Mother's Day 2019

Mothers Day 2019

Text: Titus 2:1 - 5

George Washington, the first President of the United States of America said, “All that I am, I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her.”

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States said, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, one of the most prolific preachers in all of history said this, “I cannot tell you how much I owe to the solemn word of my good mother.”

Mother’s Day, here in the U.S. can be traced back to a woman named Anna Jarvis, who began writing letters to senators, congressmen, and state governors in 1905 – requesting that a day be set aside to honor motherhood, and mothers. She worked hard and continuously, and it paid off. By 1911, nearly every state had a state holiday celebrating and honoring mothers. Finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution, passed by Congress that designated the 2nd Sunday in May as the national holiday we now know as Mother’s Day.

Now… 105 years later, our culture has become so confused, and twisted, many American’s don’t value, or understand the role of a mother. Instead of prominent people and leaders saying things like “I owe everything to the teaching and training of my mother.” You hear things like, “The home is your prison! Free yourself from the drudgery of motherhood.” And at the same time, women who see being a mother as the Bible describes it… as an honor and privilege… they are marginalized and demonized by the general public. And our society today doesn’t see being a mom as something that is valuable, or of great importance. Now the Bible on the other hand is completely the opposite. In-fact; the Bible describes being a mother as one of the most important roles and callings in society. In-fact; I would argue that being a parent – a mother or a father, is the highest, most important, role and calling, given in the pages of Scripture. It’s more important than being a king or queen, or leader. It’s more important than being a pastor or a prophet, or a priest. It’s more important than being a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, or farmer. And it’s more important than being in law enforcement, or the military. Like I said, being a parent is the highest calling and role given to us in Scripture.

So with that in mind, I want you to take your Bibles and open them to the Book of Titus 2:1 – 5 (READ).

Now the Apostle Paul is writing this to a young pastor. And he’s telling him, “This is what you are to do… you are to teach. But not just any old thing. You are to teach what accords (or… what lines up with) with sound doctrine.” In other words, teach what lines up with Scripture, what affirms Scripture, what results from Scripture… teach what Scripture teaches. And then basically Paul gives examples of what he means… Verse 2 – “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.”

But verses 3, 4, and 5 are what we’re really going to zero in on this morning.

So… this is also what accords with Scripture. Paul says that the older women should behave in a certain way. They should be reverent in behavior. They should not be slanderers. And not slaves to much wine. Now to be reverent in behavior means that they should hold the good, the noble, the honorable, and authoritative things in high regard and esteem. Now why is that important? Well… what happens when a lady has contempt for her husband? What does that do to her children, and the other girls that she has influence over? What happens when a lady has contempt for her pastor? What’s that do to her children, and the other women or girls she has influence over? What happens when a lady disrespects the police, or teachers, or let’s just say, men in general? What does that teach her children, and what does it teach the other women or girls that are influenced by her? And this is just as true for men as well… but being that today is Mother’s Day, we’re focusing on you ladies.

So Paul says they should be reverent… and that leads to the second thing he says. If you’re reverent, you’re not slandering people. Now what is the definition of slander? It literally means to say something that will hurt another person, or damage their reputation.

Now understand me – there are times when the truth needs to be told about a person. The Bible actually teaches that. As Christians we are to be truthful people, and bold people. But slander is when you’re saying something with the intent to defame someone, or… to stir the pot because you like drama. Have you ever met someone like that? All their life is drama? It’s one world changing, earth shattering event after the other… I don’t know about ya’ll; but people like that are exhausting to me.