Mothers Day

0:00 Intro 2:08 Joke 2:33 Worship 6:15 Announcements 11:04 Pledge of Allegiance 13:35 Worship Continued 33:03 Message 1:10:33 Closing Worship Today is a day that we celebrate and honor mothers. Mothers are so important in each and every one of our lives. They gave birth to us, they fed us, cared for us, and raised us into the people we are today. The Word of God contains many stories of amazing mothers and we’re going to talk about a few of them today. Motherhood is a sacred calling and there are numerous examples throughout the Bible of godly mothers. It is not the most glamorous job and at times it can be very tough. But, their love, wisdom, faith, and sacrifices are able to change history through the next generation. Proverbs gives us a picture of the godly mother. She is clothed in strength and dignity, she speaks wisdom, and gives faithful instructions. It says that she can laugh at the days to come. Any mother who is guided by the Lord through the Holy Spirit has access to these qualities, and she has faith that the Lord can bring her through any situation. One of the most memorable mothers in the Bible is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was a virgin who was betrothed to Joseph. An angel came to her and said that she would bear a child who would be Jesus while she was a virgin. She had confidence and faith in the Lord and His protection. In those days, if you were betrothed to someone and you were found to be pregnant, there was a good chance you would be stoned to death. Mary believed that God would protect her and follow through with His plan. Her faith changed history. Eve was the first woman and the first mother in the Bible. She was called Eve because she was the mother of all living people. Without her, none of us would be here today. God used her to start the story of human history. There is also Sarah, the wife of Abraham. She was barren all her life, but God promised her that she would have a son. She was skeptical at first, but she believed God’s promise. Her descendants became many nations, including the nation of Israel. There is also Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. She hid Moses as a baby, defying the order of the king of Egypt, who had decreed that every male baby had to be killed. She put him in a basket along the Nile River, where he was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. Pharaoh’s daughter then paid Jochebed to raise Moses for her. Moses changed the history of the people of Israel along with his siblings Miriam and Aaron. Jochebed had courage and tremendous faith amid oppression. Lastly, there is Hannah. She was the mother of the prophet Samuel. Hannah was barren and was married to a man who had another wife who bore many children. Hannah was mistreated for her inability to have children. But she had faith and prayed to God that if He gave her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord. God honored her request, and Samuel was born. He lived in God’s temple and became a prophet, and was an authority in Israel for many years. He anointed Saul as king and later David. Hannah was faithful, steadfast, and honored her promise to God, and God used that to direct the future of Israel. All these amazing mothers in the Bible changed history in profound ways. They each had their own personal challenges. Some were barren, some lived under the threat of death. The faith of all these women to rely on God for their circumstances is inspiring to all mothers.

Mothers play an indispensable role in society. That’s true today and that was true during biblical times. Their God given role is to protect and nurture their children and teach them life skills. In the Bible, there is a story out of Matthew about a gentile mother who comes to Jesus because her daughter is demon possessed. Surprisingly, Jesus ignores her at first. But she persists, showing her faith. She was a mama bear in every sense of the phrase, stopping at nothing to rid her daughter of the demon that was tormenting her. She knew the only way to get rid of it was to rely on Jesus Christ. Today, it is all too easy to rely on other things to solve life’s problems. Some of those things can help, like doctors and medications. Or they can be destructive, like drugs and alcohol. If all you are doing is masking the issue and it seems like you’re not getting anywhere, maybe it is time to try a different approach. Follow the example of the mother in Matthew. She came with tears, respect and humility. She didn’t feel entitled to anything, but she persisted until she got an answer. Come to the Lord with your problems. It’s worth it.