What is Love? The Best Mother s Day Gifts" Week 3. If you missed the sermon, you'll find the podcast at

Transcription

1 What is Love? The Best Mother s Day Gifts" Week 3 If you missed the sermon, you'll find the podcast at Bottom line - The greatest gifts you can give your mom are from the heart. Scriptures - Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Luke 2:51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

2 Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Icebreaker What is it that you love(d) about your mom? What part of her character do you want to emulate? How do you see yourself, whether positive or negative, in your mom? Questions: 1. One of the best gifts you can give your mom is obedience. How does obedience to your parents change as you get older? How can you still obey Ephesians 6:1 as an adult? How does it look different now than when you were a child? 2. According to Exodus 20:12 and Ephesians 6:2-3, what would you say honor is?

3 How should we honor our mom if she isn t honorable? 3. Read Proverbs 10:1 together as a small group. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother. Growing up, were you a joy, or a sorrow, to your mother? As an adult, now, are you a joy, or a sorrow, to your mother? What actions could someone take to bring joy into their mother s heart? 4. Is your mom at a place where she needs your care? What does that look like?

4 Even if she s not in that place right now, we can learn from Jesus example. Write down some principles we can draw from the way Jesus treated his mom in John 19: Love is a command. And that command to love includes our moms Write down 5 ways you can show your mom (or a mom in your life, if your mom isn t still living) that you love them. a. b. c. d. e. CLOSER: Prayer Time Idea - Pray for the ladies in your small group that are moms. Ask God to give them extra grace and courage to honor Jesus in raising their family.

5 FOR THE LEADER: Biblical Background Family Responsibility (1 Timothy 5:4, 7-8) Among Paul's readers were those who were believing children or grandchildren of a widow. For them, making provision for the widow was an essential expression of genuine faith. In fact, that key word in the Pastorals, godliness (NIV put their religion into practice), occurs here in such a way that the home is envisioned as the initial "test tube" of faith. What is actually at stake here is obedience to the fifth commandment: "Honor your father and your mother" (Ex 20:12; Eph 6:2). Not only is care for the widowed mother or grandmother a logical recompense for her faithful service to children and grandchildren, but in the obedience to God's will that it reflects, this care is pleasing to God. Disobedience amounts to rejection of the faith; the judgment that such a one is worse than an unbeliever (v. 8) is harsh, because that one has consciously broken God's law. Paul's vivid language suggests that actual instances of neglect needed to be corrected. Furthermore, it is very possible that the heretical movement, which took a dim view of marriage (4:3), was also undermining traditional family values (compare 2 Tim 3:6; Tit 1:11); Paul's description in verse 8 matches his description of the false teachers (those who had denied the faith; 1:6; 4:1; 6:21; 2 Tim 2:18; 3:5; Tit 1:16). But there was another danger. Just as surely as the loose-living widow of verse 6 (see vv ) would attract criticism, failure to provide for the financial support of the widow would leave the family and, by association, the church open to criticism (v. 7). The whole passage is under the category of conduct that affects witness. The reference to blame (literally, "blameless," as in 3:2 in the case of the overseer) is an allusion to the observant outsider. Additionally, the sentiment of verse 8 would have been shared by the respectable

6 unbeliever, whose civil structure included laws providing for the protection of the widow. For both the widow and the family of the widow, these instructions express the need to keep one's confession of the faith and one's conduct in harmony. In contrast to the false teaching that had been circulating, spirituality was to have practical, respectable and observable results. IVP New Testament Commentaries are made available by the generosity of InterVarsity Press.

7 Sermon outline The Best Mother s Day Gifts Introduction Welcome to a special day here at Long Hollow. It s Mothers day Today we celebrate our mom s. Without them, we wouldn t be here A Little About Mother s Day: IT S ORIGIN In 1907, Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia started the campaign to honor mothers, two years after her own mother died 2. In 1910, West Virginia became the first state to recognize Mother s Day 3. A year later, nearly every state officially marked the day 4. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed Mother s Day a national holiday for the second Sunday of May 5. This is the 100 th anniversary of Mothers day as a National Holiday ( ). IT S COMMERCIALIZATION Anna Jarvis accomplishment soon became a bitter disappointment 2. She became enraged by its commercialization 3. She filed a lawsuit to stop a Mother s Day celebration in She was arrested for disturbing the peace at a war mother s convention where white carnations (her symbol for mothers) were being sold to raise money 5. Her complaint: I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit. Some mothers day statistics from 2013: (ProFlowers.com, Economist.com)

8 Americans spent $671 Million on Mother s day cards, buying 140 million cards. This makes Mother s day the third biggest holiday for cards, behind Valentines and Christmas. Americans also spent $1.9 Billion on flowers for Mothers day. Most popular floral arrangements for Mother s day: Mixed Bouquets, Carnations, Daffodils, Roses and Tulips. We should give gifts to our moms on Mother s Day and mom s enjoy getting them. Illus. - An overzealous little boy was pledging his devotion to his mother when he began to brag of what he would do for her when he grew up. "Mom, when I grow up I'm going to buy you an electric can opener, an electric toaster, an electric stove, and an electric chair." Illus. - Three sons, who were very successful, discussed the gifts they gave their elderly mother on Mother's day. The first said, "I built a big house for our mother. The second said," I sent her a Mercedes. The third said, "I've got you, both beat. You know how Mom enjoys the Bible, and you know she can't see very well. I sent her a parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took 20 monks in a monastery 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $100, a year for 10 years, but it was worth it. Mom just has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot will recite it." Soon thereafter, Mom mailed her letters of thanks: She wrote the first son, "Michael, the house you built is too large. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house." She wrote the second son, "Marvin, I'm nearly blind so I can't drive. I stay home all the time, so I never use the Mercedes."

9 "Dearest Melvin," she wrote to her third son, "You were the only son to have the good sense to know what your mother likes. That chicken was delicious" But the greatest gifts you can give your mom are from the heart. And they are gifts we should give year round. And we are not encouraged to give mom these gifts, but are commanded to. I want to talk for a few minutes on The Best Mother s Day Gifts. We certainly don t want to leave anyone out today. Sometimes we hear it said that the highest fulfillment for a woman is motherhood. No, the greatest fulfillment for a woman, and a man for that matter, is her relationship with Jesus Christ and following His plan for their life. For whatever reason some women are not and may never be mothers. But that doesn t make you any less a woman. Your identity is found in Jesus not motherhood But we all know the importance of mothers. We all have or had a mother. Let s pray and we ll talk about some of the best gifts we can give our moms I. The Gift Of Obedience A. Primarily for children. 1. Young people, part of following Jesus is obeying mom (Eph 6:1; Col 3:20) Ephesians 6:1 (ESV) 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Colossians 3:20 (ESV) 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 2. Qualifier: You do not have to obey sinful/criminal demands

10 3. Rebellion = the sin of witchcraft Illus. The example of Jesus (Luke 2:51) Luke 2:51 (ESV) 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. B. Tricky in college no man s land. Illus. Me at CSCC C.Still some application as adults 1. Warning: leave and cleave Illus. My dad s cousin. Men, stop being a momma s boy 2. But seek to fulfill her wishes. Within reason. 3. Avoiding disrespect as an adult is one way to apply this. II. The Gift Of Honor (Eph 6:2-3; Pr 20:20; 23:22) A. Command with a promise (Ex 20:12; Eph 6:2-3) Exodus 20:12 (ESV) 12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Ephesians 6:2-3 (ESV) 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. B. Honor: 1. Respectful in word and action.

11 2. Having an inward attitude of esteem for their position. 3. Greek Revere, prize, and value 4. Honor is giving respect not only for merit but also for rank. For example, some Americans may disagree with the President s decisions, but they should still respect his position as leader of their country. Similarly, children of all ages should honor their parents, regardless of whether or not their parents deserve honor. C.This command is in force for as long as our mom is alive. D.Tough because some mom s are not that honorable. Illus. Newlywed farmer and his mother-in-law E. Some of you have a dysfunctional relationship with your mom. F. As our mom s age they can become difficult and demanding. Age tends to magnify our good and bad qualities. Illus. - The need for boundaries G.Still seek to honor them, if nothing else for their position it speaks to their heart and comes back on you as a blessing. It does our heart good. H.Scripture warns us against disregarding this commandment (Pr 20:20) Proverbs 20:20 (ESV) 20 If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness. III. The Gift Of Joy (Prov. 10:1, 17:25, 23:25) A. Are you a source of joy to your mom? (Prov. 10:1)

12 Proverbs 10:1 (ESV) 1 A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother. Illus. - The mother of three notorious kids was asked, "If you had it to do all over again would you have children?" "Sure," she said, "but not the same ones." B. Loving the Lord and living for Him brings so much joy to most moms (Pr 23:25) Proverbs 23:25 (ESV) 25 Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. C.We ve all made mistakes and more than likely your mom loves you anyway. D.But are you just a jerk toward your mom? Have no regard for her convictions? (Pr 17:25) Proverbs 17:25 (ESV) 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. E. Are you living just the opposite of the Godly training she gave you? That breaks a momma s heart. F. It never hurts to do something because you know it s important to your mom. This would bring joy to my mom so I ll do it. G.There s a mom out there praying for many of you to come back to the Lord Why don t you come home today What a joyful day it would be for her to hear that news IV. The Gift Of Care (Pr 23:22)

13 Proverbs 23:22 (ESV) 22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. A. Most likely there will be a day when the roles are reversed and your mom will need your help. Illus. - A young man was standing at the grocery store checkout line when he noticed an elderly woman in front of him. As she unloaded her grocery cart, she kept looking up and staring at him. After a few awkward moments, he asked, Why do you keep staring at me? The woman said, I'm sorry, but it's just that you look exactly like my son who recently died." "I'm so sorry to hear that," the young man replied. "Is there anything I can do for you?" "Yes," she said. As I leave, if you would say, 'Goodbye, Mother' it would make me feel so much better because I need closure." "I d be glad to do that for you," he answered. As the old woman was leaving, he called out, "Goodbye, Mother" After unloading his cart, the bill came to $ "How can that be?" he asked the clerk. "I only purchased a few items." Oh, the clerk replied, "your mother said that you would pay for her stuff." B. What is wrong with your heart if you neglect your mom, especially in her old age and most especially if she is widow? (1 Tim 5:8) 1 Timothy 5:8 (ESV)

14 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. C.Take care of mom she took care of you Illus. Jesus example in John 19:26-27 V. The Gift Of Love A. We ve been talking about love the last few weeks. B. In some way you could do the above without love, but it won t mean as much to her. C.Love is a difference maker in our less than perfect, often times dysfunctional relationships (1 Peter 4:8). 1 Peter 4:8 (ESV) 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. D.Love for a Christian is not manufactured by us, but produced by God in us. As a result we can love our mom s even when they are not very lovable. E. Remember we are commanded to love (John 13:34) and that includes our moms. John 13:34 (ESV) 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. F. Love your momma