An Unlikely Mother Series

THE UNLIKELY MOTHER

Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25

Fordtown Baptist Church

Kingsport, Tennessee

May 8, 2005

Mother’s Day

READ SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25 KJV

PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

A.) This is the day that we honor our mothers. Actually, God has commanded each of us in His Word to honor our fathers and our mothers, constantly and continually, not just on special occasions (i.e. birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day), not just while they’re alive (we are to honor their memory after they have passed away), and not just if they happen to be good fathers and good mothers (see Exodus 20:12).

B.) God tells us to honor our parents (love, respect, obey, and care for them) regardless of how they were or how they treated us, regardless of if they were good to us or bad to us, regardless of if they were faithful Christians or unbelieving non-Christians, regardless of if they accepted us or rejected us, and regardless of if they loved us or were mean to us.

C.) WHY IS THAT? Do you realize that our relationship with our parents often mirrors and influences our relationship with God? If we’re not willing to love, respect, obey, and care for our earthly parents, then chances are we won’t be willing to love, respect, obey, and care about the one, true living God who created us, loves us, and who wants to have a personal relationship with us.

D.) This commandment to honor our parents is the first commandment that carries with it a promise. If we are faithful to love, respect, obey, and care for our parents, God promises that our days on earth will be long, enjoyable, and blessed (see Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:2; Ephesians 6:2).

E.) But today we focus specifically on our mothers. The late author and columnist Erma Bombeck wrote a tribute to her mother that I think is appropriate for today. READ ERMA BOMBECK’S TRIBUTE TO HER MOM (Source: Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), p. 583-584).

F.) I read that by the time a child reaches 18 years old, a mother has had to handle some 18,000 extra hours of child-generated work. Amazing, isn’t it?

G.) A middle school science teacher gave a lecture to a class on the characteristics of magnets. The next day the teacher gave the students a quiz. The first question was this: “My name begins with the letter ‘M,’ has six letters, and I pick up things. What am I?” Half the kids in the class answered, “Mother.”

H.) A father and his son were talking about how important and influential mothers are. During their conversation the father said, “If daddy ain’t happy, who cares? But if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” (Source: Brian Bill, “A Mother’s Love,” SermonCentral.com, May 6, 2005). THAT WAS TRUE IN MY HOUSE AND PROBABLY IN YOURS AS WELL.

I.) What comes to mind when we think of what it means to be a mother, someone who is nice, loving, caring, compassionate, encouraging, and affirming?

J.) Most of us may think of our own mothers, or maybe we think of a television mom like Harriet Nelson or June Cleaver or Marion Cunningham or Claire Huxtable. The British Broadcasting Company’s Parenting magazine asked its readers what mother they would be most like to be.

K.) The number one pick was Marge Simpson, the mother on the TV cartoon show, “The Simpsons” (Source: Newsweek, May 10, 2004). That’s perhaps not our idea of the ideal mother.

L.) The Bible tells us about a woman who, from our perspective, was unfit, unprepared, and ill-equipped to be a mother, much less a good one. Her name was Rahab, and she was a prostitute.

M.) RAHAB WAS AN UNLIKELY MOTHER. And yet, despite her immoral lifestyle and sinful past, God radically changed Rahab and used her in a profound and powerful way, just as God can radically change each of us and use each of us for His honor and His glory.

I.) RAHAB’S CONFRONTATION WITH GOD

A.) We meet Rahab in Joshua 2 when the Israelite leader Joshua sent two men to Jericho to spy out the city the Israelites were preparing to invade as part of their conquest of the Promised Land.

B.) The Bible tells us the spies came to the house of Rahab, a prostitute who lived in Jericho, and they stayed in her house (see Joshua 2:1). Note: It was not an accident or an afterthought that the spies sought refuge in a house of ill repute.

C.) After all, it seemed like a prostitute’s house was the perfect place to hide if one didn’t want to be recognized or have their identity revealed. IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT THAT ISRAELITE SPIES CAME TO RAHAB’S HOUSE, IT WAS A DIVINE APPOINTMENT.