A Mother’s Day Sermon

1. A Mother’s Day Sermon This Sermon is dedicated to all of our mothersHappy Mothers Day!

2. An Important Day • Today is the day we take time to celebrate, remember, and give thanks • Today is the day we celebrate those who have sacrificed so greatly for us • Who comes to mind when we consider these things? • Who else but our mothers? • Today is the day we celebrate you, and give thanks to God for you • We see today how motherhood is often attacked within our culture • They call mother’s sell outs! • Why would you want to go back to slavery? • I think it’s about time we start to speak up for motherhood again! • Mother’s and motherhood are gifts from God • It implies generations, children, sacrifice, and love

3. The Scriptures: Honoring Our Mothers • Since these are gifts from God, what better place to go than the Scriptures? • Hopefully during this we can remember some things, and be encouraged in others • 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (Ephesians 6:1-3, ESV). • Paul here is speaking to Christian’s in Ephesus • He deals with family life, and in doing so goes to the most significant source he can think of…the Law • He quotes almost verbatim what we find in Exodus 20:12

4. The Scriptures: Honoring Our Mothers (2) • We notice it does not specify one parental group • Both mothers and fathers are to be honored • Though mothers and fathers have different roles, that does not mean one is less important than another • Mothers deserve to be honored • We are to give them respect, and care for them as they age • “Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” Proverbs 23:22, ESV). • God has given you your mother, and mother, God has given you your children • God has commanded of you to act a certain way • Without your mother you would not exist, as it is through our mothers God has caused us to be

5. The Scriptures: Honoring Our Mothers (3) • To not honor our mothers is to go against a command of God • Likewise it is to treat that person whom God has used to give you life as less important • Without your mother you would not be you! • It is because of your mother God created you as you are • It is not as though you would come to be the same person if you had a different mother • The truth is, your mother is necessary for you personally • You have importance, but just as significantly, she has importance • What are we to do? Honor our mothers • Take care of them • Give them respect, for God has ordained that these women be mothers, and therefore they deserve respect

6. The Scriptures: Obeying Our Mothers Teaching • We notice in Ephesians we are told to obey our parents • What does that mean? • Obedience implies information being given by our mothers to us • “Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.” (Proverbs 1:8-9, ESV) • “My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.” (Proverbs 6:20, ESV) • Mothers are vital for our development • They are our teachers in this life • They have a job to do, to train us, walk with us, as we grow older, learning under them and their wisdom

7. The Scriptures: Obeying Our Mothers Teaching (2) • It is from our mothers we receive the first taste of the fruit of knowledge and wisdom • Thus, mothers have a responsibility to maintain good knowledge and wisdom for the sake of their children • Can we be so surprised of how highly the scriptures speak of mothers? • If only the world would see the value of motherhood! • How it is a gift from God to be mothers, and to be children under the watch of mothers who love us

8. The Scriptures: To All Who Are Mothers • As I look out I consider all the mothers in this congregation • It would be wrong to assume, though, that only those with biological children are mother’s, or that you are mothers only to your biological children! • “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.” (I Timothy 5:1-2, ESV) • We are a family • I do not only look out to the women of this congregation and consider your own biological children, but I consider the reality that your motherhood extends to us as well

9. The Scriptures: To All Who Are Mothers (2) • We look to you as our mothers who continue to guide us and lead us • If you thought once your children were grown up and left the house your motherhood days are over, let me tell you something different! • We always need to be led further into the kingdom, our younger mothers need guidance, as much from their own mothers as you • We considered in Joel how there wasn’t much information about Joel • We learned his name, that he was a prophet, and who his father was • The most important information was that he was called by God • How God used Joel was the most important aspect of Joel • So it is with you mothers • You may think you aren’t be heard, or that the weight of motherhood isn’t that important • But, when I look out, I see loving mothers who are speaking loudly about very important things! • You say to us, “Christ will keep you”

10. The Scriptures: To All Who Are Mothers (3) • Motherhood is much like planting trees • It takes time for those seeds you plant to grow • I know all too often mothers can be hard on themselves • Do you know the most important thing you can do for your children? • Be faithful to your calling in Christ as mothers • Pointing us ever forward to Christ in your love and devotion • But the more Christ you give these seeds, the stronger and greater they become • Your efforts are not in vain

11. The Scriptures: To All Who Are Mothers (4) • You are guiding lights for us for the future • You encourage us, telling us that this is how we remain faithful • Young mother, listen to your mothers, grow in knowledge and wisdom, heed their words and their faithfulness • All you women are mothers to the generations which come after you • Some are older, some are younger, to the older, always teach the younger, and the younger teach the younger still, and learn from the older • To all our mothers, I hope and pray that you would be blessed • That the love of God would shine down upon you • That God would strengthen and guide each of you, and that His favor would be with you today, and forevermore