"Because Mama Says It Doesn't Make It Right"

12 July 2009

Pentecost Sunday

U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris

Fortress Chapel

Contingency Operation Site (C.O.S.) Sykes

Tall-afar, Iraq

BIG IDEA: Adult Christian children are to pay attention to the advice of Christ-like parents and think twice about the guidance given by unbelieving parents.

REFERENCES: Te-trarch: a ruler over a forth of the kingdom (pronounced Te-Trahrk) – (although Mark calls Herod Antipas a King – he was really a governor who thought himself to be a king. All of the Herods in the Bible had Edomite Blood in their veins and hated Jews. They typify the god of this age – the devil); Mark 6:14-29 ESV (The Death of John the Baptist): Matthews 14:1-12; Luke 9:7-9, 19-20; Romans 3:4b - … let God be true, but every man a liar …; Romans 10:13-15a (KJV) …Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?; Psalm 85:8-13 (ESVV); Ruth 1:8-9 (ESV) Naomi an “Iron Mom” gives good guidance to her daughter-in-laws (Orpah and Ruth): But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me; Genesis 27:6-17 (ESV) – Rebecca gives poor advice to Jacob; Matthew 10:37 (ESV) Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; John 3:3 (ESV) – John the Baptist exalts Christ – “He must increase, but I must decrease.”; Titus 2:3-5 (ESV) Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled; Proverbs 22:6 (ESV – The best known verse in proverbs on child training) Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it; Proverbs 29:17 (ESV) Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart; Proverbs 22:15 (KJV) Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him; Ephesians 6:1-4 (ESV) 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. Fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline of the Lord; Deuteronomy 6:20-25 (ESV); Deuteronomy 6:7 (ESV) You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise; Note: Rules for Christian households – Colossians 3:20 (ESV) Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord; 1 Kings 3:22-28 (ESV) - the mother of the infant brought to Solomon by the harlots;

I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Mark 6:16-29 (ESV)

II. READ THE PERICOPE: Mark 6:16-29 (ESV)

III. READ THE TEXT: Mark 6:24 (ESV) And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.”

IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to affirm to others that adult Christian children are to pay attention to the advice of Christ-like parents and think twice about the guidance given by unbelieving parents.

V. SERMONIC THEME: “Because mama says it doesn’t make it right”

VI. INTRODUCTION:

This past Mother’s Day, in honor of mothers everywhere, I was led by God to preach a message dubbed, “Grace under Fire”. In that particular message we passionately addressed the behaviors of the Biblical Hannah and good mothers.

Today, I feel led – by God - to momentarily address the behavior of bad mothers – those that negatively influence their children. In other words, “Because mama says it doesn’t make it right”.

The Good Book says in Titus 2:3-5 (ESV) …“Older women … are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled” … (or unloved or hated); In order for our young women not to hate or detest the Word of God they must be trained and taught the Word by Godly mothers.