God takes over and does His part: He directs your path! He
instructs and teaches you in the way you should go: “The Lord says, “I will
guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch
over you.” Psalm 32:8 (NLT)
Hey mom good news listen to what God can do? “Your
own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you
should go,” whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)
“A woman
who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”
Conclusion: To be God’s woman, to
love Him fervently with a whole heart, is her sole desire. And whether you’re
pushing a stroller or a grocery cart or an aluminum walker, whether you’re
single, married, or a widow, whether your challenge is eight children or no
children, whether life has you nursing children with measles, a husband with
cancer, or your own osteoporosis, your life counts—counts mightily—as you face
its challenges with a heart full of devotion to God.
God’s Helpers
God could
not be in every place
With loving hands to help erase
The teardrops from each
baby’s face,
And so He thought of mother.
He could not send us here alone
And
leave us to a fate unknown;
Without providing for His own,
The outstretched
arms of mother.
God could not watch us night and day
And kneel beside our crib
to pray,
Or kiss our little aches away;
And so He sent us mother.
And when our
childhood days began,
He simply could not take command.
That’s why He placed
our tiny hand
Securely into mother’s.
The days of youth slipped quickly by,
Life’s
sun rose higher in the sky.
Full grown were we, yet ever nigh
To love us still,
was mother.
And when life’s span of years shall end,
I know that God will
gladly send,
To welcome home her child again,
That ever-faithful mother.
—George
W. Wiseman
In : Sermon
Tags: "mother's day" "book of john"
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